Bringing the tree to life by exploring nature through music, dance and drama by Thi Thi Nguyen

s8074230 — 2025-09-11 16:47:00 UTC

Music (Nature Sound Orchestra): I linked this to the natural and human sounds around the tree. Niland (2009) shows that musical play supports creativity and child-centred learning, which guided the design of this playful sound activity. Wilson (2018) also highlights how natural environments inspire children’s creative play.

s8074230 — 2025-09-11 17:14:28 UTC

Dance (Animal movement dance): the image of the lonely tree also made me think about the animals and life around it. This led me to create movement activities where children explored different animal actions. Wilson (2018) explains that outdoor play encourages children to use creativity to connect with nature.

s8074230 — 2025-09-11 17:18:23 UTC

Drama (The tree’s story): In Assessment 2, I imagined giving the tree a “voice.” This idea shaped my drama session, where children role-played as the tree, sun, rain, and birds. Welch (2009) explains that storytelling encourages empathy and shared meaning. Hamm (2015) also shows how connecting with place through story can deepen children’s understanding of their environment.

s8074230 — 2025-09-11 17:23:15 UTC

My sessions were inspired by my Assessment 2 response to the lonely tree at St Albans Station. In that work, I explored how children might bring life to a lonely tree by imagining, adding leaves, putting water and planning some trees around. For Assessment 3, I developed three activities by using sound, movement, and drama to connect children with place.

s8074230 — 2025-09-11 17:35:48 UTC

These sessions also link to EYLF Outcome 2, which is about children being connected with and contributing to their world. Through music, movement, and drama outside, children showed care for the tree and learned how they are part of nature too.

Sound/Music (session 4)

s8074230 — 2025-09-12 15:13:52 UTC

In Session 4, Bianca gave us the freedom to go outside and listen carefully to our surroundings. With my eyes closed, I heard birds singing, the wind blowing, cars running and sound’s air condition. Listening without looking made me notice more details in the soundscape.

This experience inspired my activity nature sound orchestra where children also listen to outdoor sounds and then recreate them with their voices and bodies to bring the environment to life.

Dance (session 5)

s8074230 — 2025-09-12 15:22:36 UTC

In Session 5, Bianca played sad music and asked us to move our bodies slowly with the music by using our hands and legs in our own way. Then she changed to pop music, and we moved with the rhythm more quickly and with energy. Finally, she asked us to close our eyes, listen, and move however we wanted. This showed me how music can guide movement and feelings.

This experience inspired my activity animal movement dance, where children move like animals in nature. Just as I learned to follow the music in class, children will follow their imagination and use their bodies to express life around the tree.

Drama (session 6)

s8074230 — 2025-09-12 15:58:22 UTC

In class, we explored how sound and movement can come together to create meaning. Bianca played the sound of running water, and one student used their body to show the flowing river. Another became a bird, adding sound and movement, while another acted as fire. Each person’s part connected to the others, and soon a story was built through sound and action. This showed me how drama allows children to combine different modes of expression to bring stories to life.

This experience inspired my activity the tree’s story, where children use imagination and role-play to give the lonely tree a voice. Just as I learned to create with loose parts in class, children will create characters and actions that bring the tree to life.

s8074230 — 2025-09-12 16:27:04 UTC

ECE2008 helped me understand more about how music, movement, and drama can support children’s learning. Through this course, I learned that these art forms are creative languages that allow children to express feelings, connect with place, and use imagination in playful way.

Activity one: Music/ Sound ( Nature Sound Orchestra)

s8074230 — 2025-09-12 16:42:01 UTC

Steps:

Garther children in a circle outside near a tree or open spaces.
Ask children to close their eyes and listen carefully for 30 seconds.
Invite them to share what they heard (birds, wind, cars, footsteps, voices).
Ask each child to choose one sound and copy it with their voice or body.
Take turns layering sounds together, forming a group “nature orchestra.”
Finish with 10 seconds of silence to reflect.

This activity links to EYLF Outcome 2 that children are connected and contribute to their world by listening carefully to environmental sounds and recreating them through voice and body.

Activity 2: Dance ( Animal movement dance)

s8074230 — 2025-09-12 16:50:18 UTC

Steps:

Gather children in an open outdoor or indoor space.
Ask them to think of animals they might see near trees or in nature.
Choose one animal and demonstrate its movement (flap like a bird, hop like a kangaroo, flutter like a butterfly).
Invite children to copy the movement and explore space safely.
Change to a new animal after 20 second.
End by asking children to stand tall like a strong tree and take a deep breath.

This activity reflects EYLF Outcome 3, because children develop a strong sense of wellbeing as they use their bodies in safe and creative ways, balance, and body awareness through movement.

Activity 3: Drama (The tree’s story)

s8074230 — 2025-09-12 17:02:23 UTC

Steps:

Gather children near a tree
Tell a short story: “This tree is feeling lonely. How can we help it?”
Invite children to role-play as the tree, sun, wind, or birds.
Encourage them to use voices and sounds as well as movements:
- Tree: whisper “I feel lonely” or “Thank you” when helped.
- Sun: say “I will shine for you.”
- Wind: blow softly and say “whoosh.”
- Birds: call out “tweet-tweet.”
Guide the group to combine roles into a short story where the tree changes from sad and lonely to alive and happy.
End by asking everyone to stand around the tree and say together: “You are not lonely anymore.”

This activity connects with EYLF Outcome 5, as children become effective communicators by using role-play, sound, and movement to tell stories, express ideas, and share meaning with others.

s8074230 — 2025-09-12 17:30:15 UTC

Wilson, R. A. (2018). Nature and young children: Encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/vu.edu.au?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.taylorfrancis.com%2Fbooks%2Fmono%2F10.4324%2F9781315148533%2Fnature-young-children-ruth-wilson

Welch, W. (2009). Who owns the story? Storytelling, Self, Society, 5(1), 1–22. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/vu.edu.au?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F41943296

Hamm, C. (2015). Walking with place: Storying reconciliation pedagogies in early childhood education. Canadian Children, 40(2), 56–66. https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=26024c46-924d-32e9-a217-a228a5b86642

Niland, A. (2009). The Power of Musical Play: The Value of Play-Based, Child-Centered Curriculum in Early Childhood Music Education. General Music Today, 23(1), 17–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/1048371309335625

Oliveros, P. (2015, October 9). The difference between hearing and listening [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QHfOuRrJB8

Wooten, V. (2012, September 20). Music as a language [Video]. TEDx Talks. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0

Music (Nature Sound Orchestra)

s8074230 — 2025-09-12 18:00:34 UTC

What went well:
- Jolie was able to listen carefully and identify sounds such as birds and wind.
- She confidently copied these sounds using her voice and body.
- The activity encouraged her to focus, listen deeply, and use creativity to turn the environment into music.
What didn’t:
- I planned to have two children in the session, but only Jolie was present because Xiao was late due to a train delay.
- With just one child, the activity became more like a duet between Jolie and myself rather than a group experience.
- The group size limited the variety of sounds and made the session feel shorter
Next time:
- I would bring in simple instruments or loose parts so children could explore more sounds.
- I would run the activity with a larger group so children can create richer soundscapes together.
Growth for my practice:
- This reminded me of Wooten’s (2012) idea that music is like a language which means children learn best by listening, copying, and experimenting. It showed me that I should focus less on “getting it right” and more on giving children the freedom to play with sound.
- Jolie practiced “deep listening” by noticing details in her environment. This aligns with EYLF Outcome 2, where children connect with their world through exploration.
Overall reflection:
This activity showed me how powerful simple listening can be in early childhood education. Even with only one child, Jolie, the experience highlighted how sound and imagination help children connect with their world. I learned that music, movement, and drama are not about performance but about giving children space to listen, play, and create freely. In my future teaching, I want to focus on process, not perfection, and use the arts as a language for exploration and expression.
The link of my activity: https://youtu.be/Fdf5wt8JbOQ?si=kcI9Osd-eMpNGGUx

Dance (Animal Movement Dance)

s8074230 — 2025-09-12 18:00:59 UTC

What went well:
- Jolie was quick to recognise and copy animal movements, showing confidence and creativity.
- She laughed and enjoyed the activity, which made the session lively and engaging.
- She also added her own style to some movements, showing imagination beyond simple copying.
What didnt’t:
- Only one child joined, the session was shorter and lacked the group energy.
- With just Jolie, there was less variety of ideas compared to a group where children could inspire each other.
Next time:
- Using animal picture cards for children who need more support.
- Use a bigger space or mark out boundaries to help children move more safely.
Growth for my practice:
- Accorrding toOliveros’ (2005), concept of deep listening reminded me that children don’t just hear rhythm, they also feel it and express it through their bodies.
- I recognised that movement is another language of communication, connecting to Wooten’s (2012) idea that expressive forms are like languages.
- I discovered how much movement supports children’s physical wellbeing, balance, and coordination (EYLF Outcome 3).
Overall reflection:
The animal movement activity showed me how dance helps children express themselves in playful ways. Jolie enjoyed hopping, flapping, and fluttering, which supported her balance, body awareness, and creativity.
The link of my activity: https://youtu.be/GtWkuMUKC2g?si=paMgPInmRQYLbMQQ

Drama (The tree’s story)

s8074230 — 2025-09-12 18:34:16 UTC

What went well:
- Jolie enjoyed pretending to be the tree and the other roles, showing imagination.
She used both movements and sounds (e.g: “whoosh,” “tweet-tweet”) to act out the story.
The short narrative gave structure while still allowing for creativity.
What didn’t:
- Only Jolie was present, the story was less dynamic than if more children had joined.
- Some transitions between roles felt quick, as she had to switch characters on her own.
- Timing felt shorter without a group building the story together.
Next time:
- I would run this activity with more children so that each child can take on a different role. This would allow for more collaboration, as the children would need to listen, respond, and build the story together.
Growth for my practice:
- I learned that drama is a powerful way to build empathy and giving the tree a “voice” helped children connect with nature.
- This connects to Welch’s (2009) view that storytelling builds shared meaning.
- I also realised the value of voice, sound, and movement, which made the story more engaging and meaningful.
Overall reflection:
Through ECE2008: Music, Movement and Dramatic Arts, I can see drama as a powerful way for children to communicate ideas and feelings. Even with one participant, Jolie still explored empathy and connect with place through sound, movement, and story.
The link of my activity: https://youtu.be/Z4XZPgdhRPU?si=0xuia6PiySPeLx9N