This reserve is right out the back of my house, it is a comforting place for me. No matter what is happening in my life, this natural sanctuary is here, ready and waiting to bring me back down to what is here and now.

Here I formed the idea of my own game and artefact, I've left the original audio for the clips so you can hear and see exactly what I did.

I was heavily inspired by the sounds and emotions that being in this natural environment led me to feel. This then lead me to imagine how all the fauna and flora would be feeling, saying and moving, this is what led to the creation of my 'game' or experience: How Does Nature Move.

When the music comes on, children focus on a natural element and creating a persona for them through their movements and imagination.

For example, we would imagine how a big eucalyptus tree would move through the reserve, how he would dance to the beat that is playing, what he would be saying to the small plant next to him. (It is important to remember as a facilitator of the game, that there is no right or wrong way to move or communicate with their bodies, it is what feels right and comfortable to the child participating (Edwards et al., 2011)).

We could move onto a specific bird on it's branch or with it's family in their nest, or how the grass would move as it pushed through the soil. It is a great way to demonstrate the relationships between natural elements and to look deeper at the things we find ourselves surrounded by, whether that be the environment or the things we find in Place .

Children learn through play, but with the introduction of music into their play, they are able to engage with music in a wide variety of ways. They can simply gain an understanding of music elements or gain skills in musical areas but they can also express their emotions and interpret their feelings through the sounds they hear (Niland, 2009).

Furthermore, being outside in nature for play allows for more sensory setting and experience, nature is unpredictable which is what makes it such a unique place to play in (Wilson, 2007/2018). This is why I thought dancing and moving in the outdoor elements would be a different experience for children, they can, for example, use the wind to help their movements or pick up leaves/sticks from their surroundings as props to enhance their experience.

In my game, children are able to completely shed their own skin and become a different character then themselves. They are able to use their imagination skills to transform themselves into a bird, tree, leaf etc. Taking dramatic play outside allows for children to directly interact WITH nature as well as immersing themselves with it (Wilson, 2007/2018).

Once I got going and decided to simply play, it started to click into place. My natural space is filled with birds, and I began playing with what they were saying to each other or coming up with reasons as to why they were flying away together. I then brought this thought to all natural elements, the trees, bugs, grass etc. The experience that I came up with, 'How Does Nature Move' involves song, dance/movement and dramatic elements. Hypothetically, this game could be played indoors, or in other spaces, but I think it is so important for children to get outside and play in natural environments. Young people do not get the positive experiences outside that were so common in previous times, they are deprived of positive experiences within nature (Wilson, 2007/2018).

The song that I created is a simple piece, with lots of repetition throughout. I deliberately created a song like this as it allows for the children to become familiar with the way the song sounds. Children can then anticipate what sounds are coming, and chose to move rhythmically to work with the music playing (Niland, 2009).

Movement is a way of story-telling and sharing, as well as a way to stimulate higher levels of movement (Wilson, 2007/2018). When children become a bird, for example, they will change their body movements to express the object s feelings, movements and emotions to the song playing, instead of their regular movements. It could be more of a dance, or even simple movements that the child feels fits best.

Children who are given the opportunity to participate in dramatic imaginary play are seen to have improved regulation, social and emotional skills (Berk & Meyers, 2014). If children are fully participating and engaged with 'How Does Nature Move', the aim is that they are acting out being something else. Therefore, the more chances the children get at this, the more their important life skills will develop and grow, while they are, importantly, having fun on Place.

Berk, L. E., & Meyers, A. B. (2014). Children’s Play as Cultural Activity. SAGE Publications, 31–42. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473907850.n5

Dance Teaching Ideas. (2020, June 7). Creative Dance for Early Childhood . Dance Teaching Ideas. https://danceteachingideas.com/creative-dance-movement-for-toddlers/

Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. (2011). The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation (3rd ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing USA. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/detail.action?docID=820317

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

Wilson, R. (2018). Nature and Young Children (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315148533 (Original work published 2007)

Wooten, V. (2013). Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0

I am a very music-centric person, I played four or five different instruments when I was growing up and am always looking for the right song for the situation, feeling, or place I am in. This is why I chose to create my own music for the creative element, inspired by the environment and landscape.