1.  Music – Water Stories with Instruments

Children listen to short stories about water and create sound effects using instruments to bring the stories to life. They experiment with rhythm, pitch and texture to represent the flow, splash and stillness of water.

2.  Movement – ​​Speed ​​and Flow

Children explore the characteristics of movement (fast/slow, smooth/jerky, strong/soft) inspired by the changing flow of a river. They combine individual and group movements into a short “river dance”.

3.  Drama – Weaving a Story by the River

Using the river as a dramatic setting, children weave a story together. Some children take on roles (fish, birds, people, river), while others contribute to the plot. The performance develops naturally, demonstrating the connection between imagination and space.

-       Sense of Place and Nature Pedagogy: Wilson (2018) emphasises that "this type of play was freely chosen, engaged the senses, involved problem-solving and imagination, and motivated children to take risks". The central theme of the river is consistent with the idea that outdoor play spaces are inherently pedagogical (Wilson, 2018), teaching children through sensory and physical experiences.

-       Reggio-Inspired Arts Integration: Edwards, Gandini, & Forman (2011) and Niland (2009) demonstrate that the space for artistic exploration supports the integration of music, movement and drama as connecting languages. My music and movement activities reflect this approach by providing children with opportunities to "use multiple ways of expressing their ideas as they move seamlessly from one mode of expression to another - dancing, dramatizing, singing, exploring sound, drawing, and making things" (Niland, 2009).

-       The power of musical play: Niland (2009) further argues that music becomes meaningful when it is play-based and child-cantered. The “Water Stories with Instruments” activity illustrates this, as "children are exploring the sound-making potential of a range of materials and are experimenting with techniques."

-       Pedagogical Documentation: Dahlberg (2012) frames documentation is "an integral part of the learning and teaching process of the children and teachers" (p. 251-253). By using Padlet to journal children’s experiences, I create a space for interpretation, reflection, and shared construction between children and educators.

-       Convergent Creativity: Yusof & Tan (2018) describe how teaching music to young children should promote convergent creativity where children combine multiple modes of thinking and expression. Each of my activities "converges efforts of educators in the field of music to bring creativity of learners into existence" and encourages children to "co-constructing spaces of imagining, feeling, improvising, moving, and encountering beauty and aesthetics in sounds." (p.7)

-       Entanglement and Indigenous Perspectives: Hamm (2015) highlights storytelling as relational processes that honour Indigenous methodologies, where place and people are inextricably linked. The “Weaving Stories by the River” activity builds on this by encouraging children to co-create stories and "[understand] the land around us requires thinking about place in a different way" (p. 2) that emerge unexpectedly from their relationships with the river and with each other.

-       Alignment with National and State Frameworks: Both the EYLF V2.0 (Department of Education, 2022) and the VEYLDF (Department of Education and Training Victoria, 2016) emphasise Belonging, Being and Becoming as central to children’s learning. These experiences are designed to promote children's autonomy, identity and well-being through creative exploration, while incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and respect for country.

Music: Water Stories with Instruments

Materials: shakers, hand drum, sticks, chime, tambourine, water-themed storybook or teacher’s oral story.

1.   Show children a photo/artefact of the river (from Ass 2).

2.   Ask: “What sounds do you hear at the river?”

3.   Read/tell a short water story (e.g., rain falling, river flowing, fish jumping).

4.   Children choose instruments to make sounds for each element appeared in the story.

5.   Perform story + sounds together.

6.   Pause for silence—listen to the “quiet river.”

Resources:

Berkes, M. & Dubin, J. (2023, Aug 7), Over in a River: Flowing out to the Sea (kids story read aloud) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATyTOPjUZJo

Clulo, H. (2021, Aug 30), THE RIVER: An Epic Journey to the Sea (kids story read aloud) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNrMmPFCQMk

Morgan, S. & Malibirr, J. W. (2023, May 13), The River – Dreamtime story read aloud [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBZBtSmlBBw

Movement: Speed and Flow Experiment

Materials: open space, optional soft background music.

1.   Gather children in an open space; invite them to imagine a river.

2.   Model gentle flowing movement (slow swaying arms like reeds).

3.   Call out "gentle river"  children move slowly.

4.   Call out "fast river"  children move quickly, darting like water.

5.   Call out "flood river"  children move with big sweeping gestures.

6.   Mix speeds together for playful sequences.

7.   End with "still river"  freeze in strong poses like rocks.

Drama: Story Weaving by the River

Materials: sticks, fabric/blue cloth for river, paper fish or simple props.

1.   Acknowledge Country: “We thank the river and land for teaching us today.”

2.   Place blue cloth/fabric as the “river.”

3.   Introduce: “We will make a story together by the river.”

4.   Children choose roles: river, fish, bird, fisher, tree, etc.

5.   Start story with a line: “Once by the river…”

6.   Each child adds a part, weaving the story together.

7.   Act out the story as it unfolds.

1.  What went as expected?

-       She actively followed story cues.

2.  What did not go as expected?

-       I didn’t have any instrument, instead she followed the story cue by clapping when hearing the word “bird” (elements of the river).

3.  What might you do different next time?

-       I will bring more instruments that more students can join in the story cue.

4.  How might you use this growth in your future practice of early childhood education?

-       Encouraging multiple “languages” of expression; I will use storytelling to deepen connection to place rather than listening through YouTube.

1.  What went as expected?

-       She enjoyed the tempo changes.

2.  What did not go as expected?

-       I was still shy to speak in front of a camera, so I didn’t talk clearly. This affected to children may not engage in my lesson.

3.  What might you do different next time?

-       I will be more confident and try to speak aloud.

4.  How might you use this growth in your future practice of early childhood education?

-       Movement supports learning and physical health; tempo and flow are effective ways to connect children to place.

1.  What went as expected?

-       She was engaged creatively and collaborated on the story.

2.  What did not go as expected?

-       She had to think a role to fix in the story. This will be the same for children when they have to think harder to connection the story line.

3.  What might you do different next time?

-       I will offer more role choices; allow children to switch roles mid-way.

4.  How might you use this growth in your future practice of early childhood education?

-       Drama builds co-creation, imagination, and problem-solving skills; props help make rich connections.

-       These experiences changed my perspective: art is not an add-on but an essential way for children to interact with their environment and each other.

-       A sense of Place and Connection shaped all activities, showing that learning is interactive, dynamic and co-created.

-       Integrating Indigenous perspectives and acknowledging Country gave children a deeper understanding of land, water and cultural history.

-       This unit showed me how to design open, responsive arts experiences that foster creativity, well-being and a sense of belonging.

Department of Education. (2022). Belonging, being and becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (V2.0). Australian Government.

Department of Education and Training Victoria. (2016). Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. State of Victoria.

Edwards, C. P. , Gandini, L., & Forman, G. E. (2011). The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation. (3rd ed.). ABC-CLIO. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/detail.action?docID=820317

Hamm, C. (2015). Walking with place: Storying reconciliation pedagogies in early childhood education. Canadian Children, 40(2), 56–66. https://research.ebsco.com/c/6kr4lr/viewer/pdf/73npiks3mz?route=details

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://research.ebsco.com/c/m7hw3i/viewer/html/nynftgtuev

Wilson, R. A. (2018). Nature and young children: Encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/reader/read-online/5096b0f2-e978-444f-80b2-806bd7e3e4a4/book/epub?context=ubx

Wilson, R. A. (2018). Natural outdoor playspaces. Nature and young children: encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments (3rd ed., pp. 18-32). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/reader/read-online/38dd7c8e-8ae3-4482-8b86-8e7ff2426f51/chapter/pdf?context=ubx

Yusof, F. B., & Tan, A.-G. (2019). Teaching music in the early childhood classroom for convergent creativity: Views from a meta-synthesis. Y. Tsubonou, A.-G. Tan, & M. Oie (Eds), Creativity in music education (pp. 245–266). Springer. file:///Users/baotang/Downloads/978-981-13-2749-0.pdf