The place I chose to experience is a playground in front of my house which is called Yacht Road Park. It is a large playground in a residential area, surrounded by many green trees, a variety of flowers and different animals. The space is filled with the sounds of local people, birds singing and even the wind. This is an ideal place for individuals or groups of family and friend to enjoy a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. As the park provides diverse natural elements, it can be seen as a miniature world, a magical universe where children can freely explore, discover, learn, play and nurture the joys of childhood.

From this experience, I was inspired to create the game “The Tiny Explorer”, with the hope that we can shrink down and explore the wonders around us with a miniature perspective and pay attention to the small details that we normally do not even know exist. While exploring and playing the game, I also had the chance to touch the grass, the trees, the sand, the soil and the stones. These sensory experiences helped me feel more deeply connected to nature. This made me think of Schafer’s (2009) idea of soundscapes, when the space is filled with the sounds of the natural world, we are not only listening but also living within it. It also reminded me of Undunmerr’s (1988) concept of dadirri, when deep listening is more than just listening to the sounds, it is about feeling the spiritual connection with nature.

When I began playing the game, I took on the role of a tiny explorer and discovered the natural space from a miniature perspective while engaging with the surrounding sounds. This made me realize that although playgrounds usually offer standard equipment like slides and swings, we can also create playful experiences with nature. Moreover, it reminded me of the concept of place-based learning, where every place and every setting can become a site for discovery and learning. As Wilson (2018, p. 8) emphasizes “The natural world offers an incredible wealth of sensory experiences and open-ended materials for motoric manipulation.”. My personal experience with this game confirmed this idea that I was able to use almost all of my senses to explore and use my imagination to dramatize the surrounding elements, which brought them to life and transformed them into things they might not ordinarily be seen as. This game truly brought together the three artistic languages of music/sound, movement/dance and drama, offering a rich, creative and immersive learning experience.

During the game, we imagine ourselves on a survival journey, exploring and searching around to find a way to survive in this giant forest. There are many scenarios we can create during the role-play. For example, when we hear a loud sound such as a giant bird flapping its wings, the blowing of the wind or cars passing by, they can be seen as a potential danger. Our task is to quickly find a shelter like running to hide under a large tree. These natural sounds can encourage imagination and intensity of the game, making us feel like real explorers. 

We can also use elements in the forest to enrich our play. For instance, a large rock can be imagined as a mountain that we must climb to gain a higher perspective of our surroundings. Moreover, by being “tiny”, we bring ourselves closer to the ground, where we can smell the grass, the earth and discover new small things that we usually overlook. At the end of the game, we step out of our characters, return to our “real size” and reflect on the experience, reviewing what fascinating and new aspects of nature.

Miriam-Rose Undunmerr. (1988). Dadirri, Inner Deep Listening & Quiet Still Awareness. https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/content/enforced/1816406-ECE2008-1-2023-HWB-151670/Dadirri_Handout%20(1)%20(1).pdf?ou=2253526

The Parallaxis – A game of walking between worlds. (n.d.). The Parallaxis. https://www.the-parallaxis.com/ 

Wilson, R. A. (2018). Nature and young children: Encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments (3rd ed.). Routledge.