2.Session 5 Movement：Imitate the ducklings - imitate the way they eat, swim, wash their faces and walk.

3.Session 6 Drama：The Duckling’s Adventure – A Journey to Find Mum.

For this experience, I will invite children to engage in activities like Dadirri - a form of deep inner listening and quiet awareness - in the Boxhill Garden. They will be able to experience the gentle breeze, the chirping of birds, the sound of the wind, and the sound of the flowing water in the park. This activity draws on the concepts of "Music as a Language" and Dadirri. Music is an integral part of life, existing in everyday sounds such as footsteps, bird calls, and breathing sounds, all of which can be regarded as parts of music (Wooten, 2013). The concept of Dadirri also connects children's learning and listening to the indigenous culture and the land where we live. What Dadirri intends to convey is not merely listening with the ears, but rather listening with respect, patience and an open mind to the voices of the environment, others and their own inner selves (ABC Indigenous, 2020). It is connected to EYLF Outcome 2: Children relate to and contribute to their world and Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators (ACECQA, 2022). My activities encourage children to express the sounds they have heard using materials. This means that children can use various media materials to express their thoughts and creativity and give them deeper meanings.

Steps：

1.Take the children outdoors, have them sit on the lawn, close their eyes and listen carefully to the sounds in the park.

2. Encourage children to share the sounds they have heard

3. Provide recyclable materials to encourage children to collect available materials in the park and use them to make simple musical instruments.

4. Let the children share the instruments they made and imitate the sounds they hear, then discuss them with each other.

5. Blend sounds to create a simple music performance

Materials：

Cans, water bottles, jars, rice, rubber bands

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

VCAA. (2024). F–10 Curriculum: The Arts – Music. Australian Curriculum and Assessment

Authority. https://f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au/learning-areas/the-arts/music/introduction

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

Gandini, L.(2012).The atelier: A conversation with Vea Vecchi.C. Edwards, L. Gandini,& G. Forman (Eds.),

The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (3rd ed., pp.303-

316).ABC-CLIO,LLC.https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=820317&ppg=330

ABC Indigenous. (2020, May 1). Dadirri: Deep listening to Country [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tow2tR_ezL8

This activity encourages children to personify the behaviors they observe, such as imitating the daily activities of ducklings: eating, swimming, washing faces and walking. In this activity, children can not only engage in interesting role-playing but also develop their physical movement skills. This learning method makes the game more interesting and meaningful. The children enhanced their physical coordination by imitating. Connected to EYLF outcome 3: Children develop physical control, coordination skills and a sense of well-being through active exploration (ACECQA, 2022). At the same time, physical activity is one of a hundred languages for children. This medium of movement can help children explore and express meanings (Gandini, 2012).

Steps：

1.Gather the children in an open space and introduce the activities to them.

2. Lead the children to imitate the movements of the ducklings.

3. Play audio to assist the children in imitating these actions.

Materials：

Open indoor or outdoor space

The script of this drama is a story told from the perspective of a little duck. A little duck got separated from its mother and couldn't find its mother at the riverbank of the garden. During this journey, the duckling met the frog uncle, the swan aunt, and the little fish mother. With their help, it learned the clue about its mother and finally found its mother. The sounds of the little ducks that I observed in the Boxhill Garden inspired me to create this story.

This theatrical story helps children develop their sense of identity, empathy and the skills of verbal communication. Nature provides an infinite source of imagination and creative triggers for drama, and these elements can be reinterpreted in educational contexts (Wilson, 2018). Connected to EYLF outcome 1: Children develop a sense of belonging when they feel accepted, form attachments and trust those who care for them (ACECQA, 2022). Through the expression and performance of drama, children can find a sense of belonging while getting close to nature, thereby developing a sense of self-identity.

Steps：

The children were gathered together and seated on the lawn, where the story of the little duck looking for its mother was told to them.

2. Assign roles and corresponding lines to each child. Encourage each child to imitate the sounds and forms of different animals during the performance.

3. Act out the plot together with the children.

Materials：

Open space for movement and role play

My companion listened intently to the sounds of nature. When she used recyclable materials to imitate those sounds, she showed great excitement. Especially when we played together using the instruments we made, she happily joined in.

What did not go as expected?

During the recording process, the cries of the ducklings were not clearly distinguishable from the background noise, so during the subsequent performance, the children would be distracted by other sounds. This may affect listening and imitation.

What might you do differently next time?

Next time, I will record some richer background sounds and provide more abundant materials to expand the creative space for children.

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

This experience has reminded me that outdoor activities are very meaningful and valuable teaching scenarios. However, a more meticulous design is still necessary to enable the teaching model to function more effectively. In the future, I will incorporate the concept of Dadirri more deeply into the curriculum, guiding children to regard environmental sounds as a meaningful form of communication.

Just as I had expected, we imitated the movements of the ducklings under the influence of the music, in an exaggerated and amusing way. This shows that by observing and imitating, children can develop their coordination and body control abilities. What did not go as expected?

During the event, music may be played and this could make the children excited, causing disorder. Under the premise of maintaining order and safety, we should encourage more children to participate in the event. What might you do differently next time?

Next time, I will lead the children in warm-up exercises and interactive activities while following the music, in order to help them concentrate. How might you use this growth in your future practice of early childhood education?

This activity made me realize that observation and imitation are very important ways for children's learning and development. Through the control of the body, actions have become a medium for expression. In my future practice, I will make greater use of animals and nature as sources of inspiration to guide children to learn through practical activities.

In the video, the participants actively participated in the entire plot. They not only mimicked the actions of the fish, frog, and bird but also expressed the character settings through language. This active participation in the plot indicates that the drama game effectively promoted children's emotional expression and language application abilities. What did not go as expected?

Some of the lines in the plot might be a bit difficult for children, or there might be instances of forgetting lines or incoherent expression. What might you do differently next time?

Next time, I will provide children with some title cards and story picture books before the story begins, so that they can understand how to establish a clear plot structure. How might you use this growth in your future practice of early childhood education?

This activity made me realize that children can construct emotional imagination and social skills in drama. Through the plot of finding their mothers, children can understand the ways to seek help and solve problems in situations of separation. In real life, it can help them understand the expression of emotions and their self- identify.