Malaguzzi’s (2022) concept of the hundred languages helped me realise that play takes many forms—visual, spatial, verbal, digital. In my own life, cooking, organising, or using technology now feel like playful engagements rather than routine tasks.

The EYLF (ACECQA, 2022) further deepened this view. Its Practice of Learning through Play recognises that learning is richest when active, meaningful, and joyful. Through Outcome 4, I connected to the idea that play builds inquiry and creativity, traits I now notice in myself. The Principle of Respect for Diversity helped me reflect on how culture and context shape the way I play and learn.

What stood out most was how EYLF embraces all types of play: child-directed, guided, and adult-led. I now see how my experiences fall along this spectrum—sometimes I experiment freely (child-directed), sometimes I use tools with prior knowledge (guided), and sometimes I follow structured tasks like recipes (adult-led). This interplay shapes how I engage with the world.

As Holdom (2018) notes, science and technology are already embedded in everyday routines. This helped me to see my adult play as deeply educational, reflective, and culturally informed.

Now, I view play as a lens to interpret my own life—revealing meaning in moments once overlooked.

and counting (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2009). Though informal, this was a clear moment of applied mathematical learning

The poem helped me understand that being a non-Indigenous person living here means I’m part of a system where settlers came and stayed, often through violence and harm. One line that really stood out to me said, “two different worlds now exist in the same space”. This made me think about how I go about my daily life, shopping, cooking, walking, without always recognising the deeper story of this land.

Now I’m starting to notice more. The trees, the birds, even the paths I walk on are part of a much older story, one of survival, culture, and resistance. I feel a responsibility to not ignore that anymore.

From Dadirri, I’ve learned about deep listening sitting quietly, paying attention, and respecting what the land and people have to say (Ungunmerr, 1988). This made me think about how I should act and think with more care and awareness.

For me, that means acknowledging the Traditional Owners, learning about the Country I live on, and finding small ways to support Indigenous communities. Even though I can’t change the past, I can choose to be more respectful and active in the present.