It reminded me of my childhood memories of going to the creek, spending long hours, chatting with friends, listening to different sounds in nature such as water sound, birds chirping and pebbles sound when thrown in water. In the class resources “Dadirri” it is explained how inner deep listening connects us with nature and place and promote spiritual wellbeing (Ungunmerr, 2017). With deep listening, you are fully present in the moment and can feel and hear what’s happening around. Deep listening makes us aware of place and connects us to the place. Paying attention to sound and things around us in the environment helps in gaining deep understanding of the place we live in and connects you to place, nature, and people.

 My future practices- I wonder if I introduce different bird sounds to children through audio books with native bird sounds for them to explore bird sounds by pressing buttons and exploring beautiful illustrations and learning birds’ names with their sounds such as duckling quacking, a cuckoo singing and magpie chattering. This can be further extended when the child listens to the sound and selects the photo of the bird he or she thinks makes the sound.

In my childhood, I always felt as trees are dancing with me when the trees swayed with wind, It reminded me of my childhood memories when I used to dance around the tree stock with my friends holding each other hands circling around the tree, hiding behind the trees when playing hide and seek, dancing, singing, drawing on the tree trunk with tiny twigs, imagining the connection of flock of birds sitting on the branches, chirping, and then flying away altogether as if they came to meet trees.

The natural environment is an ideal place for children to engage in creative play. Children are curious and eager, they’re observant and imaginative – often seeing patterns, shapes, and possibilities that adults rarely notice (Wilson, 2007). I truly believe outdoor and nature play is a best way to promote children’s curiosity and imagination as outdoor and nature play provides open ended experience to children and the freedom to express themselves. Providing opportunities like outdoor dance or nature dance could be a great way for children to connect to nature and practice their gross and fie motor skills, balancing and coordinating their large and small body muscles. Children need opportunities to touch and sense through a changing landscape. 

My future practices- I wonder what happen if I take children for sense walk, suggest ideas of covering their eyes one by one, taking turns touch and feel the natural elements in the environment and then discuss it with educators and peers.

Outside dance and movement on grass or sand is a chance for them to talk about ‘easy’ and ‘difficult. I wonder how children will experience through Meditation in nature and meditation will helps them to relieve any stress and keep them calmer.

Implementing Bush walk in the curriculum can be a very good learning experience for children to connect with nature, allow children to investigate the natural materials and sounds, let them make the instruments with those materials. Sing Indigenous songs "Inanay" with children and involve them to do some body movements.

I believe outdoor and natural space with lot of different natural elements promotes imagination, and creativity using your senses freely. Collaboration, creativity, imagination, inventiveness, problem-solving, coordination, physical strength is supported when children are given the space and time to freely play outdoors (Wallin, 2019). Outside of the school setting, open, natural outdoor space is a treasured and limited commodity, especially in urban areas. It also reminded me of my childhood memories of visiting my uncle's village in my school holidays and exploring the nature, visiting wheat/rice fields, creating my own play through my imagination.

Future practices- I wonder how children would explore different natural elements such as pinecones, sticks, gumnuts, leaves, trees, barks, and rocks when added to their atelier. I can implement the idea of drama in ECEC setting by providing open ended experiences to children to promote sense of agency. Adding loose parts and open-ended resources in the learning space will promote pretend and make-believe play. Through make belief play children will practice their social and emotional skills.

 

Ungunmerr, M, (Nov,2017). Dadirri: Inner Deep Listening and Quiet Still Awareness. A reflection by Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr. MiriamRoseFondation.YouTube. 

Wallin, M. (2019). Let’s Play Outside: The Importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings

Wilson, R. (2007). Nature and Young Children: Encouraging Creative Play and Learning in Natural Environments, Routledge.