Here are a few ideas for three simple sound games you can play at home with your child. Sound games help your child develop their hearing skills, as well as their attention and concentration. Developing these skills from an early age will give them a headstart in language, literacy and music.
1. Guess which instrument I'm playing (from 18 months onwards)
Depending on your child's age, select a number of instruments (2 or 3 for a young child, 5 or 6 for an older toddler). For the first few times, make sure they vary greatly in the sounds they produce. For example, choose a shaker and a xylophone rather than a shaker and jingle bells. Display the instruments and let your child explore them and remind themselves of the sound they make. Ask your child to turn around while you play one of the instruments. Replace it in its original position. Ask your child which instrument they think made the sound. Can they make the same sound?
2. Guess the sound (from 2 years onwards)
Sit in a familiar room with your child. Ask them to close their eyes, or use a blindfold. It may be easier for some children to turn around and look away as not all children are comfortable keeping their eyes closed. While the child cannot see you, make a noise using some familiar objects from the room. The noise can be a cupboard door opening and closing, some Lego being clipped together and unclipped, a heavy object being dragged on the floor, a small bell ringing... anything that you know your child can identify. After the sound has been made, be sure to silently replace any items you used in their original place. Ask your child what they think the sound they heard was. Can they reproduce it?
For this game, you need a cordless phone with a base that has a button that you press to find the phone. A beeping sound is emitted from the handset, helping you to find it. Ask your child to wait in the room where the phone base is set while you go hide the handset in a different room. Make sure it is not too far from the room your child is waiting in, and easily visible. Ask your child to press the button on the base and listen out for the beeping sound coming from the telephone. The louder, the closer! Encourage your child to listen to the beeping attentively to try and find out where it is coming from.
What sound games do you play with your child? Please add to our list!