This activity lets your child experiment with sound in a super fun and engaging way.
You'll need any musical instruments you have and a favourite television show (that's sure to get them interested).
Spread out the musical instruments so they can be easily seen and accessed by your child and have them make all the sound effects for a favourite show/scene etc.
(The slide whistle was a favourite effect!)
- If you don't have any musical instruments, use things like pots, pans, wooden spoons, containers of rice etc.
- Turn the TV on mute so that your child can be responsible for ALL the sound associated with the program
- Talk with your child about which sounds are the most appropriate. Which instruments make sounds that are close to what the real sound would be?
- Mix up the activity by choosing silly sounds. Find the sounds that are the most UNLIKE what the real sound would be. This provides lots of laughs.
-Extend this activity by discussing emotions etc. and the types of sounds that your child would associate with various emotions.
-Simplify this activity by selecting a particular scene in a show (ie- an elephant walking) and just focus on trying all the different sounds until you find the one that your child agrees would be the most like the real sound. (ie. probably closer to a banging drum sound than some jingly bells)
- Replay the show or scene with the sound on and see how close the sounds were that you chose.