The world around us is full of wonderful sounds – a sound trail can bring this to life for your child.
What is a sound trail?
A sound trail is a game you can play when you're out and about. Choose a special sound to listen out for. When you hear that sound, talk about what you hear. Try it with your child and see if they enjoy it.
The next time you and your child go for a walk, think about the sounds you might hear. Suggest things to listen out for. Perhaps cars, birds, other people, airplanes.
On your walk, pause every now and then and listen together. Ask your child: “What sounds can you hear?”
You can talk about what’s making the noise, whether it’s loud or quiet. Are they the sounds you thought you’d hear?
If you have space to explore, like a park, perhaps you can follow a sound and see where it leads. Maybe birdsong will take you across the park.
You can have fun making your own sounds too, like crunching leaves or snapping twigs. Can your little one copy the sounds they hear, like birds going ‘tweet’ or cars going ‘vroom’? What’s their favourite sound?
Watch and learn
Watch a dad make and respond to sounds and noises his child makes. Practicing repeating them back to your child helps them to hear and recognise sounds.
Good to know
Practising listening helps with concentration and attention needed for communication and learning to read.
