Make some noise

If you have ever spent more than 5 mintues around a young child, you have probably noticed that they love making noise. Whether blowing raspberries with their mouths, banging on pots, or watching a passing ambulance with fascination, sounds are a big part of a small person's world. This week we are playing with noise and sounds in our Creative Play classes and want to share some fun ideas for playing with sounds at home:

• Noise with our bodies - What kind of noises can you and your child make with your bodies? Can you whistle? Clap? Pat your knees? Pick a way of making noise with your baby or young child and sing thier favorite song using that way (for example, sing "twinkle twinkle" while blowing rasperries). Then try a new way that is a little bit of a challenge for your child. For a younger child, this might be clapping. For a preschooler, it may be snapping or whistling. Find how many different versions of your favorite song you can do! For the youngest babies, try singing directly into the top of their heads - they will love hearing your voice in a new way.
• Noise from the world around us - There is a good reason that babies books are full of animals - they love hearing animal noises and beginning to make connections about familiar objects and images in their world. Pick one of your child's favorite animals or objects (for my son, it was a fire engine) that make s a distinct noise, and practice making that sound together. How many fire engines can you find in baby's room? How many in her books?
• Making sounds with objects - Children love making noise with objects and discovering how they can have control over an object. Find some new objects aroud the house to make noise with. Pots and pans, plastic bowls, and wooden spoons are a good start, but if those are too familiar look in your closets for empty shoe boxes, water bottles, and bags that you can put beans or balls or bells inside of and shake. If you put a bell in a bag, does it sound the same or different than if you put it in a box? Once you have found a favorite new instrument, put your child's favorite album on the speakers and use your instrument to play along.

Playing with noise comes naturally to children and they may not need much encouragement for these simple activities, but you can encourage them to expand their curiosity by using words like soft, loud, fast, slow, smooth, and sharp to describe the sounds that they are making.

Any other favorite sound games? Put them in the comments section so we can all share!