Resources for Early Childhood Activity 2 – Sounds Around

Through these experiences, children explore the sounds of nature and imitate the sounds using their own voices and instruments they make in class.

This is one of 11 activities that can be found in PLT’s Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood guideTo get the activity, attend a training either in person or online and receive PLT’s Early Childhood guide. Below are some supporting resources for this activity. 

STUDENT PAGES

Download the copyright-free student pages that are included with this activity:

Family and Friends Page (PDF)

Spanish Student Page:

Familia y amigos (PDF)

STEM STRATEGIES

Engage students in real-world applications of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education.

Try these STEM Connections for this PLT activity:

RECOMMENDED READING

Expand your students’ learning and imaginations. Help students meet their reading goals, while building upon concepts learned in this activity, with the following children’s book recommendations:

FAMILY ACTIVITY

Try a simple variation of this activity to engage children in the outdoors at home. Download this fun and easy-to-do family activity.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The following tools and resources may be used to enhance the activity.

  • Sign Language Cards

    Use these flash cards using American Sign Language as a quick reference to learn to sign a few environmental terms.   

  • Kea: Learn Birds Through Play

    Kea: Learn Birds Through Play is a free mobile app that turns the process of learning to recognize birds into a game. The app has games for beginners and seasoned bird watchers to recognize birds and their calls, and includes an extensive species database. Download the Kea app designed for both iPhone and iPad.

  • A Listening Walk

    Check out this instructional video for home learners by the Jeffers Foundation: A Listening Walk. It shows children how to practice listening for nature sounds, and how to collect acorns and other natural objects to make a sound guessing game.

  • Acoustical Society of America’s Sound Resources

    Explore Educator Resources from the Acoustical Society of America, including lesson plans, activities, and a gallery of interesting nature sounds.

  • Find Nearby Trails and Parks

    AllTrails is a free app that helps users discover the outdoors. Use it to find a hiking path suitable for children, to search for local places to bike or fish, or to plan a national park visit.

  • Early Childhood Education

    Are you looking for information on the field of childhood education? All Education Schools offers a clearinghouse of resources to explore professional organizations, licensing and credentials, teaching strategies, research, and more – all related to early childhood.

  • Epic! For Educators

    Are you looking for new literature connections to support your favorite PLT lessons? This growing Epic! online library offers thousands of picture books, chapter books, early readers, and even nonfiction books (think Common Core Connections!) that elementary teachers can access free of cost. Registered users receive unlimited access to books and customized recommendations for readers’ age levels and interests. Epic! is available for iPads, iPhones, and Android devices.

  • Nature Maestro® App Series

    With Nature Maestro®, sound recordist and composer Dennis Hysom is your guide. Use this series of applications to explore sounds in nature. You might compose a soundscape for the rainforest, build a nature scene using audio paired with imagery, and discover fun facts about animals all along the way. Immerse yourself in these biomes to compose and share creative soundscapes and then share them with others.