In this activity, children explore the sounds of nature and imitate them using their own voices and instruments that they make together.
This is one of 12 activities that can be found in PLT’s Trees & Me activity guide for exploring nature with young children. For the complete activity and more like it, purchase Trees & Me at Shop.PLT.org and/or attend a professional development training in your state.
Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
Download the copyright-free student pages that are included with this activity:
Family & Friends (PDF)
Engage students in real-world applications of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education.
Try these STEM Connections for this PLT activity:
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:
Try a simple variation of this activity to engage children in the outdoors at home. Download this fun and easy-to-do family activity.
The following tools and resources may be used to enhance the activity.
PLT educator Karen Christenson offers Ideas for Young Learners to Explore Sounds around their Neighborhood.
Engage students in real-world applications of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education with STEM connections for this activity: STEM: Sounds Around.
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.
Explore Educator Resources from the Acoustical Society of America, including lesson plans, activities, and a gallery of interesting nature sounds.
Merlin is a free app for identifying birds you see and hear. Using your location, the date, and your answers to a few simple questions (or your sound recording), Merlin shows you likely birds.
ASL Kids is an app that introduces users to the world of communication by sign language. that can be downloaded on Apple or Android devices. ASL Kids also has a YouTube channel with over 200 videos teaching words and phrases in sign language.
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.
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.
Sticks are a versatile and cost-free resource that offers endless possibilities for engaging in STEM activities. Enlist the help of your students to gather sticks, then explore a variety of fun, hands-on activities that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity!
Young learners often focus on bees when learning about pollinators, but it’s important to introduce them to the diverse range of pollinators supporting our ecosystems. From birds to bats, butterflies to moths, there’s much to learn. Engaging activities like scavenger hunts, bee baths, and pollinator-themed crafts help them understand the vital role of these creatures and the importance of conserving their habitats. Explore how you can enhance activities and learnings with PLT!
Explore the world outside or bring the outdoors in with nature-based sensory activities that meet the needs of all students, including those with special or diverse needs.
Explore PLT resources to help you teach students about the environment, whether you’re new to teaching or looking for new environmental education resources to explore! PLT provides easy-to-teach, hands-on activities suitable for various settings, and a range of resources to support and mentor new educators.
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