We're going on a sound hunt!

This week we decided we would be going on a sound hunt! We went out for a family walk and were on the lookout (or the hearout?) for all the different sounds around us.

We didn't let the bad weather put us off, just popped on our wet weather gear and had some fun!

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One of our all time favourite books is We're Going on a Bear Hunt, where the children wade through grass, splash through a river and squelch through mud in search of a bear.

Here's a brilliant video of the author himself narrating the book: Michael Rosen performs We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

First we looked for a lovely puddle to walk through.

We found a nice deep puddle that went splish-splash, splish-splash.

Then we found some lovely long grass that went swish, swish, swish.

Soon we came across some thick oozy mud that went squelch, squelch, squelch.

This is such a simple and easy way to get more from your walks. It's also a great opportunity to introduce new language - is the sound quiet? loud? soft or hard?

Older ones love coming up with their own words to describe the sounds - they don't even have to be real words, it's all part of the fun!

One of the great things about a sound hunt is it changes with the seasons. Last month we found some ice that went crackle-crunch, crackle-crunch.

And in the autumn we found leaves that went rustle rustle.

It doesn't just have to be the sounds under your feet that you listen for in your sound hunt - you might hear the tweet tweet of birds, or the whoosh of wind.

If you are going for a walk through a town rather than in the countryside, you could listen out for the tip tap of feet on pavements, or the beep beep of pedestrian crossings.

Sound hunts are a great way to teach your child to really listen, which helps them developing awareness of their surroundings and practice their observational skills.

But most importantly it's a great way to have fun on a walk together!

More ways in which going on a sound hunt helps your child:

Listening Skills

Sound hunts encourage children to pay close attention to their surroundings, listening for various sounds and identifying their sources. 

Environmental Awareness

By actively listening for sounds, children become more attuned to the world around them. 

Language Development

Sound hunts provide opportunities to discuss different sounds and expanding vocabulary.

Mindfulness

Listening for sounds can be a calming and reflective experience. 

Cognitive Development

Sound hunts can help children develop their understanding of phonics, recognising the beginning sounds of words, which in turn can help them learn to read.

When you get home, why not expand on all your learning by sharing a book about sounds - here are some more of our favourites:

The Listening Walk by Paul Showers

Usbourne Woodland Sounds

Sounds All Around by Susan Hughes

I hope I've inspired you to try a sound hunt with your family. Next time you go out, keep your eyes peeled as well as your ears and you'll have so much fun together.

What sounds have you noticed on your walks together? Let me know in the comments!

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