Background information:

Content information: While it’s easy to appreciate nature by looking at a photograph of some beautiful scenery, for many of us we need to see, feel, touch and hear nature to really experience it. Unfortunately, living in cities, towns and suburbs means that the sounds of nature are often drowned out by the sounds of city living.

But take some time to sit quietly in even the busiest of cities and you’ll probably start to hear some of the sounds of nature. It might just be the wind in your ears, the buzz of a fly and the coo-coo of a pigeon, but these are still elements of nature. And chances are that in your centre yard you’ll hear many, many more noises than just the wind, flies and pigeons.

New words for kids to learn:

Listen
Hear
Sound
Noise

Activity: Sounds of nature

Ages - 0 to 2

What to do:

Preparation: Prepare a space outside where children can lie down and listen to the sounds of nature around them.

Begin this activity inside, asking children to describe the sounds they can hear. Can you hear talking? Can you hear the noise of the fridge or air conditioner? Can you hear the toilet flushing? What other noises can you hear?

Next take your children outside and ask them to lie down on the site you’ve prepared for them. What can you hear? Can you find the things that are making those noises? Can you hear anything in the trees? Can you hear anything from over the fence? Can you hear anything from the ground?

Provocations:

I wonder what sounds we can hear inside?
I wonder where these noises come from? I wonder what is making these noises?
I wonder noises we can hear outside?
I wonder if we can hear anything coming from in our yard?
I wonder if we can hear anything coming over the fence?
I wonder if we can hear any noises coming from under the ground?
I wonder what is making all these noises?

Possible lines of development:

Things look different upside down - while lying down look up at the trees and the clouds. What do you see? What shapes can you see?
Make some noise - hold a music playing session outside.
Stick your fingers in and out of your ears - where does the sound go?
Experiment with making different sounds by tapping objects in the yard.
Listen to the top 40 Australian bird songs - click here.

Ages - 2 to 3

What to do:

Preparation: Prepare a space outside where children can lie down and listen to the sounds of nature around them.

Begin this activity inside, asking children to describe the sounds they can hear. Can you hear talking? Can you hear the noise of the fridge or air conditioner? Can you hear the toilet flushing? What other noises can you hear?

Ask your children what noises they might expect to hear if they were outside.

Next take your children outside and ask them to lie down on the site you’ve prepared for them. What can you hear? Can you find the things that are making those noises? Can you hear anything in the trees? Can you hear anything from over the fence? Can you hear anything from the ground?

Optional - ask children to draw some of the sounds that they heard in the yard.

Provocations:

I wonder what sounds we can hear inside?
I wonder where these noises come from? I wonder what is making these noises?
I wonder noises we might hear outside?
I wonder what noises we can hear outside?
I wonder if we can hear anything coming from in our yard?
I wonder if we can hear anything coming over the fence?
I wonder if we can hear any noises coming from under the ground?
I wonder what is making all these noises?

Possible lines of development:

Things look different upside down - while lying down look up at the trees and the clouds. What do you see? What shapes can you see?
Animal roleplay - role-play animals as they listen to the sounds of animals. Use the Animal ears template.
Whisper test - test how far away you can hear a whisper by asking children to walk backwards as you whisper, stopping when they can’t hear you anymore. Repeat with other sounds and with instruments.
If the animals in your yard could talk, what would they say?
Listen to the top 40 Australian bird songs - click here.

Ages - 3 to 5

What to do:

Preparation: Prepare a space outside where children can lie down and listen to the sounds of nature around them.

Begin this activity inside, asking children to describe the sounds they can hear. Can you hear talking? Can you hear the noise of the fridge or air conditioner? Can you hear the toilet flushing? What other noises can you hear?

Ask your children what noises they might expect to hear if they were outside.

Next take your children outside and ask them to lie down on the site you’ve prepared for them. Ask them to spend a minute or two just lying quietly and listening. What can you hear? Can you find the things that are making those noises? Can you hear anything in the trees? Can you hear anything from over the fence? Can you hear anything from the ground?

Experiment with cupping your ears (using your hands to form a cup shape around your ears). Can you hear things better when you cup your ears? What about when you cup your ears with paper or cardboard?

Optional - ask children to draw some of the sounds that they heard in the yard.

Provocations:

I wonder what sounds we can hear inside?
I wonder where these noises come from? I wonder what is making these noises?
I wonder noises we might hear outside?
I wonder what noises we can hear outside?
I wonder if we can hear anything coming from in our yard?
I wonder if we can hear anything coming over the fence?
I wonder if we can hear any noises coming from under the ground?
I wonder what is making all these noises?
I wonder what the animals that are making these noises are saying?

Possible lines of development:

Things look different upside down - while lying down look up at the trees and the clouds. What do you see? What shapes can you see?
Serenade the birds - have a music session outside.
Whisper test - test how far away you can hear a whisper by asking children to walk backwards as you whisper, stopping when they can’t hear you anymore. Repeat with other sounds and with instruments.
Sign language.
If the animals in your yard could talk, what would they say?
Listen to the top 40 Australian bird songs - click here.

Evaluation

Complete an analysis of learning listing evidence about:

Belonging	Finding something of interest
Communication	Expressing an idea or feeling
Exploration	Engaging with challenge and persisting when difficulty arises
Well being	Being involved

Embedding into daily practice

Provide hollows, rocks, logs and leaf litter, which are used by many little and large animals for shelter and nesting.
Build a nesting box for birds and place a birdbath in the garden, keep it full especially in dry times - Nesting box construction guide, How to make a nesting box and Nesting box size guide.
Create a natural habitat in your centre using native plants.

Sounds of Nature

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Activity Details

Curriculum Mapping

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