Under-threes play ideas - sounds

Shakers

• Create shakers filled with small beads, pulses, rice, buttons, etc
• Let the children spoon beans, beads, etc into pencil cases then secure the zip with tape.
• Sew bells onto shower scrunchies or string.
• Thread string through a large aluminium dish and secure beads to the ends.
• Place small items inside the balloons before you blow them up, so that the balloons make a noise when the children shake, hit or kick them. For example, try dried beans, dried peas, sand, small bells or sugar.

Bang the drums

• Gather four large containers, one wooden, one metal, one plastic and one woven basket.
• Gather a selection of utensils or beaters such as wooden and metal spoons, spatulas, ladles, whisks and so on.
• Place the 'drums' on the floor so the baby can experiment with them, with you sitting nearby at all times.
• Choose one of the utensils and gently tap it against a 'drum', then repeat with each container.
• Encourage the baby to choose a beater and tap the 'drums'.
• Use a metal against metal, wood against wood.
• Gently scrape the utensils on the bowls and encourage the baby to bang, scrape and tap each drum.