Nursery World - Let's shout

Three weeks ago, I reviewed some sound-activated toys for the ICT page in 'Sounds good' (Nursery World, 18 April). Here are some activities for the toys - each one provides opportunities to control a programmable toy and to investigate some of the properties of sound. Throughout the activities, try to encourage the children to ask questions and make their own suggestions for experiments. Provide opportunities for recording their findings through drawing, writing, photography or video. First, introduce the sound-activated toy to the children. Just switch it on and leave it somewhere obvious. Soon a child will notice the toy and the fact that it will respond to their voice. Let them investigate how it works independently and let them show the toy to their friends. Have a camera close at hand to record their responses and expressions.

First, introduce the sound-activated toy to the children. Just switch it on and leave it somewhere obvious. Soon a child will notice the toy and the fact that it will respond to their voice. Let them investigate how it works independently and let them show the toy to their friends. Have a camera close at hand to record their responses and expressions.

Noise levels

Explore with the children the furthest distance from which they can activate the toy. This may involve some shouting! Once they have established a shouting distance, can they find a talking distance and a whispering distance? Is this distance the same for everyone? Who has the loudest voice? Who can whisper the quietest? Explain that they are conducting an experiment, and talk about what would happen if they moved the toy between each test. Can they work out a way to record these distances, perhaps in footsteps?

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