Words & communication

Animal sound turns

Take turns choosing an animal and making its sound or movement.

5 minutes

What you'll need

Sturdy board animal book or one-piece animal toy labelled suitable for children under 3

Before you start

Can attend to a shared object briefly

Best fit: either · calm energy · low caregiver effort · low mess

How to play

  1. Choose one animal.
  2. Make its sound and action.
  3. Wait for your child's version, then copy it back.
Make it easier

Use one favourite animal repeatedly.

Standard

Take turns choosing an animal and making its sound or movement.

Extend it

Combine two animals into a tiny story.

What you might notice

Sounds, movements and turn-taking your child initiates.

Keep it safe

Stay within arm's reach. Inspect the board book or under-3 one-piece toy for tears, loose seams or detachable parts, keep movements floor-level, stop mouthing or throwing, and store it afterward.

Why it may be useful

This activity creates an easy moment for back-and-forth communication, shared attention and hearing useful words in context.

strong

Applies to caregiver-led language opportunities; it does not predict an individual child's language trajectory.

Jeong et al. (2021) — Parenting interventions to promote early child development in the first three years of life: A global systematic review and meta-analysis

Dowdall et al. (2025) — Home-based shared book reading and developmental outcomes in young children: a systematic review with meta-analyses

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