Words & communication

Sound hunt

Pause together to notice and name sounds around the house or outside.

5 minutes

What you'll need

No special materials

Before you start

Can attend to a shared object briefly

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

How to play

  1. Stop when you hear a sound.
  2. Copy it and name its source.
  3. Wait to see how your child responds.
Make it easier

Choose a repeated sound such as a washing machine or bird.

Standard

Pause together to notice and name sounds around the house or outside.

Extend it

Ask where the sound came from and search together.

What you might notice

Sounds your child recognises, copies or points towards.

Keep it safe

Keep your child beside you in a clear safe place and listen at a gentle volume. Do not approach roads, water, machinery, animals or hot appliances to find a sound; stop if your child is startled, tired or distressed.

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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