Loud Shoes, Quiet Socks
What you need
- their shoes
- a pair of socks
- open floor space with a rug on part of it
How to do it
- Walk across a hard floor in shoes and listen to the clip-clop.
- Walk across the rug in the same shoes and listen again.
- Take the shoes off and try both floors in socks.
- Ask 'loud or quiet?' after each walk.
Why it matters
Same feet, different floors: they find out for themselves where the noise comes from.
What they're learning
- Loud and quiet
- Hearing their own steps change is comparing sounds.
- Comparing
- Shoes and socks, hard floor and rug: four walks, four sounds.
- Listening
- Walking slowly to hear the difference is careful attention.
What to look for
Notice them walking back to the hard floor to make the loud sound again.
A tip
Socks on hard floors are slippy, so walk slowly and hold hands.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: just shoes on the hard floor, then socks on the same floor
Harder: try a third floor, like the bathroom, and guess before you walk
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Sensory activities · Activities for 2 year olds · Toddler activities with socks