Quiet Mouse, Loud Lion

What you need

• a small soft toy and a big soft toy

How to do it

1. Hold up the little toy and squeak very quietly: 'eek'.
2. Hold up the big toy and give a loud roar.
3. Pass them a toy and let them make its noise.
4. Say 'quiet' or 'loud' after each one.

Why it matters

Two toys, two voices: the difference is easy to hear and funny to make.

What they're learning

Loud and quiet

Their own voice goes big for the lion and tiny for the mouse.

Animal sounds

Squeaks and roars are some of the first sounds toddlers copy.

Pretend play

Giving a toy a voice is early make-believe.

What to look for

Watch for them making their voice smaller when they pick up the little toy.

A tip

Any big toy and smaller toy will do, as long as neither fits through a toilet roll tube; the voices matter more than the animals.

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