Spooky Sounds Band

What you need

• a few upside-down bowls and cups
• two wooden spoons

How to do it

1. Turn the bowls and cups upside down on the floor and give your toddler a spoon.
2. Bang out a slow, spooky drumbeat together and add a long ghostly 'wooooo'.
3. Ask for the spookiest sound they can make, then the quietest little ghost sound.
4. Finish with the biggest, loudest monster sound you can both make, then a whisper.

Why it matters

Switching between loud and quiet on purpose is real listening and self-control work, and being the spooky one lets them play with Halloween without feeling scared.

What they're learning

Loud and quiet

Choosing to make a sound big or tiny is early control over their voice and hands.

Listening

Hearing how a bowl and a cup sound different tunes their ears to small changes.

Rhythm

Keeping a slow beat going with you is the start of feeling the pulse in music.

What to look for

Watch for them dropping to a whisper when you ask for the quietest ghost. That is them controlling their own sound.

A tip

Use plastic bowls and cups so nothing breaks, and keep the monster sounds silly rather than scary.

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