Who Says Moo

What you need

• two or three soft toy animals they know, like a cow, a dog and a duck
• a basket

How to do it

1. Sit on the rug with the soft toy animals in a basket, and lift out the cow.
2. Say "Moo" twice, slowly, with a big round mouth, then stop and see what they do.
3. If any sound comes back, say it back and make the cow dance.
4. Lift out the next animal and give it its sound: "woof" for the dog, "quack" for the duck.

Why it matters

Animal sounds are short and come with a toy to look at, which gives them something to watch while they listen and try a sound of their own.

What they're learning

Copying sounds

Hearing a short sound and trying it with their own mouth.

Watching your face

Looking at your lips to see how a sound is made.

Taking turns

Your sound, a pause, then room for theirs.

What to look for

Notice their lips rounding for the "moo" before any sound comes out.

A tip

Choose animals with short sounds that use the lips, like moo, baa and woof. Big soft toys with sewn-on eyes and no loose parts are best for this age.

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