Hearing

Songs: My Heavenly Father Loves Me (second verse especially); Listen, Listen; Five Senses Song
Books: anything that makes noise (books with buttons), Hearing by Robin Nelson
Craft: make shakers--use baby jars & put different things inside
Outside: close eyes, listen to noises outside
Snack: anything that makes noise--chips, popcorn, Pop Rocks, cheese curds

Supplies needed:

• baby food jars & things to put inside (seeds, marbles, rice, beans, etc.)
• music (classical or children's is best)

Start with the songs (do some actions to emphasize the hearing sense).  End with Five Senses Song.  Explain that today we're going to learn about our sense of hearing.  Read Hearing.

Have them find their ears.  Explain that we use our ears to hear.  Let them look at your ears.  Explain why they should never put things in their ears--it can hurt them and make it so we can't hear anymore.  

What can we do with our ears?  We can hear talking and whispering (whisper in your child's ear--have them whisper back).  We can hear sounds in the house (listen quietly for a minute--tell what you heard).  We can hear music (put on a song and sing & dance along).

Your ears also tell you if something is LOUD or SOFT.  Use the music again--play some loud, some soft.  Have your child tell you which is which.  Explain that too much loud noise can hurt our ears--we need to take good care of them.  Our ears also tell us if something is HIGH or LOW.  Make some high noises (birds tweeting, baby talk, siren) and some low noises (cow mooing, truck motor, lion roaring).  

Now you can make your shakers.  Give them several empty jars and several different objects to put inside.  Let them do whatever they want, but tell them to leave some empty room so it can shake. Make sure to close the lids tightly.  Once they have them made, listen to each shaker.  Is is loud, or soft?  High or low?  Turn the music back on and use the shakers to dance & make music.

Head outside & use your ears to listen.  What do you hear?  Birds? Cars? People?  Try closing your eyes and listening.  Can you hear better now?  

Tell them to cover their ears, then tell them something.  Can they hear you?  Would it be hard to not be able to hear?  Explain that some people's ears don't work, so they use sign language to 'talk.'  Teach a few signs if you know any (mom, dad, more, eat, love).  

Come back in for a snack--listen as you eat!  What do you hear?  Read some books--what do you hear?