Pond Sounds
Children learn about the many different sounds pond animals make and imitate the sounds together.
Children learn about the many different sounds pond animals make and imitate the sounds together.
What you'll need
Step by step
Step 1
Invite the children to make pond sounds with you.
Step 2
Produce a variety of different sounds for animals that live in ponds. Encourage the children to imitate the sounds you make. Can they guess what animal you are?
Step 3
Some examples of animals and sounds you can make are listed below. Use sounds and animals that are most appropriate for the children in your group.
Step 4
Croak like frogs. Quack like ducks. Buzz like dragonflies. Click lips like a fish.
More ideas
Older Toddlers: Encourage older children to imitate a series of sounds.
Observe: Do the children listen to the simple directions of making sounds with you? Do they respond by copying your sounds or do they do something else? Notice other directions that the children follow in either English or their home language.
Playful questions
Can you croak and hop like a frog at the same time?
Can you quack and waddle like a duck at the same time?
Learning outcomes
Language/Literacy
Receptive Language (Listening)
Listens and responds with interest to sounds and verbal communication of others; watches and responds to body language, gestures, and other forms of nonverbal communication.
Begins to understand gestures, words, questions, or routines; responds appropriately to familiar signs, words, songs; follows one-step direction with adult support.
Follows simple one and two-step directions with adult support; listens and responds to simple rhymes; listens to stories and conversations and confirms understanding through simple reciprocal language; progresses in understanding and responding to verbal and nonverbal cues
Language/Literacy
Expressive Language (Speaking)
Uses and imitates sounds, gestures, or signs to express needs and wants.
Uses consistent sounds, gestures, signs, or words for a variety of purposes to express needs and wants which are understood by familiar adults.
Participates in simple two-way verbal or nonverbal (signs) conversations to express and talk about needs, wants, experiences, and ideas.
Language/Literacy
Foundational Reading
Enjoys songs and rhymes and plays with sounds (imitates nonsense syllables, makes animal sounds, etc.).
Continues to explore and play with sounds (extends and repeats phonemes [individual sounds in a word], mimics rhymes, etc.).
Dual Language Learners
Receptive Language (Listening and Understanding)
Responds to gestures and simple directions in home and second language; begins to understand simple words in home and second language; listens with interest to picture books read aloud
Follows one- and two-step oral directions in second language with adult support; gains meaning and responds to texts read aloud with adult and context clue support; gains meaning from conversations with others
Follows simple routine directions in second language with adult support; listens and participates in rhyming activities to hear the patterns in language; understands some common words in simple picture books read aloud
Dual Language Learners
Expressive Language (Speaking Second Language)
Uses gestures, facial expressions, and single-word utterances to communicate needs and wants in home language, moving to second language; responds to rhymes and songs by repeating simple words or phrases
Communicates with others in second language by expanding sentences using increased vocabulary; listens and responds to texts read aloud, answering more complex questions in second language with adult support
Begins to combine words from home and second languages to communicate needs and wants, and to participate in two-way conversations; responds to texts read aloud, songs, and rhymes, repeating simple words and phrases and answering simple questions as a sign of comprehension with adult support
Social-Emotional Development
Trust and Relationships
Responds differently to familiar and unfamiliar adults; engages in behaviors that build relationships with familiar adults; shows emotional connection and attachment to familiar adults
Seeks familiar adults for cues about how to respond to environment for comfort and support; shows attachment to trusted adults
Seeks ways to find comfort in new situations; shows emotional connection and attachment to others; goes to familiar adult; seeks comfort items (blanket, soft toy)
Responds to and shows awareness of other children
Shows interest in other children; responds to other children
Begins to interact with other children; side-by-side play progressing to interactive play using same materials; begins to show preference for some children over others; uses imitation or pretend play to learn new roles and relationships
Creative Arts
Dramatic Play and Imagination
Moves to act on environment with intent and control; vocalizes to get attention
Observes and imitates, sounds, gestures, and behaviors of others
Uses imitation or pretend play to express creativity and imagination