Mini Minds Hub · Free printable

Sound Walk Listening Game: Free Printable Game for Ages 2 to 4

  • ForAges 2 to 4
  • StageEarly Years
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Sound Walk Listening Game is a free printable listening game for ages 2 to 4, in the Early Years. Children go on a walk, stop to listen and tick each sound they hear. A grown up reads each item aloud, so no reading is needed. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas and a stretch idea.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, take page 1 on your walk and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

The sheet is a checklist of everyday sounds that children tick off as they hear them on a walk. The sounds are a bird, a car, wind, a dog, footsteps, people talking, an aeroplane and a door. A grown up reads each item aloud. Children stop, listen, point or say what they hear, and tick it when they are sure. They can play alone or take turns with others.

  • A bird
  • A car
  • Wind
  • A dog
  • Footsteps
  • People talking
  • An aeroplane
  • A door

Getting ready for your sound walk

Print and prepare

Print page 1 and fix it to a clipboard or a piece of card so it is easy to hold. Bring a pencil. Keep page 2 at home or in your bag.

Choose a route

Pick a short, familiar route such as the street outside, a park or the school grounds. Familiar places let children relax and listen.

Practise stopping

Before you set off, play a quick game of freeze. Everyone stands still and quiet for a moment. This shows children what listening looks like.

Set a gentle goal

Tell your child they are a sound detective. They do not need to find every sound. Finding a few is a good walk.

Why a sound walk helps young children

Listening is one of the first skills children build for talking and, later, for reading. Before children can say many words, they tune in to the sounds around them. A walk is a good place to practise because there is always something to hear, and it changes from one street or park to the next. Children learn that sounds have sources and that noticing takes patience.

Listening is different from hearing. Hearing happens without effort. Listening means paying attention on purpose. Young children find it easier when the task is small and clear, such as looking for one sound at a time. A tick list gives them a reason to stop and a way to show what they found. Naming each sound also adds new words to what they can say.

Adults are in charge near roads. Hold hands or keep children close, stay on the pavement and cross only at safe places. Listening hard can make children forget their surroundings, so the grown up watches for traffic while the child listens.

Fun facts about sound

  • Sounds are made when something vibrates. That means it moves back and forth very fast.
  • Your ears collect sounds from the air around you and send messages to your brain.
  • Having two ears helps us work out which direction a sound is coming from.
  • Sounds can be loud or quiet, and high or low.
  • Sound needs something to travel through, such as air. It cannot travel through empty space.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Listening
  • Naming sounds
  • Taking turns
  • Paying attention
  • Speaking in words and phrases

This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.

Framework Subject or area Strand Year
Early Years Foundation Stage Communication and Language Listening, Attention and Understanding Early Years

What children will be able to do

  • I can stop and listen carefully.
  • I can name sounds I hear around me.
  • I can tell a grown up what I heard.

Ideas to help you listen well

  • Stop and be stillOur ears work best when our bodies are quiet. Stand still, stay silent and wait. Sounds often arrive after a short pause.
  • Near and farSome sounds are close and some are far away. Ask your child to point to where a sound seems to come from.
  • Loud and quietQuiet sounds are easy to miss. Slow down and ask your child to listen for the softest thing they can hear.
  • Use sound wordsWords like whoosh, tap and chatter help children describe what they hear. Say them together and let your child choose their own.

Key words

  • ListenTo pay attention to a sound on purpose.
  • SoundSomething you can hear.
  • LoudA sound that is big and strong.
  • QuietA sound that is soft and gentle.
  • NearClose to you.
  • Far awayA long way from you.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for the child. Keep page 2 for the grown up.
  2. Before you set off, read the checklist aloud together so your child knows what they are listening for.
  3. Walk to a good spot and stop. Ask everyone to be quiet and listen. Read the items one at a time if it helps.
  4. When your child hears a sound on the list, let them tick it. Talk about where it came from and what it was like.
  5. Come back to the sheet on another walk. Repeating a familiar game builds confidence, and different places bring different sounds.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Close your eyes for ten seconds to hear better. Stand still and wait. Ask the child to listen for just one sound from the list at a time. Name it together once you hear it, then tick it.

To stretch confident children

Add two sounds of your own at the bottom of the sheet. Ask your child what else they could hear on the walk. Then ask them to describe each new sound, for example whether it was loud, quiet, near or far away.

Make it a game

Make one of the sounds yourself and let a grown up guess what it is. Swap over so the grown up makes a sound and the child guesses. Take turns and keep each round short and cheerful.

Talk about it

  • What can you hear right now?
  • Which sound is the closest to us?
  • Can you make that sound with your voice?
  • Was the wind loud or quiet today?
  • Which sound did you not expect to hear?
  • Where do you think that sound came from?

Take it off the page

Listening at home

Sit by an open window or in the garden. Ask your child to listen for a minute and tell you what they hear. Draw one sound together.

Sound hunt indoors

Walk round the house quietly. Tap a door, shake a spoon in a pot and rustle paper. Ask your child to name each sound with their eyes closed.

Sound story

Tell a short story and ask your child to add the sound effects, such as footsteps, a knock at a door or a barking dog.

Who it is for

Parents

Walk beside your child and let them lead. Read each item aloud, wait and give them time to listen. Stop while it is still fun. It is fine if they do not tick every item.

Teachers

Use it as a starter, on a school grounds walk or as a quiet table activity. It supports Listening, Attention and Understanding in the EYFS. Page 2 offers support and stretch ideas for mixed groups.

Home educators

Pair it with picture books, songs and outdoor play. Use it on a local walk, then repeat it somewhere new, such as a park or the shops. Brothers and sisters can join in and take turns.

Where listening skills lead

Before this game, young children enjoy noticing everyday things, joining in with songs and rhymes and responding to their own name and simple words. Sound walks build on this by asking them to listen on purpose and name what they hear.

After this, children can move on to listening to longer stories, following simple instructions and talking about what they have heard in short sentences. These listening habits also support later work on hearing the sounds in spoken words.

Check it worked

Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.

  1. What was the quietest sound you heard?
  2. Where do you think that sound came from?
  3. What sound did you like best, and why?

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is the Sound Walk Listening Game for?

It is written for ages 2 to 4, in the Early Years. A grown up reads each item aloud, so children do not need to read. Younger children can point or say the sound, while older ones can talk about it.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another class, and use it on as many walks as you like.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Take a pencil with you so your child can tick each sound as they hear it.

Is this a screen free activity?

Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well on a walk, on a rainy day or in a quiet moment. It gets children outdoors, listening and talking.

What if my child cannot hear one of the sounds?

That is fine. Leave it unticked and try again on another walk. Different places bring different sounds, so the sheet is worth repeating. A walk where only a few sounds are found is still good listening practice.

Can teachers use it in class?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary or table activity, or on a walk round the school grounds. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed groups.

Does it have to be done outdoors?

The sheet is designed for a walk. If you cannot go out, sit by an open window or in a garden and listen from there. Some sounds may not be heard, and that is fine.

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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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