Owl Ears: What Was That Sound?

Children are owls at night who sit with their eyes closed in total silence, listening to sounds the teacher makes with household objects, then guessing what each one was. It builds listening attention and comfort with silence.

How to play

1. The teacher shows the objects (crumpling paper, keys, a spoon in a cup, a zipper, a lid snapping shut, water in a bottle) and how they sound (1 min).
2. We sit like owls on a branch, ears wide open, and close our eyes: night has fallen (1 min).
3. The teacher makes a sound; the owls say nothing until the teacher says "hoo-hoo," then they whisper the answer (2 min).
4. Repeat with other sounds, softer each time (1 min).
5. To finish, one minute of silence listening to sounds outside the classroom, then we share what we heard (1 min).

Rules

• Owls keep their eyes closed.
• I wait for "hoo-hoo" to answer.
• I answer in a whisper.
• If I don't know, that's okay: I keep listening.

Variations

Adaptations

• Hearing loss: choose an object that vibrates (a drum, a tap on the table) and feel it with a hand on the table or floor.
• Visual impairment: this is their strength; they can be the owl who makes a sound for everyone.
• Autism: they can keep eyes open and see how many sounds are coming on cards.

Learning goals

• Stay silent with a purpose.
• Identify everyday sounds.
• Wait their turn to speak.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Household sound objects: 6

Teacher tip

Keep the objects in a box so kids can't see them as they make noise. Kids tend to shout the answer; the owl's "hoo-hoo" signal prevents that.

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