* Create a three-sided area in the room using an old cardboard box from an electrical store.
* Attach a range of synthetic animal furs to two sides of the box with Velcro.
* Place the box beside a wall mirror or cover the third wall of the box with reflective mirror-like paper.
* Lay a large piece of synthetic animal fur on the floor.
* Place a range of soft toy animals in the area for the children to explore. Make sure that you include 'squeaky' animals or animals that rattle (Oxfam does a nice range of soft animals with appropriate sounds).
* Place a range of animal print boxes or trays in the area so they can hide the toys or carry them around.
* Encourage the toddlers to make the animal sounds.
* Use the animal names when they select the animals.
Wrapping rap
* Gather a range of shiny items like those in the photo - for example, holographic wrapping paper that scrunches, and shiny cartons that can be beaten with a metal spoon. Place a large piece of holographic fabric on the floor, and in a box place a selection of soft shiny objects that make no sound. Encourage the children to experiment with the shiny items, to make sounds where possible and to explore those that make no sound.
* React with encouraging words and body language while the children play.
* Also react to the silence and softness of the quiet fabrics.
* As an alternative, hang sheets of the scrunchy paper so you and the children can lie beneath and kick the papers to create waves of sound.
Take your pick
* Purchase a Bagge storage unit from Ikea (9) or use something similar.
* Set it up in an area of the room where the children can easily access it.
* On each of the shelves place a range of musical instruments or sound makers appropriate to the age group you are working with, for example, tambourines, rattles and drums. Make sure that you reflect cultural diversity.
* Invite the children to select an instrument and create sounds.
* Encourage participation by your involvement. Demonstrate how to use each instrument then offer it to them.
* Encourage the children to gather new items that you have placed in a box or basket and add them to the shelves, experimenting with the new sounds they can make.
Giant rattle
* Build up a collection of empty water bottles from industrial water coolers, or two-litre plastic bottles. If you explain to the supplier that you are going to use these with the children in your setting, they may provide them free of charge.
* Invite the children to insert small items into the water bottles - for example, beads, wine bottle corks, chains and so on.
* Draw the children's attention to the interesting sounds made by the items as they hit the base of the bottle.
* Provide the children with wooden spatulas to beat the bottles with. Once again, the contents will make fascinating sounds as the bottles are beaten.
* Allow the children to fill and empty these bottles with materials of their choice.
* Sit together and roll them to one another, listening to the sounds.
* If there is space the children can work together and push the water containers around. Again, call attention to sounds they are creating.
Other activities for sound could include:
* Play a variety of types of music in the room that the children can listen to as they move.
* Hang a variety of sound makers on a curtain rail at the children's height so they can access them independently.
