Five Games About Hearing
Listening carefully is a challenge for many children these days. However, attention span can be improved through playful exercises.
Somehow, everything seems more interesting than Mom’s “Why don’t you go brush your teeth already?” Whether it was that exciting radio show or the washing machine that was too loud—whatever caused the distraction—all those auditory stimuli interfere with auditory attention—that is, the ability to unconsciously pick up on auditory cues and process them correctly. But don’t worry: you can help develop your child’s hearing with engaging perception games. It’s important, however, to make these games as exciting as possible so that your child learns on their own to listen intently. We’ve put together a small selection of games for you here:
1: Chinese Whispers
Chinese Whispers is probably one of the best-known and most classic games related to hearing. In this game, the players sit next to each other in a circle. One player thinks of a difficult word or a funny sentence. This is then whispered into the neighbor’s ear, one after another. At the end of the circle, the last player must say what was whispered out loud. It’s fun to see how the message has changed as it makes its way around the circle, because the challenge here is to listen carefully and make sense of what you’ve heard. This helps train auditory perception at the same time.
2: The Can Telephone
The “can telephone” game requires not only good hearing but also manual dexterity. First, connect two paper or plastic cups using a string several meters long, stretched taut. Thread each end of the string through a hole in the center of a cup and tie a knot—and you’re done! Each person holds one cup. While one person speaks into their cup, the other can listen to what’s being said through the other cup. This greatly encourages focused listening.
3: Audio Memory Game
For this activity, you’ll need opaque, sealable containers (e.g., film canisters or surprise eggs) and various filling materials. Fill two containers with the same material. The contents can be just about anything. From rice, stones, coins, and sand to flour—there are no limits to your creativity. Mix the filled containers thoroughly, and then let the game begin! The procedure is similar to classic Memory. But instead of using your eyes, you must find the matching pair by listening to the rustling sounds the containers make. If you think you’ve found a matching pair, open the container and check. If you’re right, you get to keep the pair and play again. This game requires careful listening, which helps players recognize even the slightest differences in sounds.
4: Tick-Tock
The usually annoying ticking of the alarm clock takes center stage here. Hide the alarm clock somewhere in the house, and now your child must listen carefully to figure out which direction the ticking is coming from. What may seem quite trivial at first glance is actually important for developing auditory directional hearing.
5: Interpreting a Story
Simply reading stories aloud is a thing of the past! Instead of just listening as usual, have your child imitate as many movements from the story as possible. For example, when Rumpelstiltskin dances around the fire, your child should also shake a leg. This turns the story into an exciting adventure while also encouraging your child to translate what they hear into movement.
As you can see, conscious and active listening can be easily practiced and encouraged through play. And the games mentioned above are just a small selection of numerous training methods. Give them a try! And if you don’t find anything suitable for your child here, you’re sure to find something in our upcoming article, “Little Mouse, Squeak Once.”
