What's That Sound?
Parent and child listen for or imitate animal sounds together, focusing on sound recognition and early categorization. The agent coaches the parent to observe how the child connects sounds to animals, follows simple rules of the listening game, and demonstrates emerging understanding of object properties through auditory discrimination.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Parent and child in a comfortable, relatively quiet space where they can focus on listening. Ideally outdoors or near a window to hear natural sounds. No physical materials needed — focus is on auditory attention and imitation.
How it works
- 1~30s
Let's start by getting your child into listening mode. Say, 'your child, listen!' in an excited whisper. Wait a few seconds for any ambient sounds — maybe a bird chirping, a distant dog barking, or even the wind. When you hear something, point in the direction and say, 'Do you hear that? That's a bird!' Watch your child's face and gestures closely. Does they look toward the sound? Does they seem to recognize what you're talking about? Tell me what you notice.
Watch for: Child shows recognition of an animal sound by looking toward it, imitating it, or making a related gesture.
- 2~40s
Now let's make it a game with a simple rule. Say, 'My turn!' and make an animal sound — like 'woof woof!' Then say, 'your child's turn!' and wait. See if your child understands the turn-taking rule. Does they wait for your cue? Does they try to make a sound when it's their turn? You can also add a physical rule: 'We make sounds with our mouths, not our hands hitting.' Watch how your child handles these simple game rules.
Watch for: Child follows simple game rules like turn-taking or using appropriate actions (making sounds with mouth).
- 3~45s
Let's explore sound properties. Make two different animal sounds — one high-pitched like a bird chirp, one low like a cow 'moo.' Ask, 'Which sound is big and low?' or 'Which sound is little and high?' Watch if your child points, makes the sound back, or shows any understanding that sounds have different qualities. You can also play with loud/soft by whispering 'meow' then saying 'MEOW!' See if your child notices the difference in volume.
Watch for: Child demonstrates understanding that sounds have different properties like pitch, volume, or source location.