Exploring the science of sounds: 100 musical activities for young children

Most preschool teachers have musical instruments in their classrooms, but may not realize they can use them for science explorations.

Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math—STEAM—these explorations are crucial for laying a solid foundation for later learning. In this book, discover 100 activities that let children ages 3–6 explore the science of music and sound using materials easy to find for a preschool classroom. Children will use their bodies to create sounds, explore the relationship between size and pitch, investigate how tempo affects the way we listen to sounds, create musical instruments, and much more. From the drops of rainwater to the tinkling of wind chimes, the science of sound is all around.

You will indulge young children’s curiosity and engage them in scientific inquiry as they explore, listen, observe, experiment, think, and discuss different kinds of sounds and the tools for making them. Through playful activities, explore:

• Acoustics—what is sound?
• Volume—loud and soft
• Tempo—fast and slow
• Timbre—sound quality
• Pitch—high and low