World Hearing Day, celebrated on March 3rd, is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about hearing care and the importance of protecting our hearing. This is a day that really matters to us as I (Carol) has hearing loss, which means I wear a hearing aid in both ears. When I first found out about my hearing loss I was embarrassed. What would folks think of me. Would it impact how I did my job. Then I remembered about a student I met years ago. She had hearing loss and owned it. She told me right away what she needed me to do to make her life easier. If she could have that confidence as a primary 5, surely I could as an adult.
It’s also a great opportunity to help children connect with the world around them through the power of sound. By tuning in to the natural sounds of the environment, children can build a deeper appreciation for local wildlife, practice mindfulness, and develop their listening skills. Here are some outdoor activities to celebrate World Hearing Day while fostering a connection with nature.
1. Nature Sound Walk
Take children on a guided sound walk, encouraging them to focus on the sounds they hear around them. Ask them to listen carefully for birdsong, rustling leaves, running water, or even the wind. Provide them with a notebook to jot down or draw what they hear. This is a great mindful activity. What I find is that when we start listening we hear the big sounds but as we tune in we start to hear the more subtle sounds. While this fosters a connection with the local wildlife, it also helps create a calm and relaxed group.
I will often give the children some time to listen then pull them back to share what they have heard, before sending them back to listen again.
2. Sound Mapping
Introduce children to the concept of sound mapping. Find a quiet spot outdoors and have them sit or lie down with a blank piece of paper and a pencil. Ask them to close their eyes and listen for different sounds. Each time they hear a sound, they can draw a symbol or write a word on their paper to represent it, placing it in the direction they heard it coming from. This is a brilliantly simple but creative lesson.
I would often do this through the changes of the seasons and in different weather conditions. You can also use it to support a piece of creative writing. Can they set a scene just by describing what can be heard? If you think about it, the sounds of a lunch hall and a school assembly for example are very different.
3. Build a Nature Instrument
Encourage children to create simple musical instruments using natural materials. They could make shakers from pebbles in a container, wind chimes from sticks and shells, or drums from hollow logs. Once they’ve created their instruments, invite them to play together and create a nature-inspired rhythm. I love doing this with children and seeing their imagination and creativity. I have popped a wee lesson below to help support you here.
This is great as it sparks creativity and hands-on learning and allows the children to explore the concept of sound production.
4. Birdsong Bingo
Create a simple birdsong bingo game by providing children with cards featuring pictures of common local birds. Take them outdoors and listen for different bird calls. When they hear a call that matches a bird on their card, they can mark it off. This links well to the RSPB Birdwatch that you may have taken part in back in January/ February.
Tip: Before playing, teach the children a few common bird calls so they know what to listen for. You can even use an app like Merlin Bird ID to help.
Storytelling with Sounds
Gather children in a circle outdoors and tell a story, but with a twist—incorporate natural sounds into the storytelling. For example, if the story involves a forest, pause and listen to the wind in the trees. If it features a river, listen for running water. The Gruffalo can be a great story for this one, but so is We are Going on a Bear Hunt. For older children, you can explore what the children might hear in the woods in Harry Potter or even in Stig of the Dump or The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark. Any story that features the outdoors can work here.
Can children develop this by creating their own stories that make use of the sounds that can be heard in your outdoor spaces?
Why Listening Matters
Listening is a vital skill, not just for communication, but for building empathy, understanding, and connection with the world around us. In a fast-paced, noisy world, taking time to focus on natural sounds helps children slow down, be present, and appreciate their environment. Protecting and valuing our hearing is essential, and by celebrating World Hearing Day with these activities, we can nurture both awareness and connection.
World Hearing Day offers a unique chance to explore the natural world through sound. Whether it’s through a peaceful sound walk, creating nature-inspired instruments, or playing birdsong bingo, these activities help children develop listening skills while fostering a love for the outdoors. By tuning in to nature, we can cultivate mindfulness, creativity, and a lasting connection to the environment.
