Hobbies And Interests
Walk-About
According to the University Of Washington, Walk-About is designed for kids grades two through six. Take a group of kids and sit them down on an outdoor bench. Give each child a pen and paper and ask them to listen carefully for 20 minutes. Have them write down each sound they hear. After returning to class, have each kid read out loud what they heard. Compare the differences between each child's auditory skills.
Three-Note Game
This three-note game, created by Creating Music, is a simple, flash game designed to test your child's pitch memory and skill. To start the game, your fifth grader will observe a large square with nine smaller squares found within it. Each smaller square triggers a unique pitch. Have your child select three squares in a distinct sequence. Tell him to replay those three notes until he remembers the pitch and order. From here, the game will test his ability to remember the pitches by placing them in boxes that differ from their original positions.
Sound FX
This game is designed to test your child's ability to identify a myriad of different sounds. Grab a CD of sound effects with a range of different sounds. Have your child sit in front of a stereo and write down each new sound as it comes onto the stereo. Turn it into a game to see how many he can get right. Add a few other children to make it more competitive, forcing your child to focus as the sounds come on the speaker.
The Hearing Game
The Hearing Game is designed to test your child's ability to hear quiet sounds and soft noises. Start the game by clicking the start button. As soon as you hit it, a sustained noise will sound. You must click the button before the noise ends or you lose the game. As you improve, the sounds will become more sporadic and sustain for shorter amounts of time. Try and identify as many sounds as possible before making a mistake.