Loud & Soft Sound Activities for Kindergarten

Teach students about how to speak appropriately indoors and outdoors. Explain to students that inside voices are the voices people usually use to speak to one another, or whispers. Outdoor voices can be louder than indoor voices. Encourage students to practice using their inside voice in the classroom and outside voice on the playground. Show students pictures of different places, such as the classroom, the playground, an outdoor pool and a library, and ask them whether they should use their inside or outside voice.

Help students practice making loud and soft sounds with a drum. Collect empty oatmeal or nut containers with lids attached and give one to each student. Give students construction paper and encourage them to cover the drum with paper or to use paint to cover any labels. Encourage students to cut a circle from construction paper to fit over the top of the lid and attach it with glue. Ask students to practice hitting the drum loudly, then try to tap it softly. Encourage students to try tapping the drum in different ways to produce different loud or soft sounds. Sing a song and ask students to tap loudly and softly on their drums as you sing.

Ask students to distinguish between loud and quiet activities, recommends the website Teacher Vision. Draw black and white pictures of people engaging in different activities, such as cheerleaders at a football match, a marching band in a parade, two people whispering to each other and students in a library reading. Copy the pictures and give to students. Encourage students to color the pictures and cut them out. Give students two pieces of construction paper, and ask students to write the word “loud” on one piece and “quiet” on the other. Ask students to decide if the pictures they colored depict an activity that is loud or soft and to attach it to the corresponding paper.

Let students practice using their outside voices with megaphones. Cut large circles from white card stock and cut them in half; give one half-circle to each student. Let students decorate their half-circle with markers and stickers. Show students how to roll the half-circle to make a large cone. Glue the cone in place and cut the small end of the cone to make a hole large enough to cover a student's mouth. Take students outside to practice using their megaphones.