Prep: None / Activity Time: 3-5 Minutes

By this age, you may notice your baby searching for sound sources, listening closely to speech and other sounds and also trying to make new sounds. Animal sound games are a good way to expose your baby to new sounds! Plus, he will have so much fun trying to find where that sound is coming from.

  • a highchair

Step 1: Secure your little one in his highchair and give him a minute to settle in by talking to him in simple sentences. You might even say:

We’re going to play a game with animal sounds! It’s going to be so much fun!

Step 2: Once he is focused on something other than your face, move out of his view and make a simple animal sound like Hoo, hoo.

Step 3: After he looks around to find you, acknowledge his gaze and tell him the name of the animal that makes that sound.

I Found You! The owl says hoo.

Here are some simple, one-syllable animal sounds you can use for this game:

  • Hoo, hoo—I Found You! The owl says hoo
  • Sss, sss—I Found You! The snake says sss
  • Moo, moo—I Found You! The cow says moo
  • Baa, baa—I Found You! The sheep says baa

Step 4: Repeat by using the same animal sound and/or adding in another animal sound until he signals that she is done.