Why animal sounds are great for young listeners

Long before children say their first words, they listen. Animal sounds are among the first sounds many children copy, and for good reason: they are short, fun to make and easy to link to a picture.

Listening is a skill

Telling one sound from another is something children learn with practice. When a child hears a cow and a sheep and learns which is which, they practise paying attention, remembering and matching a sound to a meaning. These are the same skills they use to tell apart the sounds of words.

From sounds to words

Saying "the cow goes moo" links a sound, an animal and a word at the same time. Repeating the sound together, then the animal's name, then a short sentence ("The big cow says moo"), gently builds vocabulary. Children enjoy repetition, so playing the same sound many times is a feature, not a problem.

Games to try

• Who is it? Play a sound without showing the picture and let your child guess. Our Guess the Sound game does exactly this, with easy, medium and hard levels.
• Copy cat: you make an animal sound, your child copies it, then you swap.
• Loud and quiet: roar like a lion, then whisper like a mouse. Changing the volume is great fun and teaches control of the voice.
• Sound stories: tell a short story ("On the farm, the rooster wakes up…") and let your child add the sounds.

Learning in any language

Animal sounds are written differently around the world: a dog says "woof" in English, "ouaf" in French and "guau" in Spanish. If your family speaks more than one language, compare them together. It is a fun way to notice that languages work differently.

A gentle reminder

Every child develops at their own pace. If you have any concern about your child's hearing or speech, talk to your doctor or a speech and language professional. Listening games are a joyful extra, not a replacement for their advice.