Activities for Kids

2 matching activities — all with full instructions, safety notes, and ways to adapt. Clear filters

Sound Matching Game

Ages 3–7 20 min Easy Indoor Sensory

Pairs of sealed containers filled with matching materials become a listening and matching puzzle. Children shake each container, listen carefully, and try to find the two that sound the same. No two fillings sound quite alike, which keeps the activity genuinely challenging at any level.

Adult Preparation

Make pairs of containers with identical fillings. Seal lids firmly with tape. Check that no container can be opened by a young child. Do not allow young children to handle unsealed containers.

Steps

  1. 1 Shake one container and listen together to its sound.
  2. 2 Shake a second container. Do these match?
  3. 3 Keep trying containers until a match is found. Set the pair aside.
  4. 4 Continue until all pairs are found.
  5. 5 Mix the pairs up and play again from the start.

Children can practise: Auditory discrimination, listening, early matching and comparison.

You will need
  • Small containers with lids (e.g. empty film canisters, small plastic pots, or cardboard tubes with covered ends)
  • Fillings: rice, dried lentils, small pebbles, pasta, sand, dried beans
  • Optional: tape to seal lids securely
Make it easier

Use only two or three pairs. Choose fillings with very different sounds — rice versus pebbles.

Try next

Blindfold the player while shaking (with their agreement). Describe the sound in words before looking for the match. Make a new set with different fillings.

Safety note

Adult must check that all containers are sealed before the activity begins. This activity is not suitable for children who still explore objects by mouthing. Keep fillings inside sealed containers at all times. Discard any container that leaks or opens.

Cleanup

Store sealed containers in a bag for reuse. Do not leave unsealed fillings accessible to young children.

You might also enjoy: Mystery Texture Bag

Mystery Texture Bag

Ages 3–8 15 min Easy Indoor Sensory

Children reach into a covered bag, feel an object without seeing it, describe the texture, and try to name what they are touching. The activity encourages precise description, focus, and a different kind of attention from everyday visual play.

Adult Preparation

Select five to eight objects with noticeably different textures. Place them in the bag. Check that no object has sharp edges or is small enough to be a hazard.

Steps

  1. 1 The child reaches into the bag and holds one object without looking at it.
  2. 2 They describe how it feels — hard, soft, bumpy, smooth, cold, warm, rough.
  3. 3 They guess what the object might be.
  4. 4 They pull the object out to check.
  5. 5 Pass the bag to the next player if playing with others.

Children can practise: Tactile awareness, descriptive vocabulary, concentration, and patience.

You will need
  • A cloth bag, pillowcase, or opaque bag
  • Small household objects with varied textures (e.g. a smooth stone, a soft toy, a sponge, a wooden block, a small plastic container, a piece of fabric)
Make it easier

Start with objects that are very different from one another — a stone versus a soft toy.

Try next

Ask the child to sort objects by texture once all have been identified. Replace familiar objects with items from outside (a leaf, a twig, a pine cone — check for allergens and sharp bits first).

Safety note

Check all objects for sharp edges before placing them in the bag. This activity is not suitable for children who still explore objects by mouthing. Do not include small batteries, magnets, or items with small detachable parts.

Cleanup

Return all objects to their usual locations. Shake out the bag and check no small items remain inside.

You might also enjoy: Texture Walk

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