What are environmental sounds activities?
Environmental sounds activities help pupils notice, identify and talk about the sounds they hear around them. These activities are part of Aspect 1 of Phase 1 phonics and support early listening and sound discrimination skills in Nursery and Reception.
Pupils might listen to sounds indoors and outdoors, identify hidden sounds, match sounds to objects or describe what they can hear during listening games.
Environmental sounds activities help pupils tune into spoken language and develop the listening skills needed for later phonics learning.
Why are environmental sounds activities important in EYFS?
Before pupils begin blending and segmenting words, they first need to become confident listeners. Environmental sounds activities help pupils focus their attention, notice differences between sounds and build awareness of the world around them.
These early listening experiences support phonological awareness and help pupils develop concentration, memory and speaking skills alongside Phase 1 phonics learning.
Environmental sounds activities for Nursery and Reception
Environmental sounds activities work best when they are practical, playful and repeated regularly throughout the day. Many activities can be built naturally into routines, outdoor learning and continuous provision.
- go on listening walks indoors and outdoors
- play sound lotto or sound bingo games
- match recorded sounds to pictures or objects
- guess hidden sounds behind a screen
- talk about loud, quiet, fast and slow sounds
- sort sounds into categories such as natural or man-made
Short listening activities often work particularly well in Nursery and Reception because pupils can revisit and practise them frequently.
Listening walks in EYFS
Listening walks are one of the most popular environmental sounds activities in EYFS. During a listening walk, pupils pause carefully and talk about the sounds they can hear around them.
Pupils might hear birds, traffic, footsteps, doors opening, water, wind or classroom sounds. Adults can encourage pupils to describe sounds, compare them and explain where they are coming from.
Listening walks help pupils develop attention, sound discrimination and vocabulary while encouraging curiosity about the environment around them.
Environmental sounds and phonological awareness
Environmental sounds activities support phonological awareness by helping pupils become more aware of sounds and sound patterns. Pupils begin learning that sounds can be identified, compared and discussed.
These listening skills form part of the foundations for later oral blending, segmenting and phonics learning.
Read our guide to phonological awareness in Nursery and Reception to learn more about how listening and sound awareness support early reading development.
Environmental sounds activities FAQs
What are environmental sounds in Phase 1 phonics?
Environmental sounds are everyday sounds pupils hear around them, such as birds, vehicles, footsteps, water, doors or classroom noises.
Why are listening activities important in EYFS?
Listening activities help pupils develop attention, sound discrimination and phonological awareness, which support later reading and phonics development.
What age are environmental sounds activities suitable for?
Environmental sounds activities are suitable for Nursery and Reception pupils and can also be adapted for younger children through play and exploration.
