Fun activity for hiking kids: Sound Maps

The sounds heard on a hiking trial can help one find their
direction if they create a sound map.

Generally, exploring and discovery is enough for kids, but sometimes even they can grow bored with that and become restless. Remember that they naturally have shorter attention spans than adults.

Fortunately, there are lots of tried and true activities you can do on the trail that’ll keep kids from getting bored. Among them is Sound Maps.

We typically draw maps based on roads, landforms or buildings – that is, what we can see. However, we can map an area using our other senses, such as the ability to hear. This activity can help children become more aware of their surroundings by using their non-sight senses.

During a rest break, have children draw a “sound map” of the trail. The should use symbols to represent the sounds that they hear to their front, back, right and left. For example, a bird might symbolize bird songs, a tree with a wavy crown the sound of rustling leaves, and a squiggly line the gurgle of a running stream.

Materials: Pen or pencil, paper, clipboards

Ages: 4 and up

Learn about more than a hundred other hiking diversions for kids in Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities.