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Teaching Sound Energy: Science Activities for Kids

Planning a unit on teaching sound energy to 2nd grade with our students in mind means making sure to add in some fun hands-on experiments! Students might not know what energy is, but they sure have a lot of it! 

In this post, I’ll explain my favorite tips and experiments when teaching sound energy to 2nd grade. So, let’s jump right in! 

Topics to Cover When Teaching Sound Energy to 2nd grade

When teaching sound energy to second grade, you should cover some important key concepts. First, students should understand that sound is created by vibration. Next, they need to know that when sound travels, it is known as sound waves. Second-grade students also need an understanding of what sound waves look like. 

After covering this, you can then move on to investigating the difference between volume and pitch. (There are so many fun activities for this!) Another topic to cover during a sound unit is how sound can travel through different mediums. 

FREE Forms of energy anchor charts

Grab some free anchor chart templates to help you teach your class about sound, light, and heat energy!

Where Do Sounds Come From! Explore the Outdoors!

Now for the fun part! Let’s take those kids outside and burn some energy! Take your class outside for a nature walk! Students LOVE this. Have your students listen for sounds that they hear while exploring the great outdoors. Then, have students fill out a recording sheet with sounds that they hear. Talk about how loud/soft and slow/fast the different sounds are. Engagement is always the best way for students to grasp more abstract concepts like sound or light waves.

How are Sounds Made! Make Some Vibrations!

What better way to teach students about sound vibrations than by an experiment! Authentic, hands-on learning is always the way to go. Students will need to learn that sounds are made by vibrations. Have students complete an experiment where they can observe different types of vibrations by using different objects to make a sound. So much engagement will be happening, trust me!

What you’ll need:

• A rubber band
• A lab report. 

Directions: 

• Place students in small groups or with a science partner. 
• Give students the lab report and walk them through the directions. 
• Have your students work with the different materials to create different vibrations. While they create different sounds, have them record what they observe on the recording sheet.

Teaching Sound Energy: Investigate volume and pitch! Make some music! 

Get ready to make some noise with this volume and pitch lab experiment! This experiment is a particularly fun way for students to learn about volume and pitch. Remind students and review that volume is how loud or soft a sound is, while pitch is how high or low a sound is.

What you’ll need: 

• Glass cups all the same size
• Metal spoon
• Food coloring (optional)

Directions:

• Take empty glass jars and set them in a straight line on a flat surface like a table.
• Then, gently tap the glasses with a spoon. Ask students what they notice about the sounds. (The sounds should all be the same.)
• Pour water into each glass. Make sure each glass has a different level of water. 
• Add food coloring to make it easier to see the different levels of water. (optional)
• Use the metal spoon to tap each glass. Listen carefully to how the pitch changes.
• Then, have your students work with the different materials to create different vibrations. While they create different sounds, have them record what they observe on the recording sheet. 
• When they are done, make sure to explain to students that the more water in the glass makes it harder for the glass to vibrate, so it creates a lower pitch.  

Sound can travel! Let’s Play Telephone !

I don’t know about you, but my kiddos love any opportunity they get to talk in the classroom. Let them talk all they want, with a fun game of telephone! This experiment will teach students that sound can indeed travel through different mediums.

What You’ll Need: 

• Two plastics cups
• Use a pencil to poke a hole in the center of two plastic cups.
• Cut a piece of string that is about 10 to 15 feet long.
• Thread the end of the string through the cups.
• Tie the ends of the strings in knots so they don’t fall through the hole.
• Have both children walk until the string is tight.
• Then, one child holds the cup to their ear, and the other child whispers loudly into their cup. 
• While the students are holding the cups, ask them the following questions.
• What happens if you pinch the string between the two cups?
• What happens if the string between the cups isn’t pulled as tight?
• How do you think the sound travels?
• What object is the sound traveling through?
• When you are done working through the questions with the class, have your class draw a picture of their telephone. Make sure to help them understand that the sound travels along the string and must have a medium to travel through. 

Make a science journal when teaching sound energy to 2nd grade! 

In summary, teaching sound energy to 2nd grade can be a ton of fun with the right activities and hands-on experiments. Keep track of what your students learn by making a notebook where they can record their thoughts and ideas. 

Want More Forms of Energy Experiments and Activities ?

The activities in this post are from my Sound Energy Worksheets pack. This is such a fun, and also interactive, way for students to learn about sound and sound waves. 

Also, be sure to save this post by pinning this to your Pinterest account. That way, teaching sound energy to 2nd grade is undeniably a breeze.

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7 Cool Sound Science Experiments for Kids

Nov. 19, 2018

When it comes to science experiments, some of the most enjoyable involve the science of sound. If you’re looking to dazzle your little learner with exciting new experiments, look no further than simple sound science experiments that use everyday household items to bring sound to life. Let’s explore 7 riveting ideas to discover the science behind sound! Watch educational videos with scientific experiments and show them to your child.

The Classic Paper Cup and String Phone

A much-loved childhood project, the paper cup phone is much more than a fun and old-fashioned way for kids to communicate throughout the house. This elementary sound science project shows kids how sound waves can travel through a string and be converted back to audible sound at the opposite end. 

Supplies Needed: 

• 2 paper cups
• Long string, like fishing line, kite string
• A sharp pencil or needle to poke holes in the cups

What to Do: 

1. Start by cutting a long piece of string of at least 50 feet. 

2. Poke a small hole at the bottom of each cup. 

3. Using each end of the string, thread it through the bottoms of the cups, tying a large knot so that the string does not fall out of the cup. If you make the holes too large, use a washer or paper clip to hold the string in place so that it does not pull out of the cup. 

4. Move into position and encourage your child to move away from you so that the string is far enough to make it tight. Be sure that the string does not touch any other object and that it remains suspended in air as you complete the experiment. 

5. Taking turns, talk into the cup, while the other person listens by putting the cup to their ear. Tell your child to repeat what he or she hears after you have spoken and do the same in return! 

After the experiment, explain to your child what is happening: sound waves created by talking through the cup travel through the line to the other end, converting back to sound on the opposite side! 

Make Music with a Straw Pan Flute

Perfect for younger children, the following sound waves experiment not only involves creating a fun musical instrument your child could play with, but teaches kids how length can affect the pitch of sound waves. 

Supplies Needed:  

• At least 9 or 10 straws, more if desired! 
• Clear gift wrap tape

1. Take the straws and line them up side-by-side and cut them at an angle at the top. 

2. Tape the straws together to make a pan flute. 

3. Instruct your child to blow through the straws. Which straws make higher and lower pitches? Why? 

Feel free to use more straws and experiment with different lengths to produce different pitches and sounds! Ask your child to explain what happens to the sound the shorter a straw is cut, and create double pan flutes to make harmonies to further explore how length alters the pitch. 

Listen to Sounds Travel Underwater

Sound travels well through air, but it travels even better through water! This easy sound experiment for kids can be done in a jiffy out on the back porch. 

• A bucket filled with water
• A large plastic water or soda bottle 
• At least 2 kitchen knives
• Scissors or sharp knife to cut the bottle

1. After filling the bucket with water, take a sharp knife or kitchen shears and help your child cut off the bottom of the plastic water bottle. Be sure that the cap is taken off of the bottle. 

2. Instruct your child to place the bottle in the water so that the cut bottom is in the water. Your child will then put his or her ear to the top of the bottle to listen. 

3. Using the kitchen knives, clang them together to make a sound, but do this in the bucket as your child is listening. What does your child hear? 

Your child has probably noted that the sound of the clanging is loud and clear. Water travels faster through water than in the air, and animals that live underwater are able to hear sound clearly. Discuss the results with your child, to teach him or her more about the conduction of sound waves through water. 

See the Sound

Sound vibrations travel through air, water, and even solid objects, but it’s not possible to see the waves. What if we could see the waves in another way? This science of sound experiment makes sound more visible by forcing objects to react to the sound vibrations. 

• Empty clear mixing bowl
• Plastic wrap
• Large rubber band
• Sugar crystals- Sugar in the Raw works great, or make sugar crystals in another science experiment!

1. Wrap a sheet of plastic wrap over the mixing bowl so that it’s taut, and secure with the large rubber band. Be sure that the plastic wrap is tight and does not sag. 

2. Place a few of the sugar crystals on the top of the plastic wrap, placing them in the middle of the wrap. 

3. Instruct your child to get close to the sugar crystal and say something loudly! What happens to the crystals? Do they move? 

4. Experiment with louder and softer words or sentences to watch the sugar crystals react to the sound vibrations! 

While your child might think it’s his or her breath making the crystals jump and move, but it’s actually the sound vibrations. Try different sounds besides ordinary speech and see how the crystals come to life!

Make a Stick Harmonica

Making musical instruments are easy and fun, and they teach kids about sound waves and pitch. This experiment is much like the pan flute above, but kids can alter the pitch by sliding the straws without reassembling the harmonica. 

• 2 large craft sticks
• 1 wide rubber band
• 2 smaller rubber bands 
• 1 plastic drinking straw

1. Using the scissors, cut the straw into 2 one-inch pieces and set aside. 

2. Take the wide rubber band and stretch it length-wise around one of the jumbo craft sticks and place one of the straw pieces under the rubber band, close to the edge on one end.

3. Take the other craft stick and place it directly on top of the craft stick with the rubber band. Secure them together at the ends using the small rubber bands. 

4. Finally, take the last piece of straw and place it in the harmonica between the sticks on the opposite end from the other, but this piece should be fit above the wide rubber band instead of below it. 

5. Encourage your child to play the harmonica by blowing in the center of the harmonica! Explore different pitches by moving the straw pieces!

After playing the harmonica, don’t forget to complete the sound experiment by talking about the mechanics of the harmonica. The vibrating rubber band makes all the noise, and the closer the straw pieces are to the center of the harmonica, the higher the pitch will be due to the shortened length of the band! 

Experimenting with Sound Waves

It might be hard to imagine that sound waves can travel through solid objects as well as through the air. This simple but exciting sound waves science activity will demonstrate for your child how sound can and does indeed travel through solid objects!

• Metal kitchen spoon- a large metal measuring spoon works great! 
• At least 30 inches of kite string

1. Stretch out the string and tie the handle of the spoon in the middle of the string.

2. Take one end of the string and tie around your child’s pointer finger. Do the same using the other end, but tie this string around the pointer finger of your child’s opposite hand. 

3. Instruct your child to put his or her fingers, with the string wrapped around each, into their ears. 

4. Help your child lean over so the spoon dangles and help him or her swing the spoon so it hits a nearby door or wall. 

5. Hit the door or wall again, but this time with more force. What does your child hear? 

Your child should hear a bell-like sound travel up the string from the spoon and into their ears. Discuss with your child how the sound waves created from the spoon hitting the door moves through the string until he or she is able to hear it!  

Xylophone Water Jars

Musical instruments are so much fun to make! This sound activity teaches children how varying levels of water in containers change the pitch of the sound created. 

• 4 empty and clean baby food jars 
• 4 different colors of food coloring

1. Help your child fill each jar with varying amounts of water. 

2. Add a few drops of food coloring to each jar. 

3. Using the mallet, instruct your child to firmly tap the outside of each jar. What sounds are being made? Which jars have the highest or lowest pitch? 

Encourage your child to hypothesize why some jars emit a lower sound, while others are higher. Play around with the water levels in each jar and experiment with pitch! 

Learn Science with Kids Academy Classroom!

Use this interactive Classroom by Kids Academy called Sound is All Around Us to teach first graders the basics of sound science. OPEN THE CLASSROOM . 

After clicking "Next", you'll find a set-up lesson with an educational video, accompanied by practice worksheets and summary quiz to help kids better understand and remember the learned material.

Equipped with our extensive learning resource library, Kids Academy Classroom allows teachers and parents to create lessons and share them with the young smarties in a couple of clicks. 

Go directly to the Classroom page and create a quick classroom on any topic you want! After students complete the lesson, you'll get access to a report about their performance. Check out our  Classroom Guide article  for more information!

Now that you have 7 cool ideas for exciting sound science experiments, it’s time to get started! Your child will love learning all about the science of sound and the endlessly fascinating ways sound waves can travel through air, water, and objects. Don’t forget to check out our science worksheets and activities to supplement your child’s learning in between all your child’s experiments!

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Science Fun

Light And Sound Science Experiments

Easy light and sound science experiments you can do at home! Click on the experiment image or the view experiment link below for each experiment on this page to see the materials needed and procedure. Have fun trying these experiments at home or use them for SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT IDEAS.

Clucking Chicken In A Cup:

Talking String:

Teach A String To Talk

Trombone Straw:

Noisy Paper:

Bug On A Leash:

Super Easy Pan Flute:

Make Music With This Easy Sound Experiment

Duck In A Cup:

Crazy Kazoo:

Top 10 Sound Experiments: Fun & Easy

Sound, an intrinsic part of our lives, is more than just a medium for communication and entertainment. It is a fascinating scientific concept, offering insights into how energy travels and interacts with our environment.

This carefully curated selection is designed for learners of all ages, covering fascinating topics like vibration, sound waves, pitch, and resonance. These hands-on, educational experiments will not only amplify your understanding of the science of sound but also strike a chord with your innate curiosity.

We hope you enjoy this compilation of sound experiments and that it inspires you to continue exploring the wonders of science.

1. How to See Sound Experiment

The How to See Sound experiment is a fascinating way to explore the relationship between sound waves and visual patterns.

The How to See Sound experiment is a fun and insightful experience that is likely to pique your interest, whether you’re a scientific enthusiast, an artist, or just someone who enjoys discovering the wonders of the world around you.

2. Glass Bottle Xylophone

Seeking an innovative and entertaining technique to learn more about the science of sound? With the help of the Glass Bottle Xylophone experiment, students can build their own musical instrument and learn about the fundamentals of sound.

3. Singing Spoons

Do you want to learn more about the science of sound in a playful and imaginative way? Using just a few spoons, the Singing Spoons experiment is a fascinating and fun project that you should try.

4. Make a Straw Oboe

Make your own musical instrument by cutting a straw to a specific length and blowing across the top to create different notes. Experiment with different straw lengths to produce different pitches.

5. Create a Thunder Drum!

Creating a thunder drum is a unique and exciting way to explore the properties of sound and can help students understand these concepts in a more tangible way.

6. Musical Wine Glasses

The musical wine glass experiment is a fun and easy way to explore the science of sound and create your own musical instrument. By filling wine glasses with different amounts of water and tapping them with a spoon, you can produce a range of musical notes and create your own melodies.

7. Tuning Fork Resonance Experiment

The tuning fork experiment is an established representation of how resonance and frequency work in the study of sound.

Students can see and measure the effects of resonance and frequency in this experiment by experimenting with various objects and tuning forks of different frequencies.

A hands-on introduction to the fundamental concepts of sound and waves is provided by this simple yet interesting experiment.

8. The Doppler Effect with Sound

Through the use of sound waves generated by a moving sound source, students can investigate the Doppler effect in this experiment.

Students can learn about the Doppler effect and its use in disciplines like astronomy and radar technology through this exercise in an useful and fascinating way.

9. Soundproofing Experiment 

Students can learn about the science of soundproofing and its importance in building pleasant and effective surroundings through this project, which is a practical and hands-on learning experience.

10. Standing Waves

With the help of this experiment, students can learn about the fundamentals of wave interference and resonance as well as how these ideas are used in real-world situations.

Similar Posts:

• 68 Best Chemistry Experiments: Learn About Chemical Reactions
• Top 100 Fine Motor Skills Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
• Top 40 Fun LEGO Science Experiments

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Science Experiments

How to See Sound Science Experiment

What does sound look like? This fun 5-item science experiment helps kids “see” sound waves and have fun while doing it.

In this article, we include a demonstration video, a supplies list, detailed printable instructions, experiment variations, and an easy to understand scientific explanation of how it works.

Bonus: Kids love this experiment because not only are they allowed to make loud drumming noises, it’s required!

JUMP TO SECTION:   Instructions  |  Video Tutorial  |  How it Works

Supplies Needed

• Plastic Wrap
• 1 teaspoon Uncooked Rice
• Metal Pan (Cookie Sheets or Pans are good options, but they must be metal)
• Metal Spoon

How to See Sound Lab Kit – Only $5

Use our easy How to See Sound Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!

It’s everything you need to  make science easy for teachers and fun for students  — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!

How to See Sound Science Experiment Instructions

Step 1 – Tear off a piece of plastic wrap big enough to cover the top of the bowl.

Step 2 – Secure the plastic wrap over the bowl. Make sure that the plastic wrap is very tight.

Step 3 – Pour 1 teaspoon of uncooked rice on the top of the plastic wrap.

Step 4 – Hold the metal pan in the air and position it next to the bowl. What do you think will happen if you hit the pan with the spoon?

Helpful Tip: Remember, the pan must be metal or the experiment won’t work.

Step 5 – Take the metal spoon and bang on the metal pan like a drum and watch what happens to the rice. Write down your observations. Do you know the why the rice moved? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Video Tutorial

How to See Sound Science Experiment Step by Step Instructional Video

How Does the Experiment Work?

Sound is a disturbance that travels through a medium as a wave. In this experiment, when you hit the metal pan with the spoon, you disturb the particles of the pan causing them to vibrate. The vibrations in the pan are transferred to the air surrounding the pan, creating a sound wave.

When these sound waves reach the plastic wrap it disturbs the particles of the plastic wrap causing them to vibrate. These vibrations in the plastic wrap cause the rice to move. Sound waves traveling through the air are also what allow us to hear the noise of the spoon hitting the pan.

Other Ideas to Try

Try this experiment again, but change the distance of the pan from the bowl. As you move the pan farther away from the bowl, do the sound waves have the same effect on the rice grains?

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:

Instructions

• Tear off a piece of plastic wrap big enough to cover the top of the bowl.
• Secure the plastic wrap over the bowl. Make sure that the plastic wrap is very tight.
• Pour 1 teaspoon of uncooked rice on the top of the plastic wrap.
• Hold the metal pan in the air and position it next to the bowl
• Take the metal spoon and bang on the metal pan like a drum and watch what happens to the rice.

Reader Interactions

September 27, 2016 at 2:29 pm

I am trying to see the answer for the “Why can’t we see sound?” but I xan’t find it here. Can you help me, please?

February 2, 2017 at 11:37 pm

Invisible sound waves

May 21, 2019 at 9:57 pm

Sound is a vibration

March 12, 2017 at 10:15 pm

Because when you hit the tin it makes a hard and loud noise.

December 7, 2017 at 2:44 pm

This was an amazing experiment ever

January 31, 2018 at 5:08 pm

It is because the rice is having potential energy while it is on the wrap. Than and only then when you hit the pan is when it turns to kinetic energy.

October 31, 2018 at 8:56 pm

The sound waves bounce off the pan and travel to the drum. The drum vibrates and the rice jumps.

January 26, 2019 at 5:32 pm

Why can’t I get this to work

does the type of plastic wrap matter?

March 9, 2020 at 8:21 pm

it doesn’t work for me too 🙁

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Science Experiments with Sound: 8 Fun Activities for Kids

Sound is all around us, traveling in invisible waves. Since we can’t see it, we often take sound for granted. Today we’re doing some science experiments with sound. We’ll have some fun learning how sounds waves vibrate, how we can affect the vibrations, and how this affects what we hear. Listen up & let’s explore!

Jump to your favorite science experiment with sound: Sound Vibrations on a Flat Surface Drinking Glass Bells Cup and String Phone Big Box Bass Sound Tubes Stretched Strings Pipe Organ with Cardboard Tubes Soundproofing

Sound Vibrations on a Flat Surface

Here’s an easy science activity with sound we can do using items you most likely have in your kitchen. We’re going to see how sound waves cause vibrations and the affect this has on objects. You’ll need a few household items:

The plastic acts in much the same way as your eardrum.  When sound waves hit your eardrum, they cause it to vibrate.  In the case of your eardrum, it’s sending those vibrational signals to your brain instead of bouncing grains of salt like we have on our plastic. We found watching the rice move easier than the salt or sugar.

Experiment with different sounds and volumes and note how the salt moves in relation to the sound. We found putting a bluetooth speaker inside the bowl before covering the top with plastic wrap helped a bit. Play something with a thumpy bass line and watch you grains dance across the plastic.

Drinking Glass Bells

Notice how the amount of water in each glass affects the pitch.  Less water makes a lower pitch, while more water creates a higher pitch.  Why do you think that is?

Cup and String Phone

This is a classic, and can be done with plastic cups or tin cans. It’s a great way to experiment with how sound vibrations can travel. We had some plastic cups, which are easier to punch holes in, so this is what we used. Here’s what you’ll need:

Related Posts: Check out our full posts on plastic cup projects and activities with household objects for some fun things to do with items you probably already have around the house. Great no-prep ideas for you and your child!

Big Box Bass

Plucking the string causes it to vibrate.  The inside of the box is a resonating chamber, and the hold you cut in the top is a sound hole; much like an acoustic guitar.  The tighter the string, the higher the pitch that will be produced.  The more slack, the lower the pitch.

We found the box needed some weight inside the box to hold it down while playing it. Free weights, a few bricks, or whatever you can fit inside the sound hole should do the trick. Push down a bit on the broomstick as you play so it is secure on the bottom. Make sure there is tension on the string as you pluck it. Try plucking it and shifting the broomstick so it’s looser or tighter to get some good twangs out of the string.

Sound Tubes

We got some of these “Pull and Pop” tubes for the kids to play with.  They’re fun on their own, but we discovered a cool sound experiment playing with them.  If you expand a tube all the way and swing it around in a circle, it makes a cool sound.  The corrugated shape lends itself well to sound.  These kids toys are also known as a whirly tube, corrugaphone, or bloogle resonator.

What’s Happening?

Pro Tip: If you’re interested in these, get a larger pack .  Our kids loved these so much they crinkled them to death, to the point where we couldn’t collapse some of them anymore.  They’re great to play with, but will only survive so long.

Stretched Strings

Stringed instruments are capable of producing a wide range of pitches.  We’re going to create a simple exercise with one string to experiment with how this concept works.

The popsicle stick in this case is like the bridge on a guitar or violin.  Adding or removing weight from the bucket is similar to adjusting the tuners.  It changes the tension on the string which results in a change in pitch.  More tension makes the pitch higher, and less tension gives a lower pitch.  This simple principle is what makes stringed instruments work.

What do you think would happen if you tried a thicker fishing line or different string?  How would it affect the sound?

Pipe Organ with Cardboard Tubes

DIY Soundproofing

We’re going to look at two major factors: Materials and Shape. Have you ever noticed how some rooms or spaces echo sound and some do not? The surface materials have much to do with how sound waves travel within that space. Materials like tile or concrete reflect the sound, while softer materials like carpeting or foam absorb the sound.

This is why bathrooms or stairwells seem to have echos, while recording studios tend to use foam tiles that look like egg crates. We’re going to use these principles to build a sound proof box, similar in theory to this:

The sound is dampened by the egg carton and towels.  The materials are soft, and absorb the sound instead of reflecting it.  The surface of the egg carton is uneven and reflects the sound at a number of angles, weakening it. 

Science Experiments with Sound – Wrap Up

With some simple experiments for kids, we learned some of the principles that go into designing many musical instruments and had some fun playing (and making noise.) The kids liked how changing the length of a string or swinging a sound tube faster changed the sound. They also loved to learn that they were in control of it.   The idea that their actions change what they hear is powerful. I was surprised how big of a hit the Big Box Bass was, and how that lead to questions about my bass guitar. Once we did the Drinking Glass Bells every dinnertime has had a special performance. Which sound experiment or activity was your favorite?

More Fun Activities

Looking for more STEM Projects and Activities? Check out our other STEM Challenges .

Howie Miller is as dedicated to fatherhood as he is to life long learning. Musician, Photographer, Educator, Consultant, Entrepreneur, Blogger, and founder of STEMtropolis, where you can share his adventures in STEM and STEAM with his family.

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Categories STEM Activities

How Did You Hear That? Simple Sound Science for Kids

Simple Sound Science Activities for Kids

Let’s talk about sound.  My children are very familiar with it, at least they are quite good at volume.  Kids are really great at producing sound, and most of them enjoy being loud.

So why not take advantage of that interest and talk about how sound works.  How do we hear sounds? What are sound waves?  Can we see sound?  Give your children an excuse to be loud for an afternoon.  Here are 4 easy and fun sound science experiments for toddlers and preschoolers.

What's In This Post?

What are Sound Waves?

How does sound work.

Before we get into the fun activities, let’s learn a bit about how sound works.

What is sound?  Sound is carried by waves, not unlike the waves we looked at when we learned about color .  These waves require a medium to travel through, which on earth is the atmosphere that surrounds us.

We can’t see them, but there are millions of molecules floating around everywhere.  These molecules transfer energy, which is how a wave moves.

This is the same way colors move as waves through the atmosphere.  The difference between sound and color is that color comes from light waves and sound waves come from vibration.

Sounds originate through some sort of vibration.  Think of hitting a gong.  When you strike it, it vibrates.  These vibrations are energy waves that travel through the air.

Only unlike color, which is perceived with the eye, these waves interact with our eardrums.  Our eardrums vibrate and pass on the waves to our inner ear, where our brain can perceive it as sound.

(There is more to the anatomical part of hearing, but our focus right now is on the sound waves outside of the ear.)

Want more wave science? Learn how colors work!

Properties of Sound Waves

There are two big properties that describe sound waves: frequency and amplitude .

Frequency is how quickly the wave is moving.  Is it a quick vibration that created the sound, or a slow one?

Frequency impacts pitch.  A fast frequency will create a higher pitch.  A slower frequency has a lower pitch.

This is a great time to explain pitch to little ones too.  It’s easy to demonstrate.  Speak in a high voice (like you just had some helium), this is a high pitch.  Have your child try it.  Then have them speak in a very low voice (I told Ben to talk like Daddy), this is a low pitch.

Amplitude is how big the wave is, and this affects volume.  (This is where the word amplifier comes from.) A big wave will have a loud sound.  A small wave will have a quiet sound.

Here is an example to help visualize these.  Think of a great big gong.  When you hit it big slow vibrations are created.  It makes a deep, loud sound.  This is because it has big waves that are moving slowly.

Now think of a tiny gong.  When you hit it you create small fast vibrations.  It makes a high sound and is quieter than the big gong.  This is because it has small waves moving quickly.

See waves in action with science by the pool.

Sound Wave Activities

Now that we know a bit about how sound waves work, let’s explore them in action!

Balloon Amplifier

Want to make the world’s easiest amplifier?

Blow up a balloon, hold it up, and tap on it.  It doesn’t make a super loud sound.  Next, hold the balloon up to your child’s ear and lightly tap on it.  It sounds pretty loud!

Why does this happen?  When you blow up a balloon you are packing it with air molecules.  They are very close together and transmit sound waves super well compared to the air just around us normally.

When we tapped the balloon while we were just holding it those waves had to move through the less compressed ambient air to get to our ears, and the sound is softer.

When we hold the balloon up to our ears the sound just has to get through the tightly packed molecules in the balloon and we hear a louder sound.  It is amplified.

Can you see sound?  Well, we can’t see the sound waves as they move through the air.  (Though picture the waves you see when you drop a rock into water. They look a lot like that!) But we can see the vibrations that create sound transmitted between surfaces with a little help.

• Plastic Wrap
• Uncooked Rice
• Metal Spoon

Put the plastic wrap tightly over the bowl.  (One sheet, as tight as you can get it.) Put about 1 teaspoon of rice on the plastic.

Then hold the metal pan close to the bowl and have your child hit it with the spoon.  The harder they hit it the better.  The rice will dance!

What is happening is that the pan vibrates, creating a sound wave.  This wave is transmitted through the air molecules and cause the plastic wrap to start vibrating as well, making the rice dance!

You are seeing the result of the sound waves in the rice.  Are any patterns formed? Try hitting the pan harder and then more gently.  How does the behavior of the rice change?

If you want to be a cool mom see if your child can hit the pan hard enough to bounce the rice right off the plastic!

Transmit Sound Through String

Remember making telephones with your friends using cans and string? Yeah, me neither.  I’m not that old.  (And how did kids drill holes in the cans anyway?)  But we can use this idea to show kids how sound travels through a medium.

• A Long Piece of Yarn
• 2 Spoons of Different Sizes

Take the yarn and tie it around the spoon so the spoon is in the middle of the piece.  Take the two long pieces on either side and have your child hold them up to their ears.

You want to bunch up the string loosely and have them put it in their ears.  Not too far (safety!), more like you are just trying to block out other sounds.  Then tap on the spoon with the pencil.  And watch their faces.

Hitting the spoon with the pencil causes the spoon to vibrate.   Remember, sound needs a medium to travel through, and in this case, the yarn is that medium.  It transmits the sound directly to your ears.

What makes it so much louder?  In an open room, sound waves transmit in all directions.  So what you hear is not everything that is being produced.  Air molecules are not very tightly packed, which also makes the sound less intense.

With the yarn most of the wave is being sent right to your sound receptors, making it more distinct and louder.

Have your child try the other spoon.  How do the sounds compare?  Try different lengths of string. What does that do to the sounds?

Want to make more music? Here are 5 easy DIY instruments to make at home!

How Do Echos Work?

How do echoes work? What makes you hear a sound a second and third time like that?

• 2 Paper Towel Tubes

Prop the pie pan up on a table so it is vertical.  Take one paper towel tube and place it on the table, angled a bit but aimed at the pie plate.  Take the other paper towel and have it angled the opposite way, also aimed at the pie plate.

Have your child put his ear to one of the tubes while you talk softly into the other.  You can hear what is said through the other tube!

The sound waves you create by speaking travel through the tube.  They are directed through the tubes, hit the pie plate, and bounce off, traveling back through the other tube.  You are hearing the echo.

An echo is when a sound wave bounces off of a surface.  Some surfaces are better for echoes than others.  For example, bathrooms are often very good at creating echoes.  This is because they are usually full of hard surfaces like tile that bounce back sound waves effectively.  A fun bath time activity is to explore your echo with your child.

These are simple and fun ways to demonstrate how sound waves work with kids.  And you don’t have to stop with these.  Make some musical instruments and see what other vibrations you can create.  (This is also a great sensory activity.  Learn why those are so important: The Big Benefits of Sensory Play )

Take a nature walk and tap on things with sticks.  Try making high pitches and low pitches.  Explore echoes.  Sounds are all around us.  Encourage your kids to take a listen and explore the science behind the sound.

Find your next fun activity!

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Sunday 24th of March 2019

My son absolutely loved these activities! We had a spoon on a string for days. Thank you so much for the ideas, it made our preschool time fun.

I'm so glad he liked it! We love the spoon one too. It's so exciting when our kids get into STEM!

Monday 9th of July 2018

These are wonderful activities! My girls are going to love learning about sound!

Saturday 23rd of June 2018

These are such fun and easy sound experiments! Great ideas.

kimcartwright

They were fun! It's cool to look at something we experience every day in a new light.

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• Physical Science
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Sound Experiments

This science unit is so fun. It’s loaded with my favorite sound experiments, like this one. I first saw this idea in a library book and, to be honest, I didn’t expect it to be that big of a deal (or even work, if I’m still being honest). But to my surprise, it actually delivered. I think I suffer from Pinterest-Fail PTSD.

Singing Spoons  is a fun way to show kids how volume and pitch change depending on whether sound waves are traveling through the air or through a solid, similar to the way a stethoscope works. It’s one of our favorite sound experiments and is pretty easy to set up. Just use tape to connect three metal spoons to a piece of string or yarn. Then, jiggle the string so the spoons swing into one another and observe the sound they make. It should sound dull and tinny. Next, wrap the ends of the string around your fingers as if you were going to floss your teeth. Place only the yarn-wrapped fingers in your ears (again, think of a stethoscope) and swing the spoons again. Notice how the pitch and volume change.

Even the adults in my house thought this was cool. And one of them is fairly hard to impress.😉

This experiment can easily be done without these sheets👇, but I like reading procedural and informational texts with my students and I also like having a place for them to record their own ideas during investigations.

More Sound Experiments

Hands down, the most satisfying part of planning this science unit was finally engineering a harmonica that actually works! I’m not exaggerating when I tell you how much we were geeking out over this one… maybe because it was our third attempt. But I guess that’s the nature of science experiments, right? In the one pictured below, changing the distance between the pink straws changes the pitch of the sound. Shorten the gap and the pitch will rise. Spread them back out and the sound will become lower. It’s all about vibrations and sound waves .

And the bee?🐝 If you swing it like a lasso above your head, it really does buzz! It’s another fun way to teach your students that vibrations cause sound.

I created student recording sheets for these sound experiments, as well as procedural posters (with picture support) and kid-friendly explanation sheets. These explanations help young children understand the science they’re observing, but I also like how they give families an age-appropriate context to build from when they want to talk to their kids about science.

Making a sound wave model takes some time, but the wow factor can’t be denied! You only need three things to make your model: duct tape, wooden skewers, and clay.  NOTE:  To save time, we built ours using jellybeans, but I think the weight of the clay would provide an even better result. If you use clay, roll each ball to roughly the size of a large grape.

Nonfiction Science Text

I have a hard time finding science material my first-graders can actually read, so it has become my habit to just write our own. It’s a win-win really because then I have a paper copy for each of them. By having their own, we can not only read it together, but the kids can practice it independently and even take it home to share with their families. The books serve double-duty during reading and phonics instruction, too. We can highlight key vocabulary words, find and circle word wall words, and even personalize the interactive pages.

This science book, What Is Sound? , introduces children to the concept of sound and how it behaves. Key science vocabulary such as pitch , volume , vibrate , and echo are emphasized in the text.

Key Vocabulary Posters

There are some pretty BIG words for some pretty young kids in this science unit, so I created a set of posters to help the children understand and remember them. Each poster features the key science term, a colorful graphic, and a kid-friendly definition. The set includes 8 different posters for the following vocabulary words:

• communicate

Key Word Game Cards

Mini-versions of the key word posters have been included in the resource. Originally, I just intended to use them as cards in a “Memory” style game, but they’re also good for student-pairing activities and vocabulary review. There are nine pairs of words in the set: sound, waves, vibrate, volume, pitch, echo, ear, communicate, and loud .

Student Worksheets

I also included some additional worksheets to help support science instruction and provide a connection to other subject areas, such as writing and phonics.

You can preview more of this first grade science unit👉   HERE . It includes printable materials for teaching children the science behind light and sound, as well as how we use both to communicate with others.

Science Ideas on Pinterest

Even though I teased about a Pinterest-Fail at the beginning of this post, I do love Pinterest. (I have discovered though, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.😂) If you’re planning a science unit on the study of light and sound, click over to my Pinterest board:  Light and Sound Science . I’ve added pins that lead to great ideas for supporting your instruction. You’ll find science videos, book suggestions, integrated projects, and more.

Recommended Book List

Check your school or local library for titles to support your science instruction. These are some of the books I’ve used for read-alouds and to help build my own background knowledge as I planned the unit.

• Sounds All Around by Wendy Pfeffer
• How Sound Moves by Sharon Coan
• How Does Sound Change? by Robin Johnson
• Oscar and the Bat by Geoff Waring
• The Listening Walk by Paul Showers
• Sending Messages with Light and Sound by Jennifer Boothroyd

CLICK👇TO PREVIEW THE RESOURCE

LIGHT AND SOUND SCIENCE UNIT

Happy teaching!

MORE SCIENCE POSTS FOR 1ST GRADE

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Forms of Energy – Science Experiments for Kids

Updated:  01 Jul 2024

Investigate mechanical, electrical, light, thermal, and sound energy with this set of science activities for kids.

Editable:  Google Slides

Non-Editable:  PDF

Pages:  6 Pages

• Curriculum Curriculum:  TEKS
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What Are the Different Types of Energy? – For Kids!

Are your students starting to dive into the different energy types found in our world? Let’s take a look at the common times of energy. To help you remember the different forms, all you have to do is remember the acronym MELTS. It stands for mechanical, electrical, light, thermal, and sound energy.

• Mechanical energy is the energy that is possessed by an object due to its motion or position. It is the energy that is involved in the movement of objects and can be transferred from one object to another.
• Electrical energy is the energy that is associated with the movement of electric charges. It is a type of energy that can be transferred through wires and other conductive materials. Electrical energy can be produced from a variety of sources, including batteries, generators, and solar panels.
• Light energy is a type of energy that is emitted by hot objects and can be seen by the human eye. It travels in waves and allows us to see things around us. Light energy is also important for plants to make food through photosynthesis and is used in a variety of technologies.
• Thermal energy is the energy associated with an object’s temperature. The more thermal energy an object or system has, the higher its temperature will be. 
• Sound energy is a type of energy that is produced by the vibration of matter. When an object vibrates, sound waves travel through the air or other media, such as water or solids.

Investigate Different Forms of Energy

Teach Starter has created a set of science station cards to use in your classroom when students learn about the different energy types. Each station card includes the materials needed as well as the steps to complete the experiment. With your download, there is also a printable tri-fold where students will record their findings.

Students will investigate different types of energy by:

• Dropping a ball from different heights
• Creating a playdough circuit (Check out a great Playdough recipe from  Squishy Circuits ™)
• Shining a flashlight on different objects
• Dissolving sugar in cups of water with different temperatures
• Creating a string telephone

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or editable Google Slides version of this resource.

Print the station cards on cardstock for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

This resource was created by Kaylyn Chupp, a teacher in Florida and a Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities and resources that cut down on lesson planning time:  

teaching resource

Forms of energy poster pack.

Display information about mechanical, electrical, light, thermal and sound energy with this poster pack.

Energy and Electricity Vocabulary Cards

Reinforce science vocabulary in your classroom with this set of word wall cards that focus on forms of energy and electricity.

Forms of Energy & Electricity Vocabulary Worksheets

Review forms of energy and electricity terms with this science vocabulary worksheet pack.

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Measure the speed of light with chocolate

Ever tried measuring speed of light using chocolate? It's possible! A fun science activity that you get to eat :)

Make your own Spectrometer

Learn how to make your own homemade spectrometer using simple materials. Use light to analyse substances!

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Discover why rainbows in abubble actually happen

Its all about interference!

Secret Glow in the Dark Message

Glowing science for home

How does glowing work?

Create a simple lens

Spread light out

Simple lens experiment

Star Wars Slinky Sounds!

An awesome sound effect!

Classic vibrations

Make a straw flute

Investigate vibrations

So much fun to do!

Underwater telephone

Amplify underwater sounds

So easy to do!

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Surprisingly "loud" experiment

Sound transfer demonstration

Lovely light beam experiment

Pour light out of a bottle

Demonstrates how optic fibre works

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Balloon and nut hummer

Faster = higher pitch

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Learn light fundamentals

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VanCleave's Science Fun

Your Guide to Science Projects, Fun Experiments, and Science Research

Energy: Electric, Light, Sound

By Janice VanCleave

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A “Mystery Ball” is used to demonstrates three types of energy:

• electric energy
• light energy
• sound energy

Objectives:

1. To describe the physical properties of the energy ball. 2. To identify the the types of energy produced by the Energy Ball: electric energy, light energy, and sound energy. 3. To describe the difference between electric insulators and electric conductors. 4. To distinguish between an open and closed circuit diagram.

Material–Mystery Ball, AKA Energy Ball can be purchased at www.TeacherSource.com

Engage:  Observe Physical Properties of the Mystery Ball

1.  Identify the ball as a Mystery Ball   so that students will not be given any clues that the ball produces energy. Inform students to observe the ball and make mental notes of the ball’s physical properties.

Move the ball in your hand so all sides of the ball are visible. Walk around the room to give kids a close up view. DO NOT touch both of the metal terminals on the ball at the same time. As you display the ball ask for physical property descriptions.  Give clues only if the following properties are not provided.

• color-white;
• shape-ball or spherical;
• size- ping-pong ball;
• other distinguishing features: 1-small hole with two silver metal strips on either side of the hole

 2.  Inform students that you are going to do an experiment with the mystery ball. When you say, “The experiment starts now.” they are to observe everything you do and make note of what happens. When the experiment is over you will it announce it by saying, “The experiment stops now.”

Demonstration Experiment:What to Do: 

• Spread a small amount of hand lotion on your hands.
• Hold the mystery ball in one hand and touch the metal terminals on the ball with the finger and thumb of your other hand.
• Raise and lower your index finger to turn the ball on and off.
• What type of energy does the experiment demonstrate? Ans. Light energy and sound energy is all they have observed but some may say electric energy.
• What evidence confirms the answers given? Light–glowing bulb; Sound -buzzing There is no direct evidence that electric energy has any part of the experiment. So, if electricity is not mentioned, don’t discuss it at this time. If electricity is given as an energy being demonstrated, reply that electricity is an interesting answer, and it might be the answer to what is happening. This can lean into introducing the next exploring part of the lesson.

Explore: How to “Turn On” the Energy Ball

Before kids start investigating ways to “turn on” the Energy Ball, tell them that the ball does not open.

Now is a good time to explain why you used lotion and make lotion available so that dry skin cells doesn’t affect their investigation.

In groups, allow kids to examine a Mystery Ball. After everyone has had a turn investigating the ball, discuss what they did to turn on the ball. Now it is time to talk about why the ball glows and buzzes.

Explain: Why Does the Mystery Ball Turn On?

Give kids the opportunity to tell why they think the energy ball flashes light and buzzes when the terminals are touched. Obviously something is inside the ball that produces electric energy.

Ask for ideas of what could fit inside the ball and produce electric energy. [Battery]

Most kids are familiar with the term “battery” and have know that they come in different shapes and sizes. But, you can remind them of the different kinds of batteries that are commonly used, such as batteries in cars, watches, cell phones, ipads, etc…

Now that the source of the electric energy is identified, identify parts that are responsible for light energy (bulb) and sound energy (buzzer).

Introduce the terms   battery, bulb, buzzer, circuit, closed circuit, open circuit, conductor, electric current, i nsulator, and switch.

• A  battery is the source of electric charges.
• A  bulb  emits light energy.
• A buzzer emits sound energy.
• An electric current is the flow of electric charges.
• A circuit  is the path through which an electric current can travel.
• A  closed circuit allows an electric current to flow in a loop.  
• An  open circuit has a break in the circuit path so that an electric current cannot continue moving.
• A conductor is a type of material, such as a metal wire,  that allows an electric current to flow through it.
• An insulator is a type of material that tends to block the flow of an electric current.
• A  switch  is like a draw bridge that opens and closes the circuit path for an electric current.

Elaborate (Enrichment):

All the terms can be modeled by using kids as the conducting material (electric wire). First, hold the ball in your hand and ask someone to touch only one of the metal terminals on the ball as you touch the other terminal. Nothing is going to happen because their is an open circuit.

Now hold hands with your helper and the ball will be turned on. Yep! you have produced a closed circuit through which the electric current from the battery inside the ball can flow. This models a human-circuit.

ASK: Does the number of people in a human-circuit affect the flashing light and buzzing of the Energy Ball? Instruct groups to discover on their own. Of course, they should first as a group write a hypothesis, then investigate by starting with two people in their human-circuit. Add one person at a time. After each addition determine if any change has been made in the brightness of the light flashes or loudness of the buzzing sound.

Emphasize t hat the electric energy from the ball is so small that it is safe, but they are never to experiment on their own with electric energy.

1. Kids should be able to design a method for using the Energy Ball to classify materials as being a conductor or insulator. [Conductors allow an electric current to flow through them and insulators do not.]

One way is to place the material between two people in the human circuit. If the material is an insulator the circuit is complete and the ball flashes light and buzzes.

2. Kids should be able to define open and closed electric circuits.

3. Kids should be able to draw open and closed circuits or identify drawings as an open or closed circuit.

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How can you see sound? Music science for kids

March 9, 2017 By Emma Vanstone 2 Comments

These fun music science experiments for kids are all about making sounds, how we hear sounds, pitch and music! Set up a speaker, a drum, and rice first to see sound in action, then make a drum, rainstick, guitar and lots more easy music science activities .

How are sounds made?

Did you know sounds are made when an object vibrates ? These vibrations make the air around an object vibrate. When the air vibrations reach the ear, they shake tiny hairs connected to nerves. These nerves send a message to the brain, telling it that a noise has been heard.

Music Science Experiments for Kids

This activity lets children see the effect of sound vibrations.

How to see sound vibrations

What you need to see sound

• Thin metal baking sheet
• Tape or elastic bands

Instructions

Stretch the cling film over the top of your bowl and secure it with tape or an elastic band.

Sprinkle a handful of rice over the cling film.

Hold the drum close to the bowl and beat it hard; the rice should jump.

Investigate how the jumping of the rice changes depending on how hard you hit the drum.

Repeat the investigation using a speaker instead of the drum. Is it different?

Things to think about

What would happen if you moved the drum further away from the rice bowl?

What do you think would happen if you made a very quiet noise with the drum?

Does changing the pitch of the music affect how the rice jumps?

Why does this happen?

The clingfilm stretched over the bowl is similar to your ear drum. Sound vibrations from the drum travel through the air to the cling film, making it vibrate, which makes the rice jump!

What is the pitch of a sound?

The pitch of a sound is how high or low it is.

What is the volume of a sound?

The volume of a sound is how loud it is.

Strong vibrations produce loud sounds, and weak vibrations produce quiet sounds.

More Music Science for Kids

Tin can drum.

Try making tin can drums . These are just a tin can with a balloon stretched tightly over the top and wrapped in gaffer tape.

Try putting different things inside to see how that changes the sound, or try beaters made from different materials.

The tighter the balloon on the drum is stretched, the higher the pitch of the sound .

Straw flute

Simply cut different sized straws and sellotape them together. Gently blow over the top of each to make a sound. Investigate how the length of the straw changes the sound.

Full straw flute instructions .

Music Crafts and Activities for Kids

Frugal Fun for Boys puts a small speaker inside the bowl, stretches a balloon over the top and adds salt so children can see the sound.

We love this homemade rainstick from The Imagination Tree too.

Try our sound absorption and reflection activities .

The Educators Spin on It has some great music ideas for summer .

We love these paper plate tambourines from Creative Family Fun. Do you think a plastic plate would make a different noise?

For musical ideas for younger children, try these musical activities for tots over on Rainy Day Mum.

Red Ted Art has some beautiful musical crafts to make too!

Last Updated on January 16, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

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March 22, 2017 at 3:41 am

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Light, Sound and Heat!

Bring light, sound and heat alive for kids with 10 hands-on and motivating science centers and activities. Study light, sound, heat, refraction, reflection, transparent, translucent, opaque, volume and pitch.

Grab the bundle in our shop !

Peek Inside

The engaging set includes 10 kid-friendly posters,

an interactive flip book,

dabbing sheets,

and  “Name that Energy” clip cards  so kids can show what they’ve learned.

With a solid foundation under their feet, scientists dive into hands-on experiments. They learn about pitch by turning ordinary straws into pan flutes.

Then kids use paper cups and string to learn how sound waves travel.

Young scientists study the effects of heat with a surprisingly simple but powerful experiment.

They experiment with light and more.

Grab your Set

There’s so much included in the Light, Sound and Heat Pack. Grab the bundle in our shop !

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• Share full article

For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio , a new iOS app available for news subscribers.

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An Escalating War in the Middle East

Tensions are on a knife edge after israel carried out a strike on the hezbollah leader allegedly behind an attack in the golan heights..

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Featuring Ben Hubbard

Produced by Rachelle Bonja and Sydney Harper

With Shannon M. Lin and Will Reid

Edited by Lexie Diao and Patricia Willens

Original music by Dan Powell and Sophia Lanman

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Warning: This episode contains audio of war.

Over the past few days, the simmering feud between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, has reached a critical moment.

Ben Hubbard, the Istanbul bureau chief for The New York Times, explains why the latest tit-for-tat attacks are different and why getting them to stop could be so tough.

On today’s episode

Ben Hubbard , the Istanbul bureau chief for The New York Times.

Background reading

Israel says it killed a Hezbollah commander , Fuad Shukr, in an airstrike near Beirut.

The Israeli military blamed Mr. Shukr for an assault on Saturday that killed 12 children and teenagers in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Michael Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson, Nina Lassam and Nick Pitman.

Ben Hubbard is the Istanbul bureau chief, covering Turkey and the surrounding region. More about Ben Hubbard

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