From the dawn chorus of birdsong to the deep song of a whale, the natural world is full of music. On PawSteps, music helps children listen closely, keep a steady beat and make their own sounds inspired by the creatures they love. It is a joyful, hands-on way to explore pitch, rhythm and song — no special instruments needed.
🎼 Topics you'll cover
- Animal sounds and pitch — high squeaks and low growls
- Rhythm and beat — keeping a steady pulse
- Composing rainforest and ocean music
- Singing animal songs together
- Exploring instruments and the sounds they make
- Listening and appraising — describing what you hear
🎹 Explore music
🏠 Try this at home
- Clap an animal's name in syllables — try "hed-ge-hog" (three claps) or "chim-pan-zee" — then take turns guessing each other's animal from the rhythm alone.
- Make a simple shaker from a tub of dried rice or lentils, then listen to some birdsong and try to copy its rhythm and pattern.
- Compose a short two-line jungle chant — for example, "Stomp like an elephant, big and slow… buzz like a bee and away we go!" — and add actions.
- Play a listening game: close your eyes and hum a sound high like a mouse or low like a bear, and see if someone can guess whether it is high or low.