Sound You Can See

Wonderverse encourages curiosity and creativity, bringing sound, vibration and rhythm to life in magical ways. Try these fun experiments to discover how you can see sound in action!

SONIC SALT DANCE

You'll need:

  • A tuning fork

  • A cup or bowl covered with cling film

  • Salt coloured with food dye

 Activity

  • Sprinkle a thin layer of coloured salt onto the cling film

  • Hold the tuning fork by its stem and strike it on something firm (like a table edge or your knee)

  • Place the vibrating end of the fork to the salt

  • Watch closely as salt grains jump and shift into patterns

Discuss

Q: Why does the salt move when it touches the tuning fork? 

A: Sound is a type of energy that travels through the air in waves. When the tuning fork vibrates, it sends out tiny waves of energy through the air. These waves pass into the salt, making it bounce and form different shapes.

Discover more

  • Tap the fork with different levels of strength and touch the salt at different angles. What happens?

  • Tuning forks come in different sizes and pitches. How do you think the different sounds and vibrations might affect the salt?

  • Place the cup or dish on different surfaces (like wood, carpet, metal). How do the patterns change?

    Different surfaces absorb or reflect sound differently.

    Hard surfaces (wood, metal) bounce the sound back making the vibrations travel further.

    Soft surfaces (carpet, fabric) absorb sound making vibrations weaker.

SOUND SPLASH

You'll need:

  • A tuning fork

  • A shallow bowl or saucer of water

  • Food dye

 

Activity

  • Pour a small amount of water into the bowl or saucer, add a couple of drops of food dye. Do not mix!

  • Hold the tuning fork by its stem and strike it on something firm (like a table edge or your knee!)

  • Place the vibrating end of the fork to the surface of the water

  • Watch closely as the water reacts to the vibrations

Discuss

Q: What happens to the water when it touches the tuning fork? 
A: Sound is a type of energy that travels through the air in waves. When the tuning fork vibrates, it sends out tiny waves of energy through the air. These waves pass into the water, disturbing the food dye and making it move.

Discover more

  • Tap the fork with different levels of strength and touch the salt at different angles. What happens?

  • What happens to the sound when the fork touches the water?

SALTWAVE SYMPHONY

You'll need:

  • A bluetooth speaker

  • A bucket or pot

  • A large sheet of paper

  • Salt coloured with food dye

Activity

  • Place the speaker inside the bucket or pot

  • Place the sheet of paper on top

  • Sprinkle a thin layer of coloured salt on the paper

  • Start playing music through the speaker

  • Watch closely as the salt grains start dancing!

Discuss

Q: Why does the salt start 'dancing' when the music plays?

A: Sound is a type of energy that travels through the air in waves. When the speaker vibrates, it sends out tiny waves of energy through the air. These waves pass into the salt making it jump and form patterns.

Discover more

  • Turn the volume up and down or play music at different frequencies. What happens to the salt?

  • Play different music (classical, pop, rock), how do the different tempos and sounds affect the salt?

SOUND IN SPACE

The whole universe is humming, pulsing, and waving in ways we can see and feel - and in ways we can’t! 
Here are some questions to encourage children to imagine, discover and wonder, helping them connect what they see and feel to the big mysteries of the universe!

 

Sound art

  • What if we could see sound waves moving around us. What would the world look like? Can you draw what sound waves might look like?

 

Feel the vibrations

  • Hold the tuning fork gently to your hand, elbow or even a balloon. How does it feel?

  • Can you hum and feel your own sound vibrations?

Big questions for creative thinkers


  • What else moves in waves like sound? Light, gravity and heat all move in waves, but they don’t need air or objects to travel!

  • If there’s no air in space, can we hear anything? What would happen if you played an instrument on the moon?

  • Space is a vacuum - there’s no air (or anything else) for sound waves to travel through. That’s why astronauts use radios to talk instead of their voices!

    An astronaut’s radio converts their voice into radio waves which travel between space helmets. When the radio signal reaches another astronaut’s headset, it’s converted back into sound waves so they can hear it inside their helmet!

  • Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic wave, just like light. But unlike sound, these waves don’t need air - they can travel through empty space!

  • Fun Fact! Even though space is silent, vibrations can still travel through solid objects. If an astronaut tapped their helmet against another astronaut’s helmet, they would hear the sound inside because the vibration travels through the solid material!

Curriculum Links

EYLF Learning Outcomes 1 2 4 5

1 Children have a strong sense of identity

2 Children are connected with and contribute to their world

3 Children have a strong sense of wellbeing

4 Children are confident and involved learners

5 Children are effective communicators

Primary Learning Areas

The Arts, English, Humanities & Social Sciences

General Capabilities

Critical and Creative Thinking, Intercultural Understanding, Literacy, Personal and Social Capability.

 

More activities to try

Wonder Wall Capture moments of wonder and awe to create a wonder wall.
Try It
Visual Storytelling Share the wonder of visual storytelling with children using these imagery-based activities.
Try It
Behind the Creation of I Wish... Learn about the inspiration and creative process behind I Wish... from Geoff Cobham and Darcy Grant.
Try It