Name of Activity: Behind the Window

Originating Idea: Children try to communicate without being able to hear through a window then
crack the window to hear what the other had said.

Curriculum Area
Highlight 1:
Approaches to learning
Social and emotional development
Physical development and health
Language, literacy, and communication
Mathematics
Creative arts
Science and technology
Social studies

KDIs
22. Speaking: Children express themselves using language.
Materials:
 Window

Appropriate Age group: 4 to 5 years old

Beginning of Activity:
During small group, I will have one child outside with an adult and another inside and have the window cracked
open. “Today we are going to try talking and comprehending what the other person is trying to say without the
window being open. Then we will open the window to hear what they said. This will be a guessing game back
and forth from person to person and everyone will have a turn trying to talk to someone through the window.” I
will open and close the window as the children try to communicate and figure out how to understand each
other. After a minute I will open the window for them to talk about what they were trying to say.
Middle of Activity
Children in different developmental levels may not understand the concept or try to guess what the
other person is trying to say.

Early: They will need the window to stay cracked so they can still hear the other student muffled to have a
conversation not fully relying on visual.
Middle: They will be able to make a guess at what the other person is trying to say and verify once the window
opens.
Later: They will be challenged to say a phrase with the window closed and have the other person guess what
they said. They will get points for the number of phrases they were able to get correct.

End of Activity:
“We were able to communicate and guess what the other person was saying without hearing them. Once we
opened the window, we were able to speak about what we were trying to communicate and what we could
understand through the window. We will now all go outside for outside time.”
Follow-up Ideas (2)
The window can be used for art if paper is taped to the window.
The window can be used for observing if there is something to see outside such as animals or weather.