Nature Play and Our Sense of Sound

Sound reaches us incredibly fast.

Hearing is one of our fastest sensory systems, which means the sounds around children can influence how they experience a space before they even understand where those sounds are coming from.

Sound is also closely tied to emotion. A familiar voice, birdsong, flowing water, laughter, or music can help a child feel safe, curious, calm, and ready to play. Loud, jarring, or uncomfortable sounds can have the opposite effect and push the nervous system toward stress or fight-or-flight.

Three Kinds of Sound in Outdoor Play

Jena groups outdoor sensory sound into three broad categories: nature sounds, social sounds, and musical sounds. Each contributes something different to the way children experience a play space.

Nature sounds might include birdsong, leaves moving in the wind, sand shifting under bare feet, insects buzzing, or water splashing. These kinds of sounds can add calm, interest, and sensory richness to an outdoor environment.

Social sounds come from human connection: talking, whispering, laughing, singing, crying, shouting, and playing together. Sometimes those sounds feel nurturing and safe; sometimes they can become overwhelming.

Music adds another layer entirely. Rhythm, vibration, melody, movement, and emotion all come together, making music a powerful sensory integration experience for developing children.

Sound Is Something We Feel Too

Sound is not only auditory. It also creates vibration that can be felt through the skin and body.

A bass drum produces a very different physical sensation than a xylophone. Children experience those differences not just through their ears, but through their tactile sensory systems as sound waves move through and around them.

Quiet Belongs in a Soundscape

A thoughtfully designed sensory environment also needs places where children can retreat from sound.

Cozy child-sized spaces — forts, tipis, tucked-away nooks, or areas enclosed by vegetation — can give children personal space to regulate and reduce sensory input when they need it.

Listen to the Play Space

One simple way to explore sound with children is to stop and listen.

Close your eyes together outside and notice what you hear. Which sounds are close? Which are far away? Which feel pleasant, exciting, strange, or annoying? Do those sounds change throughout the day or across the seasons?

These conversations can help children become more aware of their sensory environment while also building descriptive language and

Sensory Plants for Sound

Plants can make outdoor environments surprisingly musical. Seed pods rattle. Leaves rustle. Tall grasses swish and scratch when children brush past them or when the wind moves through.

Jena highlights several plants that can add sound to a sensory garden, including All Gold Japanese Forest Grass, Silver Dollar Plant, Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass, and quaking aspen.

All Gold Japanese Forest Grass

Japanese Forest Grass has smooth, inviting blades that children can brush with their hands or legs, producing soft swooshing sounds while also adding color and tactile interest to the space.

Silver Dollar Plant

As Silver Dollar Plant dries, its flat seed pods develop a papery, rattling quality. Shaking the dried stalks gives children another way to experiment with plant-based sound.

Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass

Feather reed grass is sturdy enough for active play and produces a pleasant rustling sound as children move through it. Jena has even used it in maze-like plantings where children can wind through the grasses and experience the sound around their bodies.

Quaking Aspen

Quaking aspen earns its name from the movement and sound of its leaves in the wind. The leaves tremble and clack together, creating a distinctive natural soundscape that can make the movement of the wind almost tangible.

As always, plants used in children's play areas should be non-toxic, and harmful pesticides or herbicides should be avoided in those spaces.