5 Fun Voice Volume Activities for Kids with Autism
“Why are you talking so loud?”
Do you find yourself asking this—or reminding your child to use a quieter voice—over and over?
You might get a whisper in response, or a quieter voice for a few seconds before the volume climbs again. Understanding and adjusting voice volume involves more than hearing a reminder.
A child needs to hear the difference between voice levels, understand when each might be useful, and figure out how to produce those different voices. Then, in the middle of an exciting conversation or activity, they need to notice their own volume and make an adjustment.
That is a lot to coordinate!
These voice volume activities for kids break the skill into smaller pieces through games, sensory exploration, and everyday experiences. They offer playful opportunities to listen, experiment, make choices, and practice communicating.
I designed these activities with preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary learners in mind, including children with autism who are beginning to learn about voice levels.
TL;DR
Start with a few clear voice levels and familiar visual reminders. Then practice through a spinner game, a guessing game with a ball, sound containers, a quiet cooking challenge, and an interactive voice level display. Model what you mean, practice different parts of the skill, and gradually connect the games to everyday communication.
Table of Contents
Why Voice Volume Involves More Than Knowing the Rules
We sometimes think of voice volume as a simple choice: whisper here, talk here, and use a louder voice over there.
But being able to answer “Which voice would you use?” is only one part of the skill.
Consider everything a child might need to do:
Hear the difference between quiet, talking, and loud voices.
Understand the situation, including who is listening and how far away they are.
Produce the voice level they want to use.
Notice their own volume while concentrating on their message.
Pause and adjust when their voice is difficult to hear or louder than the situation calls for.
Use the skill in different places, with different people and background sounds.
Many children with autism may find one or more of these parts challenging. A child might recognize a quiet voice when someone else uses it but have difficulty producing one. Another child might demonstrate all three levels during a game, then need support adjusting their voice while excitedly talking about a favorite topic.
Knowing which voice could fit a situation does not automatically mean a child can use it in the moment. They may still be developing the awareness and self-regulation needed to pause, notice, and adjust.
That helps us decide what to practice next.
Instead of repeating the same reminder, we can make the idea concrete and provide opportunities to practice its different parts. Sometimes we work on listening. Sometimes we choose a voice for a situation. Other times we experiment with changing our voices.
Repeated practice gives children opportunities to connect these pieces, first during simple games and then during everyday activities.
For a closer look at introducing this skill, read Why Does My Autistic Child Whisper or Yell? How to Teach Voice Volume.
Start With Three Simple Voice Levels
It can be helpful to connect the different voice levels to some kind of visual the child can keep in mind. In the resources I created, I use three animals to represent voice levels but you can use whatever you think would make sense for your child such as different animals or favorite characters. You can also add a color or number to each level if those connections help your child.
Animal | Voice level | Example to explore |
Bunny | Quiet voice | Speaking softly near someone who is resting |
Cat | Talking voice | Asking someone nearby for a crayon |
Lion | Loud voice | Calling to someone farther away on the playground |
The animals are visual reminders. Try saying the same word or short phrase using each level so they can hear what changes. Later you can use these visuals as a verbal reminder, such as, "Let me hear that in your bunny voice."
I find it helpful initially to limit the number of levels to simplify the idea. Three gives a manageable starting point. You can introduce additional distinctions later, such as separating a talking voice from a presenting voice which would be louder but not a yell. Later these distinctions will be useful.
The pictures also need demonstration. A bunny picture alone does not tell a child exactly what you mean by a quiet voice. Point, model, and explore the sound together.
All three levels have a purpose. We are helping children discover how different volumes can support communication in different situations.
1. Spin and Say Voice Volume Game
A spinner game can be a fun way to practice getting lots of repetition of practicing different voice levels. Children spin to see which voice to try, then use that voice to say a color, word, or phrase.
What you need
A spinner showing your voice level pictures
A color spinner
A pencil and paper clip
Matching voice level visuals
How to play
Have the child spin the animal spinner and then the color spinner.
If the spinners land on the bunny and blue, try saying “blue” using a quiet voice. If they land on the cat and yellow, use a talking voice to say “yellow.”
Model a few turns before expecting children to try independently. Keep the animal pictures nearby so you can point to the chosen level and demonstrate again when needed.
Divide two paper circles into sections. Add animal stickers or simple drawings to one circle, and color the sections of the other with markers. Place a paper clip over the center dot, hold it in place with the pencil tip, and flick the clip to spin.
Make it simpler: Use only the voice level spinner and practice the same familiar word each turn.
Add a challenge: Try a sentence such as “I see something blue.” Later, invite children to think of a situation where that voice could be useful.
2. Guess the Voice Ball Game
This voice volume game combines listening, speaking, and taking turns. One person tries a voice level while everyone else listens and guesses.
What you need
A soft ball
Small voice level cards
A bunny, cat, and lion pointing board or matching pictures
How to play
Sit in a circle. Give one child the ball and help them select a voice level card without showing the group.
The child says a familiar word or phrase using that voice. The other children guess which level they heard.
They can name the animal, point to its picture, or respond using their communication system. Then gently roll or pass the ball to the next person.
Use familiar words so children can concentrate on volume. “Hello,” “I like apples,” or the name of a favorite toy can work well.
If producing a particular level is difficult, an adult can demonstrate alongside the child. The child can also choose a card for an adult to perform.
Make it simpler: Have an adult produce the examples while children practice listening and matching.
Add a challenge: Use a short sentence, then ask where that voice might help someone communicate.
Keep the guessing friendly. If listeners hear a different level than the speaker intended, explore it together: “You chose bunny. Let’s listen to my quiet voice and try together.”
This gives you a chance to notice which part needs practice. Is the child identifying the levels, producing them, or working on both?
For more group activities that include sharing materials and taking turns, see Fun Sharing Activities for Kids.
3. Quiet and Loud Sensory Sound Containers
Sound containers let children explore quiet and loud before connecting those differences to voices.
What you need
Clean, opaque containers with secure lids
Fillings such as cotton balls, pom-poms, rice, pennies, or bells
A quiet-and-loud sorting mat
An optional sensory tray or bin
How to play
Prepare the containers ahead of time and secure the lids. Choose fillings that produce noticeably different sounds.
Place the containers in a sensory tray or on the table. Invite children to choose one, gently shake it, and listen.
Does it make a quiet sound or a loud sound? Place it on the matching part of the sorting mat.
Compare two containers when a choice is difficult. You can also explore how the same container sounds when shaken gently or with more movement.
Then make a brief connection to voices: “That was a quiet sound. Here is my quiet voice.”
Sorting objects by sound gives children practice listening and comparing. They will still need opportunities to explore how those ideas apply to their own voices.
Make it simpler: Sort pictures of familiar objects instead. Children can find the pictures in a sensory tray and decide which usually make quieter or louder sounds.
Add a challenge: Number the containers and offer a picture guessing sheet. Children predict what is inside before an adult opens each container to check.
4. Quiet Game Cooking Challenge
Do you remember playing the quiet game as a kid? Or perhaps you have used it with your own children during a stressful car trip!
This variation combines the quiet game with a cooking activity. The challenge is to see how quietly children can communicate while working together to make something they want to eat.
Cooking provides plenty of natural reasons to communicate. Children might need to request an ingredient, ask someone to pass a spoon, check what comes next, offer help, or tell someone they are finished.
Instead of practicing a quiet voice only when an adult asks, they have something meaningful to say.
Choose a motivating recipe
You can use any cooking or snack-making activity that works for your children. I used banana pudding cups because the pudding and bananas can be prepared ahead of time, leaving children free to focus on assembling their desserts and communicating.
Layer vanilla wafers, prepared pudding, and sliced bananas in individual cups. A visual recipe helped children see what came next.
The finished dessert provides a built-in reinforcer: children get to enjoy what they made!
Choose a familiar or simple recipe so the preparation leaves room to focus on the quiet game.
Turn it into a quiet game
Introduce the challenge: “Can we make our snack while keeping our voices quiet?”
Demonstrate a few quiet requests or questions:
“Can you pass the bananas?”
“May I have a spoon?”
“What comes next?”
“Would you like some?”
“Can you help me?”
Keep your voice soft but audible. Children practice listening to quiet directions and using quiet voices to ask questions, make requests, and respond.
If two adults are available, divide the children into two groups, with one adult supporting each group. Make it a friendly competition: Which group can work together and keep its communication the quietest while preparing the recipe?
Each adult can model quiet directions, respond to questions, and point to the quiet voice visual when children need a reminder. Keep the competition focused on teamwork, with encouragement and opportunities to try again.
With one adult, work together as one group. Challenge yourselves to see how quietly you can complete the activity. Try it again another day and see whether quiet communication feels easier with practice.
Talk about what you noticed
Afterward, enjoy the snack and briefly discuss the experience:
Could you hear someone asking for an ingredient?
Did moving closer make a quiet voice easier to hear?
Was it harder to stay quiet when you got excited?
What helped your group communicate?
Everyone gets to enjoy what they made, regardless of how much support they needed during the challenge.
5. Choose the Voice With Posters and Push Lights
This activity begins as a group game and becomes a visual support you can reference during other activities.
What you need
Three voice level posters
A battery-operated push light beneath each poster
Familiar words or phrases to practice
How to play
Display the posters where children can comfortably reach the lights. Review each picture and demonstrate the matching voice.
Invite one child to choose a level by pressing its light. The group then says a familiar phrase using that voice.
For example, the child might light up the cat, and everyone says “Good morning” using a talking voice. Another child chooses the bunny, and the group tries the phrase quietly.
Turn off the previous light before selecting the next one so the choice stays clear.
Make it simpler: Begin with two contrasting levels and add the third as children become familiar with the game.
Add a challenge: Describe a situation and ask a child to choose a level that could fit. Discuss different answers when the situation allows more than one reasonable choice.
Once children understand the display, leave it available. Before a small-group activity, refer to the talking voice picture. Before speaking near someone who is resting, model the quiet voice.
The familiar display gives you something concrete to reference. Continue pairing it with examples so children understand how the selected level connects to the activity.
Help Children Use Voice Levels Beyond the Games
Success during a game does not mean a child can coordinate every part of the skill independently during a busy day.
Look for small next steps.
If your child can identify your voice levels, try copying one together. If they can produce a level during the spinner game, try it during a short pretend conversation. If they can choose a voice for a picture, practice a similar situation in real life.
Give children opportunities to practice listening, choosing, producing, and adjusting.
Notice which parts are becoming easier and which still need support.
A few helpful habits:
Model the voice you mean. Give an example alongside the reminder.
Keep practice brief. A few comfortable turns can be enough.
Use familiar visuals. Carry the same pictures across activities.
Give specific feedback. “I could hear your question from here” tells children what worked.
Consider the environment. Moving closer or reducing background noise may help more than another instruction.
Allow different ways to participate. Listening, pointing, choosing pictures, and AAC are meaningful forms of participation.
Respond to distress first. Return to deliberate practice when the child is comfortable.
If you enjoy making abstract social ideas concrete with pictures and games, you may also like Think It or Say It? 5 Social Filter Games and Activities for Kids.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I start with three levels or more?
For beginning learners, I suggest starting with a few clear levels. Add more distinctions when they serve a useful purpose and your child is ready to explore them.
What if my child knows which voice to use but does not use it?
Choosing an answer and adjusting your voice during an interaction are different tasks. Practice producing the level, noticing it, and using it during short, familiar activities. Continue offering support as situations become more complicated.
Does a loud voice always mean shouting?
No. Demonstrate a comfortable louder voice for reaching someone farther away. Keep examples brief and consider everyone’s sound preferences.
Ready-to-Use Voice Volume Resources
If you would like the games, animal visuals, and activity directions prepared for you, my Voice Volume Games and Activities resource brings them together for beginning learners.
For a picture-based activity to use alongside the games, you can also explore my Voice Volume Adapted Book.
Voice volume is one part of learning to communicate with other people. My social skills curriculum combines stories, visuals, and hands-on practice across related skills.
Start with one activity your children are likely to enjoy. Listen together, try different voices, and look for small opportunities to use those discoveries during the day.
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