Fill several plastic eggs with a variety of materials that will make different sounds when they're shaken. Make two of each kind. For example, fill two eggs with coins, two eggs with rice, and two eggs with salt. Glue the eggs shut so they don't spill while preschoolers are playing with them. Ask the students to shake the eggs and listen to the sounds they make. They will be listening for eggs that make the same sound to form a matching set.
Record several different sounds of everyday items, such as a clock ticking, a dog barking or a car starting. Provide students with 3-by-3 Bingo cards filled with pictures that match the sounds you recorded. Play each sound and ask preschoolers to listen to the sound. They should find the picture on their card that produced that sound and cover the picture with a marker. When a student covers three pictures in a row, they will shout out, "Bingo!"
Provide students with a variety of instruments, such as rhythm sticks, drums, maracas and tambourines. Play recorded children's songs for them to play along to. Tell them they will need to listen to the type of music that is playing to know how to play their instruments. For example, when a fast song is on, they will play their instruments quickly to match the beat of the music. If a song is slow, they will need to play more slowly. At times during the songs, call out for students to play their instruments loudly or softly. Listening to the differences in the sounds the instruments make will help preschoolers become more aware of listening.
Sing a classic movement song with preschoolers -- "Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes" -- and ask them to touch each part of their body as you sing it. When the song says "head," students will touch their heads, and continue as the song calls out each body part. Once students have become familiar with the song and how to move to it, try varying the song by adding body parts that are not in the original version, such as elbows, chin or hips. This will encourage preschoolers to listen for the differences in the original song and your new rendition.