Fun Pipes and Messages

Materials Needed

• Paper towel tube or clean cardboard tube
• Two paper cups
• Yarn or string
• Paper and crayons
• Small toy animals or blocks
• Optional: stickers, tape, and a timer

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the child will be able to:

• Explain that a pipe or tube can help move something from one place to another.
• Send and receive a simple message using a pretend communication tool.
• Take turns listening and speaking.
• Describe what happened during a hands-on experiment.

Success Criteria

The child is successful when they can:

• Say, “The message goes from here to there.”
• Listen while another person speaks.
• Share one clear message, such as “The red block is under the cup.”
• Draw or show how the message traveled.

Introduction: Hook and Wonder Question

Say: “Have you ever talked through a tube? Where do you think your voice goes?”

Let the child make a silly sound through the cardboard tube. Invite them to listen from the other end. Explain:

“A message is something we tell someone. A message can be words, sounds, or a picture. Today, we will learn how messages can travel!”

Body: Learn and Practice

1. I Do: Show How a Message Travels

Hold one end of the cardboard tube near your mouth and speak gently. Have the child listen at the other end.

Say: “My voice is a message. It travels through the tube to your ears.”

Use simple examples:

• “Hello!”
• “I see a blue block.”
• “The teddy bear is happy.”

Quick check: Ask, “What traveled through the tube—my voice or my shoe?”

2. We Do: Make a Pretend Message Phone

1. Make a small hole in the bottom of each paper cup.
2. Thread the yarn through both holes.
3. Tie a knot inside each cup.
4. Stand apart and gently pull the yarn straight.
5. Take turns talking and listening.

Say: “When the string is straight, your voice can make the cup move a little. The sound travels to the other cup.”

Try these messages:

• “Good morning!”
• “I like apples.”
• “Can you find the yellow toy?”

Ask the child to repeat one message they heard. Praise careful listening.

3. We Do: Message Detective Game

Place three toys in different places. Whisper or say a clue through the cup phone.

Examples:

• “Find the animal beside the book.”
• “Touch the block under the chair.”
• “Find something that is red.”

Switch roles so the child can give a clue. If the child needs help, offer two choices: “Is the toy by the book or by the cup?”

4. You Do: Create a Message

Invite the child to choose one activity:

• Draw: Draw a picture message for someone in the family.
• Build: Use blocks to make a “message station.”
• Act: Pretend to be a mail carrier delivering a message.
• Speak: Send a kind message through the cup phone.

Ask the child to explain: “Who is your message for?” and “What does your message say?”

Real-World Connection

Explain that people send messages in many ways. We can talk, wave, draw pictures, write notes, or use a phone. Some people also use special tools to help them communicate.

Say: “A message helps one person share an idea with another person.”

Formative Assessment

During the lesson, ask:

• “What is a message?”
• “Who is speaking?”
• “Who is listening?”
• “Where did the sound go?”
• “What happened when the string was loose?”

Watch for turn-taking, listening, clear speaking, and the ability to describe what happened.

Summative Assessment: Show What You Know

Ask the child to complete this mini-demonstration:

1. Send one message through the cup phone.
2. Listen to a message from another person.
3. Tell what traveled from one cup to the other.
4. Draw or point to the path the message took.

Differentiation

Support

• Use short messages with one or two words.
• Let the child point, gesture, or draw instead of speaking.
• Model listening by placing a hand behind your ear.
• Use picture cards for words such as “hello,” “toy,” and “red.”

Extension

• Ask the child to create a three-part message.
• Test whether the cup phone works around a corner.
• Compare a tight string with a loose string.
• Invent a secret code using simple sounds or actions.

Conclusion and Recap

Ask the child to finish these sentences:

• “A message is…”
• “My message traveled through…”
• “Good listeners…”

Recap: “Today we learned that messages can travel from one person to another. We used our voices, ears, cups, and string. We also practiced speaking clearly, listening carefully, and taking turns.”

Reflection

Ask, “What was the most fun way to send a message today?” Record the child’s answer or invite them to draw it.