Challenge kids to use materials to create sound for movie clips or commercials. Tap into kids creative and artistic side with this fun outside the box group activity. Read on to find out how to add Sound Effects to Movies . Here is an example of a child made sound effect movie.
Supplies needed
- Computer with microphone OR external Microphone
- TV or projector that can connect to the computer
- Microsoft Movie Maker or similar program
- Some Tech Skills
- Materials for making sound (see list below for Ideas)
Setup for Movie Sound Effects
Connect the computer to the tv or laptop, set it up so you can see the computer screen on the tv or projector screen. Test the microphone to make sure it works. Most laptops have built-in microphones, but if your computer does not, you can purchase them cheap on amazon. I found a decent microphone cheap, click here to see the current price.
Find the clip on Youtube called “the magic of making sound” and bookmark it. This video gives a good overview of how sound effects are made for the movies.
Find a few movie clips or commercials on Youtube that you can use to recreate the sound. Since it was November when I did this activity, I chose clips from Home Alone. I also chose these clips because there was little dialogue and I wanted the kids to focus on creating the non-verbal sounds.
How To Get Videos into Movie Maker
After you find the clips you want go to OnlineVideoConverter (I have used this site many times without issues) enter the URL you want and download the clip. Open your video editor (I used Microsoft Movie Maker) import the clip you downloaded and turn off the sound on the clip so you are working with a soundless video. You are now ready to record your own sound for the clips. Set out materials that children can use to make sound.
Items to Use for Sound Effects
- Mouse trap
- Large blanket
- Boots
- Small toys or trinkets
- Sponge
- Aluminum can
- Markers
- Books
- Rolling pin
- Plastic shopping bag
- whistle
- Sandpaper
- Newspaper
- Bells
- Marbles
- Cloth
- Fabric
- Ball
- Ruler
- Calculator
- Rubber gloves
- Bucket of water
- Bubbles
- Tinfoil
- Toy cars
- Styrofoam cups
- Blocks
- Drums
- Empty milk jug
- funnel
- Wax paper
- Bag of flour
- A Fan
- plastic cup
- Cookie sheet
- Frisbee
- Stapler
- Duct tape
- Rubber bands
- Plastic bag
- Water bottle
- Tissue paper
- file
- Balloons
- Compressed air
- Spray bottle
- Hammer
- An old hinge
Present Movie Sound Effects Activity to Kids
- Show the kids the video “the magic of making sound”. After the clip get the kids talking about what they saw in the video.
- Ask kids to watch your soundless clip. Then play the clip again and ask them to think about what they would hear if there was sound.
- Explain that today they are the Foley Artists in charge of creating sound for each clip. Show them the materials available to them and assign a sound or two to each child. Allow the kids to practice a few times.
- Go for it! Record a “narration” in movie maker when you click the button the clip starts, and the microphone records the sounds.
- Try it a few times and when your done have the kids sit back and enjoy the clip they made. (9 different groups of kids made My video, the captions on the bottom are the names of each group)
If you enjoy learning how to make sound effects for movies you may also enjoy the engineering challenge of creating a Rube Goldberg chain reaction machine! These machines require teamwork and cooperation to make a simple task complicated and fun!
