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Make · Wild and Tumble activity

String telephone

Hello? Can you hear me? Make a string phone and talk between two trees.

  • 20 min total
  • Low mess
  • Ages 3–5*
  • Indoors or out
  • Any season
Let's do this

*Illustrative age guidance. Your child's development and circumstances matter more than a number.

A tiny plan for your day

Estimated time: 5 min to make · 13 min to chat · 2 min to tidy. It's fine to stop early.

Before you start

What you’ll need

  • Two paper cups or clean tins with smooth edges
  • A long piece of string
  • A sharp pencil (adult only)

Let's begin

Five simple steps

That's the whole activity. Tick each step off as you go, and stop whenever you like.

  1. Grown-up job

    An adult pokes a small hole in the bottom of each cup.

  2. Thread the string through and tie a knot inside each cup.

  3. Each of you stands by a tree, string pulled tight.

  4. One talks into the cup, the other listens.

  5. Whisper a secret. Can they hear it?

All done!

That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.

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