NoisyToys

Learning Through the Creative Exploration of Sound

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Workshops

Structured or drop-in

On this page you can find information about structured workshops; suitable for any settings where there are a fixed number of participants for a set amount of time (for example a classroom).

For information about Drop-in workshops where participants can come and go at any time (for example at an event or in a public space) please have a look at our Drop-in page.

Themes

  • Circuits / Electricity
  • Sound / Music
  • Sustainability
  • Coding / Hacking
  • Technology / applications
  • Electromagnetism

Content

  • Making & tinkering
  • Hands-on activities
  • Experimentation
  • Creative thinking
  • Group work
Year 4 sound & circuits

Relevant National Curriculum programmes of study are listed at the bottom of the page.

The workshops listed below can be adapted and planned to meet specific requirements, just get in touch to discuss your requirements here.

We have workshops that cover specific National Curriculum requirements:

  • Linking Computing with Design Technology
  • Sound and Electricity at KS2 & 3
  • The new creative curriculum

All available workshops

Below is a brief summary of all available workshops. For more detailed descriptions please click here (soon).

Year 4 Sound & Circuits workshop & show

A perfect way to introduce the topics in Sc4/4.1 & Sc4/4.2, with ideas for teachers to run continued activites in-school.

  • Suitable for: Year 4
  • Maximum 30 participants
  • 60 – 90 minutes (60 min show)
  • Electronics
  • Sound

This workshop and introductory show has been specifically designed to help year 4 pupils and teachers during the Electricity and Sound topics in year 4.

More information here.

Scavengers workshop

Upcycled electronics, Making, Tinkering, circuits, sound, sustainability

  • Available for: Key stage 2 or 3
  • Maximum 30 participants
  • 60 – 90 minutes
  • Making & Tinkering
  • Electronics
  • Sustainability

A set of workshops and activities based around use of upcycled e-waste material in practical activites that help our understanding of electronics, sound, technology and help us to understand the environmental implications of e-waste.

Cyber Scavengers workshop

  • Available for: Key Stage 2 or 3
  • Maximum 16 participants
  • 60 – 90 minutes
  • Programming (visual)
  • Music
  • Electronics

In Cyber Scavengers we will use Redfern Crumbles (KS2) and/or Arduinos (KS3) to sequence our upcycled motors as they strum our acoustic ‘found’ objects, creating structured musical performances, coded by pupils. This workshop will work on it’s own or as a perfect follow-up to the Scavengers Tinkering workshop. We have a set of reconditioned laptops running on linux that we can provide, or we can use your school’s digital resources. This workshops involves physical circuitry connections and Making activities as well as coding.

Sonic Scavengers workshop

Using our special rubber-dipped contact microphones we will discover incredible hidden sounds in unexpected places: rubber bands, rulers, egg slicers, slinkys, radiators and so many more. We will delve into the world of vibrations and find out how they behave in solids, liquids and gases. We will use various micrphones to seek out the sounds hidden in vibrating water, metal and in the invisible electromagnetic fields around us.

Coding at Key Stage 2

  • Available for: Key stage 2 or 3
  • Maximum 16 participants (30 if computers are provided)
  • 60 – 120 minutes

An accessible and fun intoroduction to programming and electronics. We don’t just use computers: we make things happen in the real world using Crumble controllers (programmable mini portable devices) connected to motors, LEDs and sensors. Visual (similar to Scratch) programming.

Find out more about the Crumble controller here.

Boing Zap Boom!

  • Available for: ages 5-8
  • Maximum 16 participants
  • 30 – 60 minutes
  • Experimenting with sounds
  • Performing
  • Making music together

An exciting journey into strange and wonderful sounds hidden in everyday objects, with lots of hands-on experimentation, some rhythm games, a chance to perform in front of an audience and make a soundscape to tell a story.

The Broken workshop

  • Available for: ages 8-16
  • Maximum 30 participants
  • 45-90 minutes
  • Electrical repairs
  • Sytematic fault finding
  • Use of tools

We open our boxes, connect everything up and… nothing happens. Not surprising as more than 50% of the components and leads are faulty. So now we have to learn how to identify and diagnose multiple faults in our system, using a simple circuit tester that we make ourselves. We may even be able to repair some items.

National Curriculum information

The following programmes of study are covered in various workshops. Please see the individual workshop descriptions to see which are covered.

Sound

  • Sc4/4.1a – Identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating.
  • Sc4/4.1b – Recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear.
  • Sc4/4.1c – Find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it.
  • Sc4/4.1d – Find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it.
  • Sc4/4.1e – Recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases.

Electricity

  • Sc4/4.2b – Construct a simple series electrical circuit.
  • Sc4/4.2e – Recognise some common conductors and insulators.

Main Content

Costs

– £400 day of workshops, optionally with a show
– £250 half day, optionally with a show
– discout rates between November and February
(£350/£200)
– travel (at 30p X miles) may need to be added for jobs over 50 miles from HX7 but there are usually ways to reduce or avoid these costs, especially if you have flexibility with dates. Please get in touch to discuss how we can make this work for you.

Information

– All workshops are led by Stephen Summers who is a qualified teacher with over ten years’ experience.
– Full enhanced DBS clearance.
– Full PLI insurance covers all workshops.
– Free assembly show at no extra cost
– Groups of up to 30
– 60-90 minutes/workshop
– practical requirements pdf here.

Testimonials

"Thanks so much for the Sound & Circuits workshops today - the children had a brilliant time and were talking about it to everyone at lunch!"
- Bridget Rudette, Heybrook Primary School

"The children were fascinated. It is science they will all remember because they enjoyed it so much."
-Liz Clover, Head teacher, Park Road Primary School

“Thank you for the fantastic ‘Bass in your Face’ workshop which both students and teachers here at Gildredge House School enjoyed immensely. It was really engaging and lots of fun as well as insightful about the science of sound. Stephen is a natural entertainer and teacher and it was one of the favourite workshops of the day by far.”
- Heather Beames, Deputy Head, Gildredge House

“I worked with Steve (Noisy Toys) as part of the Media Museum’s ‘Make Some Noise’ festival. This involved Steve delivering a host of sound based content in local schools, as part of our school engagement programme. Using a variety of multi-sensory tools and techniques, Steve establishes the principles of sound whilst alerting pupils to its wonders. His sessions are fun, inquisitive and open-ended. Moreover, they encourage pupils to explore sound beyond the classroom. This is fundamental to his practice: Noisy Toys spark passion in sound. Of the many schools that we visited, I could see pupils eyes (and ears) being opened to the subject. I am very happy to recommend Steve and Noisy Toys.”
- Mr Iain Hendry, Audience Developer, National Media Museum

"The young people who experience it and experiment enthusiastically with the sound making devices all gain a greater understanding of how sound works and have fun learning."
-Jason Butcher, Ucan.TV / Deputy Head Egerton High School (EBD)

"Thank you so much for enlightening the children about sound and electrical circuits; they particularly enjoyed the Nose Test!"
- Dawn Martin, Headteacher, Gossops Green Primary School

“The experimenting with sounds and noises was mesmerising to the young people and was stretching their minds with technical invention. If any artform is designed to get young people thinking outside of the box then this one will."
- Deborah Curtis, The House of Fairy Tales

"Our children had a fantastic time learning about different types of circuits and how to make a wide variety of sounds from different materials. Steve was an excellent teacher and the children responded very well to the interesting activities throughout the session. I would fully recommend Noisy Toys to any primary school who would like their children to learn more about electricity and sound production"
- Richard Street, Deputy Head, Bilton Grange Primary

"We've worked with Steve and Noisy Toys on a couple of projects in very different settings. Once in a primary school, when he ran a music science workshop that was the talk of the school for months after and again when he ran an activity and stage show on our feature at the Sunday Times Festival of Education. Unlike many other STEM demonstrators, Steve brings a uniquely magical raw creativity and personality to his work, combined with a ruthless professionalism and attention to detail. I highly commend him, his craziness and his hand picked team to you".
- Nick Corston, Co-founder/CEO STEAM Co.

“Steve provided a day of workshops on the Science of Sound at a ‘Science in a Nightclub’ event that I was coordinating during National Science and Engineering Week. His workshops were very well received and I would have no hesitation in using him again or recommending him for similar events”
-Claire Willis, Inspiring Science Coordinator, Science Learning Centre North East

“All classes really enjoyed it especially the hands-on nature of the activities. It was lots of fun and allowed everyone to get involved in playing with sounds and making music together. The sessions were adapted for each age group so everyone benefited from it. I have no hesitation in recommending Steve and Noisy Toys.”
- Carole Marret, Music Coordinator, Button Lane School

“I made a drum with a saucepan and it goes 'DONG!!!' really loud when you turn it up”
– Josh, 11

"I am writing to thank you for the enormous effort that you contributed personally to the Little House of Fairy Tales."
-Lindsey Woodford, Headteacher, St Saviours Primary School

'We learnt about how sound works and the sound waves and we made our own music'
– Leah, 13

“Noisy Toys was brought in for the young people to try and was an instant hit. Steve facilitated various 'toys' which enabled yp to create their own sound. One yp took the mic and performed a rhyme whilst another arranged some beats on a drum machine, with others adding live sounds. The yp enjoyed themselves and came away from the session asking for more.”
-Clare Donegan, Company Director, Outta Place

“I learnt how to put microphones on bits of metal and make instruments and then we learnt some beats and played them on our instruments”
– Kane, 11