By swapping vowels and exaggerating sounds, children strengthen articulation, listening skills and vocal awareness in an engaging way.
The familiar rhyme keeps the activity accessible while encouraging clear speech and confident vocal play.
1. Introduce vowels
Ask the children if they know what a vowel is.
See if they can name how many vowels there are and say them together: A, E, I, O, U.
2. Teach the rhyme
Teach the children the following rhyme, keeping a steady rhythm:
"I like eating apples and bananas
You like eating apples and bananas
We like eating apples and bananas
Yes we do!"
3. Start the vowel challenge
Once the children are confident with the rhyme, explain that the A vowels have gone on strike and can't be used anymore, but the other vowels are still working.
Tell the children that every time they would normally say an A sound, they must replace it with another vowel.
Start by replacing all the A sounds with E sounds, for example:
"Eeples and beneenes."
4. Repeat
Repeat the rhyme using different vowels, such as:
I: "Ipples and bininis"
O: "Opples and bononos"
U: "Upples and bununus"
Encourage clear diction and exaggerated vowel sounds throughout.
This classic vocal game is a joyful way to build awareness of vowel sounds while strengthening articulation and rhythm. Children love the silliness of the changing words, and it provides excellent practice for clear speech in a fun, accessible format.
Lucy Quick, Principal of Perform.
