Hornby Pasifika celebrates gift of a Sound Monkey

Our Hornby Pasifika centre is excited to be one of 10 early childhood centres in Ōtautahi Christchurch to receive a Sound Monkey, thanks to the generous support of Christchurch Airport Community Fund and the National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NFDHH).

On Friday 29 August, the centre welcomed Sue from the NFDHH team who personally presented the Sound Monkey to tamariki and kaiako.

The Sound Monkey is a clever sound monitoring device designed especially for pre-school environments. Using a fun and friendly monkey face with a traffic light system, it helps tamariki and kaiako understand when sound levels are safe, when they need to take care, and when noise becomes too loud. It is a simple yet powerful way to encourage children to self-regulate, protect their hearing, and learn about the world of sound around them.

Centre Manager Se’e Brewster, says the team is looking forward to introducing the Sound Monkey to tamariki.
“It is a wonderful way to support children’s learning through play, while also building awareness about listening, sound, and looking after our hearing. We are so grateful for this gift and the positive difference it will bring to our centre,” says Se’e.

The Sound Monkey also connects with an app, giving teachers and children the opportunity to track sound levels and celebrate their progress with interactive weekly reports.

Barnardos Early Learning is proud to be part of this initiative that combines innovation, education, and wellbeing for tamariki.

Tamariki testing how the Sound Monkey works.

Learn more about Sound Monkey here.