Use different voices
Create and practice three distinct character voices, record safely or perform them, and observe how pitch, speed, and expression change.
Step-by-step guide to create and practice three character voices
Engaging Children in Oral Storytelling to Support Oral Language Development
Step 1
Find a quiet spot and sit where you can see yourself in the mirror.
Step 2
On your paper write three character names and one word that describes each character.
Step 3
For each character choose a voice pitch and write high medium or low next to their name.
Step 4
For each character choose a speaking speed and write slow medium or fast next to their name.
Step 5
For each character pick one facial expression and write cheerful grumpy excited mysterious or sleepy next to their name.
Step 6
Stand in front of the mirror and say the line "Hello my name is ___" in Character One's pitch speed and expression three times.
Step 7
Repeat the exact practice for Character Two using that character's pitch speed and expression three times.
Step 8
Repeat the exact practice for Character Three using that character's pitch speed and expression three times.
Step 9
Ask an adult to help you safely record each character saying the line or perform all three characters live for a family member while using your props.
Step 10
Share your finished character voices or recording on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of a mirror, special props, or a fancy recorder if those items are hard to find?
If you don't have a mirror, use a phone or tablet front camera, a shiny window or large spoon for reflection, swap expensive props for hats, scarves or toys from home, and use a parent's phone with a voice-memo app to record the lines.
I'm having trouble keeping the same pitch or speed, or feeling silly in front of the mirror — how can I fix that?
Practice each voice by humming to find high/medium/low and tap a steady beat for slow/medium/fast, do small exaggerated facial exercises in front of the mirror to match expressions, and start with single short takes so you can listen and improve before doing three repeats.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?
For younger kids reduce to one or two characters and use picture cards or stickers for the descriptive word and expressions while letting them use big dress-up props, and for older kids expand to more characters, write short backstories and extra lines, and try editing the recordings or adding effects before sharing on DIY.org.
How can we extend or personalize this activity after recording the three lines?
Extend the activity by creating short scenes where characters interact, adding homemade sound effects or background music to each recorded line, making character sheets with backstory and costume ideas, and compiling a video to share on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to create and practice three character voices
How to Tell a Story - Using Your Voice and Body
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Facts about voice acting and vocal skills
🎙️ Many professional voice actors perform multiple characters in the same show, switching accents, pitches, and speeds on the fly.
🧠 Prosody—the tune of speech made from pitch, stress, and timing—helps listeners guess emotion, questions, and sarcasm.
⏱️ Average conversational speech is about 120–160 words per minute; faster speech often feels excited, slower speech can feel thoughtful or creepy.
🎧 A quick home-recording hack: a clothes-filled closet makes a surprisingly good vocal booth by reducing echo.
🗣️ Simple vocal warm-ups like humming and lip trills increase range and help protect your voice when practicing different characters.
