Painting the Sounds of Spring: The Power of Multisensory Learning
How can children explore birds, sound, and art—all at once?
This atelier was one thread in a five-day spring camp woven around a central question:
How do we use our senses to explore the world—and how can we translate these sensory experiences into art, music, and movement?
Each day of the camp centered on one or two senses, inviting children to slow down and connect with the colors, textures, sounds, and smells of spring. Rooted in the concepts of Exploration and Expression, the experience encouraged children to investigate the world through their senses—and then translate those sensory impressions into creative expression using the “100 languages of children”: paint, movement, drawing, clay, and music.
Tuning Into Sound: The Atelier Experience
On this particular day, we tuned into the sense of hearing through a multisensory atelier called Paint the Sounds of Spring. At first glance, it might look like a simple painting activity. But behind the scenes, this experience was carefully designed to engage children in a rich, holistic learning journey—where sound, movement, and visual expression came together in a meaningful way.
In this atelier, I introduced children to classical music not through formal instruction, but through painting, movement, and play. We began the atelier with full-body movement: children were invited to listen to bird-inspired symphonies and move freely using scarves, letting their bodies interpret the sounds they heard. This physical engagement with the music set the tone—anchoring listening in the body, and priming them for deeper sensory processing.
Next, they transitioned to painting. They were invited to feel the rhythm and melodies of bird-inspired compositions and express those auditory experiences on paper—translating them into lines, shapes, and colors—giving form to what they had just experienced through movement. Later in the day, we introduced the birds behind the music, helping them connect the compositions they had embodied and illustrated to the creatures that inspired them.
What started as a playful sensory experience became something much richer and evolved into a deeper appreciation for both music and the natural world.
Why Combine Sound, Movement, and Visual Art?
Because when children engage multiple senses, learning becomes deeper, more memorable, and more meaningful.
Multisensory Learning Enhances the Brain
Multimodal learning—learning that incorporates various modes of expression like music, movement, and art—activates different parts of the brain simultaneously. This helps children process, retain, and express information in ways that are developmentally appropriate and neurologically beneficial.
Research supports this approach. For example, studies have shown that combining music and visual art can boost executive function in children, including memory, attention, and cognitive flexibility (Diamond et al., 1999). These are essential skills not only for academic success, but for lifelong learning.
Learning Rooted in the Body
Children don’t learn in isolation from their bodies. They learn with their bodies—through touch, movement, and sensory interaction with the world around them.
By translating auditory stimuli into physical movements and visual representations, we create embodied experiences. These types of experiences enhance understanding, support long-term memory, and stimulate neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new connections. Over time, this strengthens not only cognitive abilities but also emotional regulation and self-awareness.
The Power of Symbolic Thinking
Experiences like Paint the Sounds of Spring also invite children to explore symbolic thinking—the ability to let one thing represent another. When a child paints swirling lines to express a bird’s song, they’re practicing a skill that underpins language development, mathematics, reading comprehension, and abstract reasoning.
In short, they’re not just painting—they’re laying the foundation for deep, complex thinking.
A Holistic Path to Learning
This atelier, like the camp itself, was rooted in a belief that learning should engage the whole child—body, mind, and heart. When we design experiences that honor children's natural ways of exploring the world, we don’t just support academic growth. We nurture creativity, connection, and a lasting sense of wonder.
Applying Multisensory Learning in Everyday Education
The power of multisensory learning goes beyond special ateliers or camps. Here are some practical ways to incorporate these principles into everyday learning, helping children engage their whole bodies and minds for deeper understanding:
Use Whole-Body Movements to Teach Letter Sounds: Instead of only vocalizing letter sounds, encourage children to associate each sound with a specific movement or gesture. For example, stretching arms wide for the “A” sound or hopping in place for the “B” sound. This kinesthetic connection helps embed phonemic awareness by linking sound with physical action, making abstract concepts more tangible and memorable.
Ask Children to Draw to Remember or Learn Concepts: Inviting children to sketch ideas, feelings, or new information taps into visual processing and creativity. For example, after listening to a story or learning about birds, children can draw what they imagine or remember. This process strengthens recall and helps build symbolic thinking, as children translate words or sounds into images.
Combine Storytelling with Dramatic Movement: Asking children to act out stories or concepts with their bodies, using gestures or simple role-play, deepens comprehension and emotional connection to content by integrating narrative with physical expression.