Spring is not only a season to observe, but also to experience with all your senses. If in autumn the falling leaves create a carpet of warm, enveloping colors, in spring nature awakens with sounds and scents that turn every walk into a multisensory experience. For children, discovering the world day by day, this season can turn into a true laboratory of emotions and perceptions.
Synesthesia: when the senses get together
Synesthesia is a fascinating phenomenon in which the senses are mixed, allowing us to “see” sounds, “hear” colors or “taste” scents.
Some people, for example, also perceive colors when they listen to music: a certain melody can give rise to an avalanche of colors, as each is associated with a musical note. This phenomenon, called chromesthesia, causes the recognition of sounds to result in the identification of colors.
Spring is a perfect example of this sensory fusion: the colors of flowers seem to sound like musical notes, the scent of grass sounds like a sweet melody, and birdsong can become a beautiful concert.
For children, synesthesia is often a natural experience: they may describe the wind as “a light music” or the sun as “a warm note” on their skin. Listening to spring through the sounds of nature can therefore stimulate their creativity and sharpen their sensory perception.
Spring to listen to
In spring, nature is filled with sounds: the wind gently moving the flowers, the hum of bees collecting pollen, and the song of birds returning to the trees. Meadows are filled with vibrant colors, such as the pink of cherry trees, the yellow of primroses and the purple of violets. The air fills with the scent of fresh grass and newly blooming flowers, making each walk an opportunity to observe, listen and feel the change in nature.
Sensory experiences for children
To engage young children in the sonic discovery of spring, simple and stimulating activities can be suggested to help them develop sensory awareness and creativity:
Sound walks: close your eyes for a few seconds and listen to all the sounds around (birds, wind, insects, footsteps on the grass). You can then play to describe each sound and imagine where it came from.
Musical paintings: let children paint with the colors they “hear” while listening to nature or spring-inspired music. Which colors do they associate to birds singing? Which ones to the sound of rain?
Natural instruments: collect small sticks, dry leaves or pebbles to make small musical instruments. They can tap two sticks together, blow through leaves or jingle pebbles in a jar to reproduce the sounds of nature.
Sound tales: make up stories in which the wind “whispers” secrets, rain “sings” sweet melodies or flowers “whisper” to each other. Children can record these sounds and then tell what they imagine.
Wind games: let the wind caress you and describe how it feels on your skin, listen to its sound in the trees and try to imitate it with your voice.
Sound hunting: exploring a park or garden and finding as many natural sounds as possible, noting or recording them and then listening again and recognizing them.
Spring stimulates all children’s senses with sounds, colors and smells. Just stop for a moment, close your eyes and listen to the birds chirping, feel the wind on your skin and watch nature awaken.
