Visual Arts/Music Program: Winter Moodscapes
- Taylor Kurta
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Duration: 25 –30 minutes
Goals: Promote relaxation and sensory engagement through musically guided drawing.
Best For: Participants with a range of cognitive needs, especially those who enjoy sensory-led and quieter forms of engagement.
Description: Winter Moodscapes invites participants to draw or paint in response to two different instrumental musical moods. Each participant uses either a pre-made 2-section template or creates their own 2-section layout on a blank page. Each musical selection corresponds to one section of the page, offering a guided and predictable structure. Participants will colour or paint to reflect the tone of the music. There is no right or wrong result — the focus is on process, presence, and creative engagement.
Materials:
Winter Moodscapes 2-section colouring template
Pencil crayons, markers, or paint in winter palette (blues, purples, greys, warm colours like red, orange, yellow, etc.)
Bluetooth speaker
YouTube Playlist (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMnxjdGTK4w&list=PL8_xNKhvJflOUH-tx1MdrOH6mm52m_nsX )
Instructions and script (also provided below)
Suggested Songs:
Mood 1 – Calm & Soft
Erik Satie – Gymnopédie No.1
Ludovico Einaudi – Nuvole Bianche
Mood 2 – Warm & Bright
Yo-Yo Ma – The Swan
Lisa Lynne — Circle of Joy
Flow:
Welcome & Introduction (3–4 mins)
Guided Drawing (15 - 20 mins)
Closing Reflection (2 mins)
Adaptations & Facilitator Tips:
Use hand-under-hand to support gentle movement if needed
Offer thicker markers for easier grip
Cue transitions clearly when mood or song changes
Avoid too much verbal instruction; let music guide the flow
For participants who want more creative freedom, offer for them to make their own winter scenes without the template
Instructions and Script:
Welcome & Introduction (3–4 mins)
“Hi everyone, welcome. Today we’re going to create together using winter-inspired music and winter scene templates. We’ll be drawing or colouring while listening to music, arranged into two winter moods: a calm, cool winter mood and a warm, cozy winter mood.
[Hand out the template]
“Your page has two winter scenes, one for each winter mood. We’ll colour the first scene during the calm, cool music, and the second scene during the warm, bright music. Let’s begin with our first winter mood - calm and soft. Here you see a photo of snow-covered trees, a quiet forest scene that represents a gentle, peaceful winter moment.”
Guided Drawing (15 - 20 mins)
Mood 1 – Calm & Soft
🎵Play Gymnopédie No.1 and
“This first song is soft and slow. You might choose gentle colours like light blues, soft greys, pale purples. Let your hand move slowly with the sound.”
Sensory Prompt: Encourage long, smooth strokes or light shading.
🎵Play Nuvole Bianche
“This next piece has that same quiet, peaceful feeling.You can keep using cool colours - blue, grey, lavender and make slow marks that follow the flow of the music.”
Facilitator Tip: Offer hand-under-hand support if helpful.
Mood 2 – Warm & Cozy
"Great work everyone! Now we are going to move to a warmer winter feeling."
🎵Play The Swan
"Notice how this music feels warmer than before. Like the feeling of sitting by a warm fire after being outside in the cold. For this mood, you might choose warm colours — soft reds, peach, golden tones, warm browns."
Sensory Prompts:
“Try gently filling in one area at a time.”
“Let the warm colours blend softly into the scene.”
“Slow, steady colouring fits the music beautifully.”
🎵Play Circle of Joy
“This piece keeps that cozy feeling - soft, gentle, and comforting.You can continue colouring your winter scene using warm tones, adding soft touches wherever you like."
Sensory Prompts:
“The music has a soft rhythm, you can colour slowly along with it.”
“Feel free to add warm highlights or gentle shading.”
“Let the calm, cozy music guide relaxed colouring.”
Facilitator Tip: Try colouring a small section alongside participants. Mirroring calm, slow colouring can help them follow your pace and feel more connected.
Closing Reflection (1 - 2 mins)
“Beautiful work today, everyone.Your winter scenes look warm and peaceful, and it was lovely creating this together. Let’s take a slow stretch of the hands…and a gentle breath in and out.”
[Pause and model one slow breath]
“Thank you for spending this winter moment with me. I enjoyed being here with all of you.”
