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What is Painted Sensory Paths?
Together, painted sensory paths form a painted obstacle course. This is a colorful, creative and playful way for kids to build sensory connections in the brain that are responsible for sight, touch, sound, etc., which enables kids to complete complex, multi-stage tasks. The high-energy nature of many of these exercises, which require kids to hop, step, leap, and jump, can also be a great “brain break” throughout the school day. A quick five-to-ten minute movement break from the classroom that lets kids get the wiggles out, and helps them sit still and focus for longer periods of time in the classroom. A sensory path is a great way for kids to develop motor skills like balance, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness. Math, reading and social-emotional learning and science are also incorporated into the sensory paths.
Themes of Painted Sensory Paths
The very first sensory paths I created was for the Watsonville Charter School of the Arts, so I had to go with the art theme. Students experience the various artwork by famous artists as they go through the sensory paths. Themes at other schools were inspired by the school mascots, the location and the environment of the school adding science to the learning.
Would you like Painted Sensory Walk at your school?
Contact the artist, Martina Goulart, at mgoulart79@yahoo.com or 408-489 1963 for estimate and ideas! Price range from $2500+ depending on the space you have, the lenghs of the paths and your budget. For example, budget of $3000 your paths would be about 75'-100' long with 5 - 7 different paths. Total cost includes all material and sealant. Schools are responsible for powerwashing the area.
If you would like to know how the painted sensory paths are working for the Watsonville Charter School of the Arts, please, contact the principal, Amy Thomas, at amy_thomas@pvusd.net
2023 Sensory Paths at Mar Vista Elementary School
Ocean Guardian School, sensory path inspired by the native plants and pollinators
Other then the overall purpose of any sensory path, the purpose of this one is to create a path from the pollinator mural to the school garden, educate students about native plants and pollinators while having fun and jumping, side stepping, tip toeing and such. The path is a nature walk that leads us through
The Humming Bird on the pollinator wall was added in May 2024. It was designed and painted by the 6th grade class in collaboration with Martina.
2022 Sensory Paths at Del Mar Elementary School
Themed and inspired by ocean and dolphins, the school mascot and local environment.
The paths start at the harbor lighthouse, continue to the pier and around the boats, students then leap onto the buoys and a catamaran- if you stand at certain point, the scene becomes alive and 3D! The adventure continues into the cliff, California poppy, around the butterfly life cycle, … and then you jump into the water with a dolphin … as you hop on alphabet letters, you encounter silhouettes of local fish and an orca. Come out of the water on a fishing line to side step around tide pools, tree pose under the cypress tree, skip on clouds and spin in the wind. Finish with the most important social emotional reassurance hopscotch and the star pose!
2022 Sensory Paths at Live Oak Elementary School
Students at Live Oak Elementary are now having fun using this interactive sidewalk mural. The path is inspired by their mascot- a bear- and starts with a greeting card from the eight species of bears. Which is which? Take the journey to find out.
As all my sensory paths this one also includes not only PE, but also math, reading, science and social emotional reassurance.
2022 Sensory Paths at Green Acres Elementary School
The course was inspired by the school mascot, the lion POGA.
At the beginning, POGA finds a ring and set in adventure to find the one who lost it. She goes through the meadow, climbs mountains, goes even in space … hop on clouds and splash under water … at the end, the banana slug is the one who
she has been looking for. The paths include various movement exercises, but also life circle of a butterfly, plant parts, planets, a map, a water cycle, numbers and the alphabet.
2021 Sensory Paths at Alianza Charter School
2021 Sensory Paths at Alianza Charter School
Sensory paths inspired by the school mascot, ARMADILLO and a nearby apple tree farm!
Sensory paths inspired by the school mascot, ARMADILLO and a nearby apple tree farm!
Students at the Alianza Charter school in Watsonville, CA now have their own sensory paths! They were all watching me paint it this week.
Alianza loves their mascot armadillo and my inspiration came from local apple farm I remembered visiting on a field trip. The armadillo finds apple seeds and dreams about yummy apple pie. The individual paths lead us through planting a seed, water cycle, growing plant, leaves, flowers and apples at the end.. and of course it ends with an apple pie! As my other sensory paths these also encompass more then physical movement and the story. Students also learn math, reading and science and never forget the social emotional bonus. Alianza is a Spanish immersion school, that’s why the hopscotch is in Spanish. What a great school!
2021 Sensory Paths at Ohlone Elementary
2021 Sensory Paths at Ohlone Elementary
Sensory paths inspired by the school mascot - GO SEA OTTERS!
Sensory paths inspired by the school mascot - GO SEA OTTERS!
Another lucky school to get their sensory paths painted! Ohlone Elementary School located in Watsonville, California.
This sensory walk has an ocean theme, and was mainly inspired by the school mascot - a sea otter. Besides the physical activity, the path also includes reading, math but also science. One part of the paths represents tide pools with local creatures, the fish silhouettes are silhouettes of fish living in Monterey Bay kelp forest. At the end of the path I always include the social emotional affirmation hopscotch and a star pose… everyone who goes through this course is a star!
2021 Sensory Paths at Radcliff Elementary
2021 Sensory Paths at Radcliff Elementary
Another wonderful mural project!
Another wonderful mural project!
Radcliff Elementary School in Watsonville, CA just got their sensory paths!
Another sensory paths in books for me. I had lots of fun painting this activity walk but I enjoyed the most seeing how excited the students were.
This particular sensory walk/ mural was inspired by a dragon with a heart on his tail… the school mascot, a fantasy story. So I went and created a legend. It starts with an illustration in an opened book. Each time someone reads from this book a dragon turns into a strawberry! The person then needs to go through earth, air, water and fire to save him. There are little clues and details along the way that help us to tell the story. Gradually the strawberry becomes a dragon again- with a heart on his tail! Along this path students also discover and learn parts of a plant, water cycle, numbers and letters and I could not leave out the end of the path social emotional affirmations incorporated into a hopscotch. Everyone is a star at the end!
2021 Sensory Paths at Mar Vista
2021 Sensory Paths at Mar Vista
It took 5 and a half long days to paint it and lots of body ache, but at the end it is WELL WORTH it!
It took 5 and a half long days to paint it and lots of body ache, but at the end it is WELL WORTH it!
Mar Vista Elementary School in Aptos now has their own sensory paths!
The whole sensory walk at Mar Vista was inspired by the different environments we have around here. As the children go through the paths they experience redwood forest, meadow, Monarch butterfly habitat, coastal cliffs, kelp forest just to end up at the roller coaster (Santa Cruz Boardwalk) and to finish at the beach. Now what school has their one roller coaster? This particular sensory path encompasses not only movement/PE but also math, reading, science and social emotional learning.
2020 Painted Sensory Walk at the Watsonville Charter School of the Arts
2020 Painted Sensory Walk at the Watsonville Charter School of the Arts
This project turned out GREAT!
This project turned out GREAT!
We did it!!! The sensory walk at Watsonville Charter School of the Arts is done and looks great! Thank you, principal Amy Thomas for giving me the opportunity to create a project and an art piece itself of such a great scale!
If you don't know what sensory walk is (I did not either), it is like a painted obstacle course for restless children who need to get their wiggles out at school. However, I did not just design plain foot prints /hand prints painted obstacle course, but incorporated much more. Since this was done for an art school, the whole idea is that the students are experiencing the famous artwork as they go through the course. The whole course includes art history, PE, math, reading, yoga, social emotional support and I am hoping is going to be a creative inspiration to both the students and the teachers.
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