Helping children develop core skills with musical play
Featured at 2021 Bayou Startup Showcase
Participant, REDLabs/OwlSpark 2021 Startup Accelerator
Between ages 4 and 9, children rapidly develop a core set of skills such as fine motor ability, creative thinking, and emotional regulation. While these skills naturally develop with age, kids with speech/language difficulties often struggle compared to their peers.
Inspired by these children, Sonata is a music synthesizer toy that helps kids of all abilities become confident, creative thinkers through musical, sensory play.
Centering on creativity
In interviews, educators and development experts highlighted abstract, or creative thinking skills as a critical need, illuminating a design opportunity. Mind mapping was used to link specific issues with beneficial activities.
How can abstract thought be developed through play?
Exploring modes of play
Solution: sensory synthesizer + flashcards
Sonata gives more control over the building blocks of sound than existing music toys. When using Sonata, a child becomes a composer, DJ, and scientist.
Kids can tap out a rhythm, spin each of the uniquely textured knobs to modify the sound, and be their own producer with the record and playback function.
Flashcards
Developed with guidance from educators and accessibility experts, the flashcard set provides a progression of learning activities so that kids can continue to enjoy playing with Sonata as they age and develop. Activities range from motor tasks to creative prompts that give kids a springboard to express their feelings.
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