Activities for children of all ages to look at, talk near and make their own discoveries about art.

As you lot explore this resources please go on in mind that there are no incorrect answers, or that there is only one way to practise the activities - they are all about looking, chatting, making, and exploring art, wherever you are and whatever yous accept around y'all.

You know your child all-time

Some activities may suit you lot better than others so selection and choose!

Age

Nosotros've aimed the language at age 7+, but activities tin can be suitable for whatsoever age, merely adapt to suit your child.

Timing

How long your child engages with the activity will vary. Depending on their historic period, the way they're feeling that solar day, the immediate appeal of whatsoever activity... some will work better than others. Don't worry if they're not feeling information technology - endeavor once again another fourth dimension, or move on to something else. Yous might be surprised by what they're interested in.

Creativity

We hope these suggestions volition allow your kid to develop their creativity by encouraging their curiosity, open up mindedness, problem-solving and imagination.

Fine art noesis

Y'all don't demand to know anything about fine art to have fun with it. Encourage your kid to share their ideas, observations and opinions. At that place'southward never a wrong answer about fine art. And information technology's ok non to know all the answers. Nobody does. Where would the fun be in that?

Repeat

If something worked, do it again!

Let your kid lead

You don't need to accept all the ideas. In fact, if you really want your child to be creative, encouraging them to come up with their ain ideas is a vivid manner to help your child exist creative and explore their imagination.

Try to enjoy, together

Take a deep breath, yous're doing a brilliant task. Let us know if we can support you - we tin't look to see you in the gallery, as shortly every bit we tin.

Boyle Family

Addison Crescent Study (London Serial)

This artwork was created by an entire family - Mark Boyle and Joan Hills, and their children Sebastian and Georgia Boyle. The artwork is an exact re-create of part of a street in London. The Boyle Family unit threw a dart onto a map in order to decide which piece of the land they were going to reproduce!

The Boyle Family used lots of different things to create this piece of art - they wanted to make it EXACTLY the aforementioned as the piece of country they found on a map. It looks like the artists have removed part of the roadside and stuck it onto a wall. Isn't information technology amazing to recall that anything yous can see, even a kerbside, tin become a work of art!

It is a HUGE artwork which draws our attending to the shapes, textures and patterns we pass past daily without really noticing.

Activity i: recreate the ordinary to brand it extraordinary!

Find something in the world around y'all that yous'd similar to turn into a work of art. It could exist something in your house, in your garden, or in the street just exterior. You could do a drawing of your carpeting, a photograph of a garden gnome, a sculpture of a traffic cone... anything!

If yous have a sheet of card or paper, you could beginning by making a viewfinder to help. It's really easy to create a viewfinder - but fold your paper or menu in two and cut a small square in the heart.

Try cartoon, collaging or photographing your view – or utilize anything that you have in the house. Nosotros looked at a traffic cone through our viewfinder, and then recreated it out of a blanket, shower mat, a cereal box, and a cherry chili!

Action 2: see, remember, wonder

Art can inspire us in lots of different ways. This activity doesn't crave y'all to practise or make annihilation, just to think and to talk, using these questions as prompts to help y'all see the world afresh. You could merely think most these questions to yourself, write down your thoughts, or have a conversation with others.

Take a closer await at this week's artwork by the Boyle Family unit...

Do you like it or not?   Do you remember it is a skilful artwork? Why? / Why not?

The Boyle Family make art that looks like an exact copy of something in the real earth. They recreate every tiny particular. They talk about using their hands and using their heads to brand art.  What practice y'all think is nearly important when you make art? Your hands, your head or something else?

Some artists make art near real places, people and things, while other artists use their imagination to invent new worlds, people and things, to share ideas or feelings, or to tell stories. Some people like to escape from reality when they await at art. Do you think art has to await existent?

Do you think the Boyle family argue when they work together? What might they disagree about? Brand a list. Are your family skillful at working together?

Activity three: a mid-week challenge for all the family

The Boyle Family threw darts into a map to work out what function of the world to recreate. We're not going to ask you to throw darts, but you can apply Google Maps  to discover inspirational views! If y'all demand direction, hither's a link to part of the grounds around the Gallery of Mod Art.

We want you to continue a virtual wander in Google Maps and switch to Street View to ZOOM in on any signal- and go close up. Then recreate what yous see using annihilation you accept in the dwelling- or just describe what yous run across.

Action iv: watch

Think well-nigh what an interview with your family might look like. How would you sit, what would you like to be asked, who would speak first?

If you lot accept a mobile phone that records, attempt recording it and share information technology with us using #homeart.

Activity v: become to know the back of your manus!

Nosotros use our easily every day but how often do nosotros Really await at them closely? Would nosotros recognise them if nosotros saw them on someone else?

Use anything you can find around the house to recreate the lines, lumps and bumps that you can see on your ain easily - look really closely and endeavor to capture whatever wrinkles and creases. Make a version of the hands of the people yous alive with, and see if they can recognise their own!

Particularly for under 5s: X marks the spot!

The Boyle Family unit threw a dart on a map to inspire their astonishing artwork.

We want you grown-ups to create a simplified map of somewhere such equally your living room - with symbols for things like the sofa and the goggle box. And so, hibernate something in this room and mark on your map where you've hidden it. You could hide annihilation - maybe a small toy, or even a treat! Once it's hidden, see if your wee one tin observe it using the map!

Y'all could accept it in turns to hide and find the 'treasure', and encourage anybody in your family to make their own map!

Art Effectually You

Fine art activities for children of all ages and stages to look at, talk about and make their own discoveries about art, at dwelling.

5 minute read