Art History for Kids

For centuries, making art and learning art history have long been considered part of a rounded education for children. However, it may be hard for parents or educators to know the best approach to teaching kids about art history without making it dry or boring. Read on for ideas about approaches and resources that can make art history come alive for kids.

Most educators and parents believe that history is part of a complete education for children. Just as history is an important component of any complete social studies program, history of the arts is an important part of any history curriculum. Additionally, teaching art history and art appreciation can result in improved creativity and visual discrimination in all areas of learning.

Art history for kids must be age-appropriate to be effective. Children in kindergarten and first grade, for instance, may benefit from using coloring books with classical art illustrations or learning about and replicating ancient cave paintings. Kids in the upper grades of elementary school can understand concepts such as line and color. Pupils in middle school may benefit from visits to art museums, galleries and pottery studios; and high school students can grasp more complex topics, such as the social and historical context for various artistic movements.

Art history for kids is not complete unless it covers a variety of periods, from prehistoric cave paintings to the Renaissance to the Modern period. Children in middle school and high school should be able to see how art and artistic movements have evolved over time, how each generation of artists has influenced the next one and how new artists respond to the work of their predecessors. Ideally, art history instruction should include information on the changing artistic philosophies of each period studied.

One of the first steps in teaching art history to kids is simply making art a part of their surroundings. For instance, a teacher can put posters of classic paintings up in the classroom or decorate it with replicas of ancient Greek pottery. Hands-on, experiential approaches to art history are even more effective. Teaching children about the history of an artist and her painting and then asking them to draw or paint in a similar style is one example. Taking children to studios where artists are painting or throwing pottery is also an effective way of helping children engage with art and art history.

Art museums in the community are often a great resource for teaching art history to kids. They may offer special tours or presentations. If you don't live close to a museum, many of the best art museums have websites with interactive pages especially designed for children and teachers. Art galleries or studios may also be happy to arrange tours and demonstrations. A number of good books are available to help teach art history to kids, too. For instance, "Discovering Great Artists" is a book with hands-on exercises that allow children to make art projects in the style of great artists of the past. Another example is the line of "Smart About Art" books that target elementary school-aged children and feature a short biography of one artist in each picture book.