As we planned our trip to the Netherlands, the Van Gogh Museum was a high priority. Something about those textures and vibrant colors just intrigue me. Envisioning two young children in an art museum, all I could picture was running, touching, loud voices…all the normal kid things. Out of pure selfishness, I devised a plan. 

Step 1: Learn about the artist and their style.

We learned about Van Gogh and his style through videos, library books, and analyzing his artwork. Helpful questions were: 

• What do you see? 
• What is the same and different about these paintings? 
• What colors do you see and why do you think he chose them? 
• How did the artist show movement? 

Step 2: Imitate the style with our own interpretations.

The boys selected a painting that they wanted to recreate. No, the sunflowers were certainly not perfect. However, imitating with their own versions helped them identify key elements of his style. Artists also do this- my personal favorites are Picasso’s versions of Las Meninas by Velazquez.

Step 3: Create our own scavenger hunt with favorite works.

Using the museum’s website, we were able to select which paintings we wanted to hunt for. We included all of their favorites, especially the ones they’d imitated.

Check out the Lesson Plan: Museum Scavenger Hunt Directions and Template for more details.

Step 4: Go on a scavenger hunt and have fun as a family!

Score! The scavenger hunt was a success. I fully enjoyed the museum experience and they had so much fun. At the end, there was one work the kids had not yet found, and they asked a docent where to find Wheatfield with Crows. He kindly informed them it was out being refurbished. The fact that my son could ask a stranger about a painting by name was a win in my book.

Since this experience, the boys have been able to recognize Van Gogh and his iconic work all around… from Lego sets in the mall to this VannGo Portable Solutions company at a recent event!