Appreciation | Visual Arts > Introduction to Impressionism
Monet & Renoir
Online and coloring activity
Ages 2.5 to 6 Preschool -
Get ready for a very soothing and peaceful
experience with the children. Educators, caregivers and parents
will enjoy this change of pace and the children as well. We are
going to explore Impressionism and have loads of fun making our own
unique painting on screen. After that let's all try to do an
Impressionist painting. Here is some basic background of
impressionism and various images
Activity #1: Make a Virtual Impressionist Painting: Impressionist
1. In this page the children
will be able to explore the different painting techniques used by the
* Have children
select a picture
* Using the mouse the children can select from the
different brush strokes, and their picture will be revealed as a an
Activity #2: View some real
Impressionist paintings & Color a Matching Coloring Page
Monet 1 Claude
Ask the children if they like them, why yes or no. What do they
see in the paintings? Are they happy or sad?
1. Have the children choose between these two paintings which one they
would like to paint:
2. Provide the children with
watercolors or diluted tempera in shades that are similar to the ones
in the paintings. These can be mixed in paper plates or clean
recycled Styrofoam trays. Ideally provide brushes with different
sizes and older children may work with Q-tips as well.
Join the children in the painting project, it is fun!
Impressionist painters captured the moment in their canvases outdoors
-- try it if you can. Go outdoors to do the paintings!
Optional Activity #4: Free-Style Impressionist Painting
Together with the children get some paper, watercolors and brushes and
have fun doing an Impressionist painting. Decide perhaps on a
theme, scene or season to portray. Go outdoors if weather
permits and paint just like the Impressionists did!
The children can experiment also painting with things from nature: a
twig, leaves, a pinecone, a few pine needles tied together, cotton balls or
and materials to paint with
Print the coloring pages suggested in the instructions.