Four Seasons Art History Activity for Kids

Use beautiful works of art and seasonal items to teach toddlers and preschoolers about the four seasons with this hands-on art history lesson.

I’m so excited to welcome Kristen from the beautiful new blog Art History Mom today! Be sure to visit her blog when you are done here and connect with her through her social media links below. I was fortunate to meet Kristen at a blogging conference last month- she is simply lovely and has great ideas about fostering art appreciation in children.

Hello! I am thrilled to be joining you here at Twodaloo today. My name is Kristen, but I’m also known as Art History Mom, which is the title of my blog. I am a mom of three and believe a child is never too young to be exposed to the beauty and great ideas found in art history. Art has been used throughout the centuries as a teaching tool, and today we’ll be incorporating it into this fun, multi-sensory activity about the four seasons. Enjoy!

Do your children love leaves, shells, flowers and snowflakes? Then they are sure to enjoy this engaging activity which involves clothing, objects and beautiful images from art history, all of which will help them learn about the four seasons. It will also cultivate art appreciation as you engage kids’ imaginations while discussing the beautiful paintings.

This activity is perfect for 3 to 5 year olds, but older children will want to get in on the fun as well!

Here’s what to do:

Gather a bunch of seasonal items such as sea shells, mini pumpkins, Christmas ornaments and leaves. Place them in a container (your seasons treasure box!) along with seasonal clothing like hats, gloves, swimming goggles and jackets. As your child observes the different works of art, have them locate and put on clothing that matches the season. If you’d like to stimulate their sense of sound, Vivaldi’s Four Seaons would be the perfect background music!

WINTER

Show your child the painting below and ask the following questions:

1. What season does this picture represent?
2. If you were in this scene, what would you want to wear? (Have your child pick cold weather items out of the treasure box and put them on.)
3. What are the people doing in this painting?
4. What is that white stuff on top of some of the buildings?
5. How many boats do you see? Can you point to them?
6. What would you want to drink if you were in this scene?
7. Can you find an object in the treasure box that we use during the season of Winter?

Hendrick Avercamp, Winter Landscape with Skaters, Circa 1608.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Image attributed to Wikipedia.

SPRING

Here are a few kid-friendly talking points for this painting:

1. How many people do you see in this painting?
2. If you could climb inside the painting and dance with one of the people, which would it be?
3. Point to the people looking out at you.
4. Do you see the many flowers that cover the ground? Can you name the season in which lovely flowers bloom?
5. Where is the blindfolded angel with wings?
6. Can you find the man with a sword. What is he doing?
7. Locate something in the treasure box that expresses the season of Spring.

Sandro Botticelli, La Primavera, 1477–1482.
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. Image attributed to WIkipedia.

SUMMER

My kids love this painting by Georges Seurat. As you observe it together, pose these questions to your little ones:

1. Point to the dog in the painting. If you could take him home, what would you name him and why?
2. How many sailboats do you see?
3. What are three words that describe this painting?
4. If you were in this scene, would you want to go swimming, lay on the grass or be on a boat? Why?
5. In what season do we go swimming? Can you find a few items that relate to the season of Summer?

Georges Seurat, The Bathers at Asnières, 1884.
The National Gallery, London, England.

FALL

If your kids like apples, they are sure to like Cezanne. Observe this painting and ask:

1. What objects to you see on the table?
2. What shapes and colors are they?
3. How are the apples different from one another?
4. If you could eat one, which one would it be and what would it taste like?
5. Did you know that Fall has another name? What is it?
6. Fall is the best time of year to pick apples from their trees. What drink(s) do we make from apples?
7. What clothing do you wear during Fall? What items do we use during this season?

Paul Cezanne, Still life with Apples, 1890.
Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia

If you don’t get through all four seasons in one sitting, don’t fret. We completed this activity on two different days.

To reinforce this lesson, why not add in an art project at the end? You can find several to choose from at my Seasons for Kids Pinterest board. And for more fun ways to inspire your child with beautiful images from art history, join me on Facebook. I hope to see you there!

Stephanie here- wasn’t that a fun activity for little artists? Here are a few more stellar posts from Kristen’s site that you might enjoy:

Seven Tips for A Successful Trip to the Art Museum With Kids

Sistine Chapel Art Project: Create Your Own Creature!

DIY: Art History Inspired Halloween Costumes

Kristen Nelson is a wife and mom of three little masterpieces. Her blog, Art History Mom, is a place where parents and kids—or teachers and students—come together to view and discuss great works of art. There are art history lessons and related art projects. Kristen lives with her family in Atlanta, Georgia.

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