Teach kids about Vincent van Gogh as a person. Many art lessons focus on van Gogh as an artist, but fail to teach about him as a man. Read a biography about van Gogh to kids. Ask them to summarize the information they heard in their own words. Show the kids where Holland is on a world map and show them where Paris, France is on the map, too. Vincent moved to Paris in 1886 to be near his brother, Theo, who was an art dealer in Paris. Theo tried to help Vincent sell paintings, but his art did not become popular until about 11 years after his death. Ask children to go home and draw or paint a picture from their bedroom windows in much the same way that van Gogh did from his window at the asylum.
Vincent van Gogh is considered a Post-Impressionist painter who was heavily influenced by the Impressionists. Van Gogh used daring and bold brush strokes and energetic color choices. Discuss van Gogh's heavy brush strokes, impasto and dark lines with students. Show examples of van Gogh's work, including "Starry Night," which is one of his most famous pieces. Have students analyze van Gogh's sunflower pictures as well as some of his other pieces and have them take note of the style over the subject matter. Ask students to create a painting in van Gogh's style. Younger children can make pictures featuring swirling backgrounds and bold color choices. Older students can take the assignment a step further and add thick paint to their paintings.
Vincent van Gogh produced around 30 self-portraits in a five-year period starting in 1885. Show children pictures of some of van Gogh's self-portraits. Help children create their own self-portraits. Set-up mirrors or ask children to bring pictures of themselves to class. Have the children choose a van Gogh portrait that they like and ask them to try to use a similar pose and color palette for their portraits. Hang the portraits and have an art show for parents and friends.
Many resources are available for someone wishing to teach about Vincent van Gogh. Check with a local museum about having an art historian visit the class to discuss van Gogh's style and works. Read books to the class such as "What Makes a Van Gogh a Van Gogh?" by Richard Muhlberger. The best way for students to learn about van Gogh is to see his work first hand. Visit a museum that has an original van Gogh painting with students.