Themes > Art Appreciation | Visual Arts > Introduction to Impressionism > Monet & Renoir

Visual Arts | Introduction to Impressionism | Preschool Lesson Plan Printable Activities

Ages 2.5 to 6 Preschool - Kindergarten

Materials > Paper and materials to paint with. Print the coloring pages suggested in the activities below..

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 of paintings.

Activity #1: Make an impressionist painting with this online neural doddle

With the help of technology this application uses a few colors you can doddle with to recreated the paintings of three impressionit painters: Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh. Just choose a painting, then doddle using the colors and you have your very own impressionist painting.

Activity #2: View some real Impressionist paintings & Color a Matching Coloring Page

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:

Monet	Painting	Coloring page
Renoir	Painting	Coloring page

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 Q-tips.