art museum worksheet

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• About Art Class Curator
• Media & Press
• Programs for Schools
• Member Login
• Search this website

Art Class Curator

Hands-on and Minds-curious Art Learning

Finish the year of with ease and connection with the End of the Year Survival Pack from Art Class Curator!

September 9, 2020 2 Comments

Virtual Art Museum Field Trip

Inside: A free virtual art museum field trip assignment for your students to complete at home or in the classroom! A complete assignment with links to art museums and four engaging activities!

We’re all looking for new ways to engage students during this crazy year! Our students need the creativity and social-emotional learning that art has to offer more than ever. What better way to connect them with art than touring an art museum?

We may not be able to do big field trips with our students this year, but they can still make artwork connections that will touch their spirit and inspire their own art. Thankfully, art museums around the world have made their collections available online. We’ve picked a few of our favorites and created four fun activities your students can complete as they explore the museums virtually!

Free Virtual Art Museum Assignment

Whether you’re teaching online, socially distancing in a classroom, or trying to get it all done in a hybrid model, you and your students will love this virtual art museum assignment.

Students choose an art museum to visit from the list (all helpfully linked), then there are four activities they can complete:

• Scavenger Hunt
• Make a Meme

Engage your students’ creativity and skills with these fun assignments! Grab the free download below.

Free Download

Virtual Field Trip Assignment

Virtual art museum field trip assignment.

Use this free virtual field trip assignment to help students explore art museums from home or in the classroom!

Ready to plan an in-person field trip to an art museum? Get our Field Trip Kit !

You May Also Enjoy These Posts:

Reader Interactions

May 21, 2024 at 12:19 pm

The virtual museum field trip download isn’t working. I’ve tried a few times, and nothing has arrived in my inbox. Yes, I’ve checked spam too.

June 3, 2024 at 12:01 pm

I just sent it to your email manually!

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Get Art Inspiration To Your Inbox!

Free Worksheets!

*Free Bundle of Art Appreciation Worksheets*

In this free bundle of art worksheets, you receive six ready-to-use art worksheets with looking activities designed to work with almost any work of art.

Museum Scavenger Hunt Printable

By: Author Kelli Miller

Posted on Published: June 26, 2022  - Last updated: April 18, 2024

Sharing is caring!

The kids will have a blast with this Museum Scavenger Hunt Printable ! Be sure to check out my 30 Fun Homeschooling Preschool Worksheets !

It’s the perfect printable that is fun and educational. Scavenger hunts are great to do individually or to do as a team effort.

You don’t have to travel to Washington DC to check out what is at the art museum! This art museum scavenger hunt is a lot of fun for all ages to do! Just print and see what everyone can find!

Have the kids ever been inside a museum? If not, no worries! This fun scavenger hunt printable shows what is in a museum of art so that they feel like they’ve seen the real deal.

Be sure to check out my 50 Things to do with the Kids this Summer for even more fun activities and ideas.

Table of Contents

What is the educational benefit of this printable?

This printable is great for team building in the classroom or at home! Just print and let everyone find the items that are in the museum. Even if you can’t use this in an actual museum, you can let the kids color it and learn about what items a museum holds. Please note that this printable comes with color copies and black and white.

Shop My Homeschool Room:

The following homeschool picks of mine can be found on Etsy. Simply click the image that interests you – yes, they do contain affiliate links.

What it includes:

These works of art printables are awesome! The packet includes four pages of scavenger hunt items, two of which are black and white and two which are in color.

Fun ways to use this printable:

This printable can be used as intended as a scavenger hunt, but there are so many other ways that you can use this printable as well.

Create a piece of art

Have the kids google art culture so that they can get some creative ideas and then have them create a piece of art. It can be something that they draw, paint, color, or just make something up on the fly! That’s the whole point of art – it’s as creative as they want to make it!

Plan a trip to the local art museum

If you’re lucky enough to have museums in your area, go and check them out! The kids will be able to see inside a museum and tour one and see so many cool artifacts and things!

Shop My Printables

Use these great resources for more learning fun. Simply click the image to see the learning activity!

Add more items to this scavenger hunt

These are just a few of the items that are in a museum so why not add more? Have the kids draw and add some other items to find.

Speaking of the printables, have the kids color in the ones that are black and white! This is a fun way to extend the time of this activity and to have them work on their coloring skills as well.

Any of these ideas are a great way to extend this fun printable pack! The kids will love learning and having fun at the same time. It’s always good to expand on the activities!

More Printable Scavenger Hunts:

• Fall Scavenger Hunt
• Car Scavenger Hunt Printable Games
• Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt

Get Your Printable Worksheets By Signing In or Signing Up!

Wednesday 12th of July 2023

No clear way to find the link to download the activity! Too many adverts telling me to download so very confusing

Kelli Miller

Tuesday 26th of September 2023

Thank you for your feedback on my blog post about the Museum Scavenger Hunt Printable. I apologize if it was not clear how to find the download link for the activity.

Just wanted to clarify that there is a large image at the bottom of the post, right above this comment area, that says "click here to download your scavenger hunt printable now."

This image serves as the download link for the activity.

I understand that the presence of multiple adverts may have caused confusion, and I will take your feedback into consideration to improve the user experience without sacrificing the income necessary to continue to provide FREE resources for you.

Fall Scavenger Hunt Printable for Kids

Tuesday 16th of August 2022

[…] Museum scavenger hunt printable […]

Bedroom Scavenger Hunt for Kids | Screen Free Fun

Friday 22nd of July 2022

[…] Museum Scavenger Hunt Printable […]

Richella J Parham

Thursday 21st of July 2022

This is so clever! I loved taking my boys to museums when they were small. A worksheet like this would have made it more fun for all of us! A great thing to do on a hot day.

Thanks so much for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I'm featuring you this week!

Thank you for your lovely comment on my blog post about the Museum Scavenger Hunt Printable. I'm delighted to hear that you found it clever and that it would have added more fun to your museum visits with your boys when they were young. It's indeed a great activity to engage in, especially on hot days.

Natasha Mairs

Thursday 14th of July 2022

This is such a fun game for kids!

Thank you so much for your comment on my blog post about the Museum Scavenger Hunt Printable. I'm thrilled to hear that you find it to be such a fun game for kids. It's always wonderful to provide enjoyable and educational activities that engage young minds and spark their curiosity while visiting museums. I hope this printable scavenger hunt adds an extra level of excitement to their museum experience!

Visiting Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion?

You must join the virtual exhibition queue when you arrive. If capacity has been reached for the day, the queue will close early.

Curriculum Resources

Introduce your students to the richness and diversity of works of art in selected collections of the Museum. These comprehensive and fully illustrated guides provide useful background information and ideas for engaging students.

These and other resources are available as packaged sets:

• Request a complimentary copy . One copy is available free of charge to every New York City public school. See a list of all available teacher resource sets (PDF).
• Purchase in the Museum Store, online , or by phone (1-800-662-3397). Museum Members receive a discount when ordering over the phone or online. When purchasing in the Museum Store, an educational discount is available upon presentation of a valid school ID.

Exploring Power through Art

This curriculum resource, consisting of engaging lessons written by K–12 teachers, provides inspiration and techniques for investigating the theme of “power” using a wide range of artworks from The Met collection.

Social and Emotional Learning through Art

Use this practical resource featuring works in The Met collection as a catalyst to help your students gain and develop social and emotional learning skills.

A Masterwork of Byzantine Art—The David Plates: The Story of David and Goliath

This learning-activity set provides a closer look at the Museum's spectacular set of Byzantine silver objects, known as the David Plates.

Art of the Islamic World

Learn about art and culture of the Islamic world and glean ideas for supporting studies of English language arts, math, science, social studies, world history, and visual arts.

Auguste Rodin: The Burghers of Calais

An in-depth exploration of Rodin's renowned late nineteenth-century sculpture commemorating the bravery of Calais's local heroes.

Greek Art from Prehistoric to Classical

This publication is designed not only to introduce The Met collection of Greek art, but also to provide a general grounding in ancient Greek culture, from the prehistoric period to the end of the Classical age.

Islamic Art and Geometric Design: Activities for Learning

Examine the principles of geometric design that are the basis for the beautiful and intricate patterns in the art of the Islamic world.

Medieval Art

This resource presents medieval art in The Met collection from Western Europe and Byzantium and provides strategies for teaching art of the Middle Ages.

Nature Within Walls: The Chinese Garden Court at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

In this focus on one of the Museum's most popular destinations, learn how the garden's peaceful environment offers a window through which you can glimpse how nature was traditionally perceived in Chinese culture.

Introduce your students to the rich cultural legacy of Rome through the study of Roman art.

The Art of Africa

Explore the rich and diverse artistic heritage of sub-Saharan Africa through forty traditional works in The Met collection.

The Art of Ancient Egypt

Use this comprehensive resource as an invaluable introduction to ancient Egyptian history and art focusing on works in The Met collection.

The Art of Renaissance Europe

Examine and discuss works in The Met collection that embody the Renaissance interest in classical learning, fame, and beautiful objects.

The Art of South and Southeast Asia

Through an exploration of diverse works of art in The Met collection from the South Asian subcontinent and the Himalayan region as well as from the many lands of Southeast Asia, this resource provides an ideal introduction to the history and culture of this vast region.

The Art of the Ancient Near East

Introduce your students to works of art made in the lands where many features of civilization originated.

The Arts of Korea

Although Korea's cultural connections with China and Japan form a crucial part of its history, Korea also has a visually rich and technically sophisticated artistic tradition that is separate and distinct from that of its larger East Asian neighbors. This publication will assist educators in presenting Korea's distinctive cultural legacy to students of all ages.

• Welcome To MAM
• Hours & Location
• Staff & Board
• All Exhibitions
• Current Exhibitions
• About The Collection
• Contemporary American Indian Art Collection
• Featured Acquisitions
• Rights & Reproductions
• Search The Collection
• Learn With Us
• Classes & Workshops
• Summer Camps
• Teaching Artists
• Teacher Resources
• Museum as Megaphone

Art Worksheets

• Join + Give
• Annual Auction
• Join & Subscribe
• Donate Today
• Tax Smart Gifts
• Program Support

Join MAM's Newsletter

Stay up to date with the Missoula Art Museum

The Missoula Art Museum recognizes the importance of making art, however you can. While the popular Saturday Family Workshops cannot be held during the pandemic, we are offering art-making worksheets for children of all ages. Each worksheet is based on a current or recent exhibition at MAM. They can be completed using materials found at home like scrap paper, pencils, pens, and found objects. Stop by MAM to see some of these artworks in person if you can! Remember, MAM is always free!

• Write a love letter to a work of art
• Make a collage of your favorite things
• Make a family portrait with silhouettes
• Create a snapshot of caring and loving in your family
• Make a portrait of your favorite animal
• Construct a random, abstract sculpture
• Use all of your senses to make an abstract natural "timescape"
• Make a grayscale portrait of an important woman in your life
• Make a constellation map using negative and positive space
• Construct a moving sculpture out of found objects
• Create an abstract, 3-D painting
• Re-assemble a found object to make a new sculpture
• Make an environmental landscape
• Create a large-scale abstract self-portrait
• Make a frozen sculpture
• Make your own site-specific sculpture 
• Start an art journal 
• Turn your doodles into works of art
• Make artwork for an interstitial space in your home
• Create a small sculpture  
• Make your own book rubbings
• Illustrate a colorful scene in nature
• Make your own collage

museum worksheets

All Formats

Resource types, all resource types.

• Rating Count
• Price (Ascending)
• Price (Descending)
• Most Recent

Museum worksheets

Museum "Field Trip Brochure" Worksheet

Henry Ford Museum Scavenger Hunt worksheet

Art Observation and Prompts Student Worksheet for Museum Field Trips

Mini Art Museum | Art Lesson and Worksheets

Tiempo Libre Vocabulary Worksheets in Spanish (Concert, Movies, Museum , Parties)

Black Americans in WW1 **Virtual Museum **Activity Guide/ Worksheet

• Google Slides™

ESL Reading Comprehension + Essay Worksheet - American Museum of Natual History

ESL Reading Comprehension + Essay Worksheets on the British Museum - London

Museum Field Day Word Search Puzzle Activity Worksheet Game | No Prep Fun

• Easel Activity

Field Trip Reflection Worksheet - Zoo Field Trip, Museum Field Trip, Editable

World War 1 - War Memorials and Museums examples Guided Reading Worksheet , Slide

Museum Curator - Art Inquiry Worksheet

Mysteries at the Museum : 2 General Worksheets (history / science video / sub)

• Word Document File

Celebrating International Museum Day-Reading Comprehension Passage- Worksheets

Night at the Museum Movie Guide: Worksheets , Reading, Coloring, & More!

Virtual Museum Tour Activity Worksheet

• Internet Activities

Shadow Matching At the Museum Cut & Paste Activities Worksheet NO PREP

Crash Course Art History #3 (The History of Museums ) worksheet

Museums word search puzzle worksheet activity

Cute Visual Notes Museum Gallery Field trip Visit Worksheet K-12

National Museums and World Heritage UNESCO Worksheet

Crash Course Art History #3 The History of Museum Video Guide Quiz Worksheets

• Google Drive™ folder

MUSEUM FIELD TRIP Word Search Puzzle Worksheet Activity

Museums Virtual trip: Digital trip with videos, worksheets & passport

• We're hiring
• Help & FAQ
• Privacy policy
• Student privacy
• Terms of service
• Tell us what you think

• Survey 1: Prehistory to Gothic
• Survey 2: Renaissance to Modern & Contemporary
• Thematic Lesson Plans
• AP Art History
• Books We Love
• CAA Conversations Podcasts
• SoTL Resources
• Teaching Writing About Art
• VISITING THE MUSEUM Learning Resource
• AHTR Weekly
• Digital Art History/Humanities
• Open Educational Resources (OERs)

Survey 1 See all→

• Prehistory and Prehistoric Art in Europe
• Art of the Ancient Near East
• Art of Ancient Egypt
• Jewish and Early Christian Art
• Byzantine Art and Architecture
• Islamic Art
• Buddhist Art and Architecture Before 1200
• Hindu Art and Architecture Before 1300
• Chinese Art Before 1300
• Japanese Art Before 1392
• Art of the Americas Before 1300
• Early Medieval Art

Survey 2 See all→

• Rapa Nui: Thematic and Narrative Shifts in Curriculum
• Proto-Renaissance in Italy (1200–1400)
• Northern Renaissance Art (1400–1600)
• Sixteenth-Century Northern Europe and Iberia
• Italian Renaissance Art (1400–1600)
• Southern Baroque: Italy and Spain
• Buddhist Art and Architecture in Southeast Asia After 1200
• Chinese Art After 1279
• Japanese Art After 1392
• Art of the Americas After 1300
• Art of the South Pacific: Polynesia
• African Art
• West African Art: Liberia and Sierra Leone
• European and American Architecture (1750–1900)
• Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth-Century Art in Europe and North America
• Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Sculpture
• Realism to Post-Impressionism
• Nineteenth-Century Photography
• Architecture Since 1900
• Twentieth-Century Photography
• Modern Art (1900–50)
• Mexican Muralism
• Art Since 1950 (Part I)
• Art Since 1950 (Part II)

Thematic Lesson Plans See all→

• Art and Cultural Heritage Looting and Destruction
• Art and Labor in the Nineteenth Century
• Art and Political Commitment
• Art History as Civic Engagement
• Comics: Newspaper Comics in the United States
• Comics: Underground and Alternative Comics in the United States
• Disability in Art History
• Educating Artists
• Feminism & Art
• Gender in Nineteenth-Century Art
• Globalism and Transnationalism
• Playing “Indian”: Manifest Destiny, Whiteness, and the Depiction of Native Americans
• Queer Art: 1960s to the Present
• Race and Identity
• Race-ing Art History: Contemporary Reflections on the Art Historical Canon
• Sacred Spaces
• Sexuality in Art

Making the Most of Museum Visits

First things first . . ..

Faculty want art history students to have opportunities to engage directly with original art objects in museums or gallery settings. These experiences underscore the discipline’s central reliance on material objects as a primary source of inquiry, and reveal the underlying problems and implications of their use. Viewing artworks on display highlights important formal characteristics of many works of art and raises questions about art’s originality, value, preservation, and display. In concert with classroom based pedagogies, object-based learning demonstrates ways of knowing that may also be rooted in embodied and aesthetic experience, and calls attention to art history’s uneasy relationship with its primary object of study, which students most often explore through visual surrogates made possible by continuing advancements in technology. But even though many communities have local museums, galleries, or artists spaces where students can experience real art, coordinating class visits present many instructional challenges. Below are some ideas for engaging (and effective) gallery-based activities for art history classes that AHTR has gathered over the years–many shared in our Facebook group’s discussions. We also encourage educators in higher education, as well as K-12 settings, to look to museum websites for additional learning resources and object-based learning methods that can be adapted to any student learning level.  To contribute your own ideas and activities to this list, please contact [email protected] .

Background and Preparation

Museums are great places to encourage close looking, conversational dialogue, and student-directed learning based in discovery and exploration! But, it’s best to resist the temptation to lead your class through the museum, stopping before specific objects and sharing your knowledge about their important. To make the most of the visit, allow (or assign) students to break into smaller groups, or to explore areas of the museum on their own. For evening classes or others offered when the museum is closed, have the students to go on their own. Here are some other suggestions: 

• Prepare students for their visit beforehand by telling them reasons for the trip. What do you want them to gain from the experience? How should the experience contribute to the learning goals of your course? How will you follow up to find out about their experience in the museum? (ie: a class discussion; an assignment; etc.). Be transparent about your goals for the visit.
• Provide the students a prompt or assignment that will help focus their experience to support your goals. Scavenger hunts and worksheets can be great, but use these to encourage higher order thinking by asking students to develop their own connections to ideas learned in class, choose which objects they’ll spend time with and discuss, or use social media to share and amplify their discoveries to a broader audience.  

Ideas, Suggestions, and Assignments

Object-based learning in the galleries.

• Index cards can be your best friend at the museum!  Use them for varied object-based assignments that you distribute in the galleries. For example, have students look for a designated time on their own and write down on their index card a question, an observation, a connection to class based on one object. Then share in a group discussion in the gallery (if there’s room) or in one of the museum’s public spaces.  These can also be used as the basis for independent reflective writing assignments to collect in class.
• Try close looking activities, either as a group or independently. Have students look quietly at the same object for a sustained time and then each share one observation. Group them in twos or threes and choose a work in a gallery and talk about for 7 minutes. Give them a menu of possible conversation starters (ie: What’s the story here? How would you describe this object to someone who’s blind? How does this object compare to others that we have learned about in class?)
• Sketching activities in the galleries support close looking, encourage sustained focus, and are great to help students understand the need to experience sculptural and architectural forms from different points of view.  You might also have students closely examine works in collections and then compare them to digital reproductions available through the museum’s website or posted online.

Museum-based Assignments and Research

• Ask students to notice, analyze, and evaluate curatorial decisions around museum display, organization of the collections, juxtapositions of objects in the galleries, and exhibition materials such as object labels and wall texts. This could be the basis of an assignment asking how they would create these elements to achieve different goals.
• Ask the students to think about where objects from different cultures or time periods are placed in the museum. Is it difficult or easy to find specific galleries? Have them analyze the juxtaposition of galleries on a map of the museum and consider how different pathways structure the visitor’s experience or might influence their understanding of art historical, cultural, and social relationships.
• Develop an assignment about the history of the museum itself. Have students  research how or who established it, how the collection was acquired, its current mission, and how it engages with the community.  While on site, have them consider why the building looks the way it does. Why is it located where it is? Who appears to be the museum’s primary audience? How do visitors engage with the museum, and how does the museum communicate information to its visitors?
• Assign a creative writing project inspired by the artworks or the museum setting. Consider assigning popular examples of art-based fiction as models and/or comparison to the writing and approach used in art historical scholarship.
• Assign a project to research or interview one of the curators or other museum staff.  
• Assign students develop a blog post (with photographs) responding to a prompt about their visit to the museum. Have them review an exhibition, research a work of art on view, or comment about their observations and interactions with other visitors in the galleries.  
• Prior to visiting a local museum, have students research and write about an object in the collection. (If materials aren’t available about the specific work, have them research a similar artist, movement, genre, object type, etc.)  At the museum, let them present their findings to others in the class, or assign them to revise the paper based on direct observation of the object

Additional Resources

In addition to the many museum websites that offer ideas, here are several resources for gallery teaching strategies that can be adapted to meet the objectives for different academic courses and learning levels.

See the section “Enjoying the Art,” in AHTR’s Lesson Plan:  How to Visit a Museum–A guide for students”

Check out these and other museum-based teaching ideas on the AHTR Weekly  (Search: Museums)

• Alexis Clark, “Writing Exhibition Reviews,” (2017)
• Alice Kain, “Object-Based Learning,” (2015)
• Erin McCutcheon, “Debating Cultural Appropriation,” (2018)
• Karen Shelby, “Bringing the Museum into the Classroom,” (2014)
• Elsie Smith, “Museum Object Portfolio Assignment,” (2014)
• Virginia Spivey, “Developing a Student Audioguide,” (2013)

Watch Lisa Mazzola share  “Five Tips for Teaching with Works of Art” in this short video from MoMA Education

See lots of great ideas at  ArtMuseumTeaching.com (Tag: Teaching Tools)

For a useful book on this topic, see Rika Burnham and Elliot Kai-Kee,  Teaching in the Art Museum: Interpretation as Experience . Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011. ( on Amazon )

virginiaspivey, "Making the Most of Museum Visits," in Art History Teaching Resources, July 23, 2018, accessed June 5, 2024, https://arthistoryteachingresources.org/lessons/making-the-most-of-museum-visits/.

Seattle Art Museum

Seattle asian art museum, olympic sculpture park.

• Get Tickets
• Subscribe to Email
• View Calendar
• Accessibility

Explore Educator Resources

SAM has a variety of resources, both at the museum and online, to enrich your learning and teaching.

Go behind the scenes, hear directly from artists, read interviews, and find art making activities at SAM Blog ! Check out our ongoing series Object of the Week to dive deep into artworks in our collection.

SAM Collections

Looking for information about artworks in SAM's collection, including those currently on view? Access art images, overviews from curators, and related media from SAM’s collection online. Learn how​ to use this dynamic resource .

SAM Libraries

Looking for general information on the artists, periods, styles, and cultures represented in SAM's collection? See lists of resources curated by research librarians at SAM Libraries .

SAM Educators Facebook ​​

Share with Students

SAM YouTube

SAM SoundCloud

SAM Smartphone Tour Collection Highlights: Verbal Description

School Visit RESOURCES

Seattle Art Museum Maps

Guided and Self Guided Tour Resources

Guided and Self Guided Tour Resources: Eyes on Asia

Olympic Sculpture Park Map

Guided and Self Guided Tour Resources: Olympic Sculpture Park

Check out our How to Visit SAM video before your guided tour!

Video Resources

South end stories.

SAM's community partner South End Stories is an organization that focuses on Trauma-Informed Arts Practice: Healing Through History and Creativity. This video series, created in partnership with South End Stories and Mr Santos Creations, connects youth and teen viewers to exhibitions at SAM through the responses of their peers and community members.

View Playlist

Eyes on Asia

Eyes on Asia highlights objects at the Seattle Asian Art Museum related to personal connection and identity. Videos focus on close-looking and making art. Show them in a classroom to prepare or follow up on a museum visit, or share with students to watch on their own.

SAM Creates

Art activities for all ages! These videos are a great fit for teaching in a classroom, working with youth across many settings, or just a great way to unwind and make something.

My Favorite Things

Watch as contemporary artists, creators, and thinkers share their personal thoughts on works from SAM's three locations. Model how students will share on a museum tour, or follow up with close-looking at art in the classroom.

LOOK & MAKE ACTIVITIES

These ready-to-use, printable activities focus on individual artworks from the museum and are tailored for specific age groups. Each activity sheet includes looking questions, information about the art, related media, and a making activity using basic materials. Available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

Animals, Container in the Form of a Bull Bearing a Pot 12th to early 13th century, Iranian or Iraqi (Persian) Look closely at an eight-hundred-year-old ceramic sculpture from Iran, try out different animal movements, and make your own animal-shaped container.

Download PDF:  English    Spanish    Chinese   

Seasons, Picnicking Under Cherry Blossoms and Boating on the River by Nishikawa Sukenobu Examine the details of this 18th century painted Japanese screen, act out the life cycle of a tree, read about springtime explorations, and make your own multimedia artwork inspired by nature.

Download PDF:  English    Spanish    Chinese

Shapes, Mondlicht by Alexi Jawlensky Learn more about Jawlensky’s abstract painting, do shape yoga, listen to a story, and create a portrait from shapes.

Grades 2-12: Symbols and Stories, Raelene and Galadzi by Francis Dick Gain inspiration from artist Francis Dick on telling stories and personal histories through artwork. Then, share a story that is important to you in a creative printmaking process.

Download PDF: English

Grades 2-12: Body Language, Walking Man by Alberto Giacometti Reflect on body language and emotional reactions to different forms of change that you've experienced through art, then connect that response to a sculpture by Alberto Giacometti.

Grades K-5: Connecting Place, Shape, and Color, Seattle Cloud Cover by Teresita Fernández Learn about how artist Teresita Fernández connects with place in her public artwork. Take a nature walk, make observations, and record the shapes and colors that you see in your environment. Use those colors and shapes to create a collage that expresses how you see the place where you are.

Download PDF:  English    Spanish    Vietnamese   

Grades K-5: Water All Around Us, First Salmon Ceremony by Ron Hilbert Coy Learn about First Salmon Ceremonies practiced in Indigenous communities along the Salish Sea, then honor an organism in your watershed's ecosystem using crayon and watercolor resist techniques.

Download PDF:  English

Grades K-2: Dance, Trapsprung by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye Learn more about Lynette Yiadom-Boakye's dynamic painting, move like a dancer, and express your movements in a foil sculpture.

Download PDF:  English   Spanish    Chinese

Grades K-2: Environment, Middle Fork by John Grade Learn more about Grade’s huge collaborative sculpture, hold a yoga pose, read about trees, and make your own tree sculpture out of a paper bag.

Grades K-2: Recycled Materials, Takpekpe by El Anatsui Study El Anatsui’s sculpture made using recycled materials, go on a home scavenger hunt for patterns, read about recycling and art, and design your own work using recycled materials.

Grades K-5: Nature, A Branch of the Cold Season by Yang Hui Explore the Yang Hui and Monk Zen painting, go for a walk, listen to stories about nature, and create your own nature-inspired poem and artwork with a friend.

Download PDF:  English    Spanish   Chinese

Grades K-5: Social Emotional Learning, Grandma Ruby's Refrigerator Series: The Notion of Family by Latoya Ruby Frazier Imagine you're over at Latoya Ruby Frazier's grandmother's house and practice meditating through breathing, moving your body, and drawing.

Grades 3-5: Empathy, ChimaTEK: Virtual Chimeric Space by Saya Woolfalk Immerse yourself in Woolfalk’s multimedia art installation, explore concepts of empathy via videos and graphic novels, and design a prototype for an empathy-spreading invention.

Download PDF:  English   Spanish   Chinese

Grades 3-5: Storytelling, Carpe Fin by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas Dive into Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas’ Haida manga, explore storytelling through graphic novels, learn about Pacific Northwest Coastal formline design, and create your own comic.

Grades 4-12 : Portrait of My Life #1: Street Portraits by Dawoud Bey Developed alongside educator advisor Laura Miller, this lesson encourages students to reflect on the role of photography in their lives and what they would choose to share about themselves in different types of portraits. Students have the option to create an authentic portrait of their life by posing and creating a staged photographic portrait of themselves.

Grades 4-12: Portrait of My Life #2: Untitled (Coffeepot) by Carrie Mae Weems In part two of this SAM Look & Make lesson, students are asked to reflect on the stories that are told through the objects around them. Then, they’ll create an authentic portrait of their life by photographing an object that holds personal memories and conveys something about their identity.

Grades 4-12: Portrait of My Life #3: The Kitchen Table Series by Carrie Mae Weems In part three of this SAM Look & Make lesson inspired by Dawoud Bey & Carrie Mae Weems: In Dialogue , students are asked to document a place where they live or where loved ones gather. Then they'll create an authentic portrait of their life by documenting this place, what it looks like, who is there, and the rhythms of life that take place there.

Grades 4-12: Portrait of My Life: Dawoud Bey & Carrie Mae Weems In this three-part SAM Look & Make lesson inspired by Dawoud Bey & Carrie Mae Weems: In Dialogue , students learn about different ways that these artists represent people's lives through photography. After completing a series of sketching and reflection prompts, students choose how they want to convey their life and create a photograph of a person, place, or object that tells their story.

Grades 6-8: Connections and Contrasts, American Art at SAM Mount Rainier, Bay of Tacoma-Puget Sound by Sanford Robinson Gifford and Song for the Moon by Shaun Peterson (Qwalsius) depict the same place, but tell different stories. Reflect on the similarities and differences in perspectives represented in SAM’s American Art galleries. Then, share your voice by creating a response to an artwork from the collection.

Grades 4-12: Find Your Angle: Photography from Our Blue Planet Look closely at photographs by artists Johsel Namkung and Aida Muluneh that depict and share a message about the environment. Learn how photographic techniques can express a viewpoint, then share a message about the natural world around you through documentary photography.

Animation, Flower Ball , by Takashi Murakami Be drawn into the depths of Murakami's animated painting, learn about the interplay between art and pop culture, and design your own cartoon character based on an everyday object.

Identity, Some/One , by Do Ho Suh Examine Suh’s exploration of individual and group identity in his large-scale, intricate sculpture. Think about how personal objects you wear or carry can express your identity, and create your own paper mosaic inspired by a significant object.

Imagination, Bewitched #2 Seoul , by Jung Yeondoo Spark your imagination with Jung Yeondoo’s photography, consider your own future, and make a collage representing a friend’s dream.

Music, Music, Pink and Blue, No. 1 , by Georgia O'Keeffe Feel the music in O’Keeffe’s abstract painting; learn more about the intersection of music, emotion, and visual art; and create your own experiential sketches inspired by favorite songs.

Grades 6-12: Layers of Meaning: Desecration #2 by John Feodorov Explore how John Feodorov comments on harm inflicted on Indigenous lands through his mixed-media artwork. Use your power as an artist to inspire positive change. Spread your message about a social or environmental issue by altering an image of a personally meaningful place with drawing and collage materials.

Collaboration, Amerocco by Aaron Fowler Immerse yourself in the details of Aaron Fowler’s collaborative mixed-media installation, take a virtual tour of the piece with former SAM intern Ramzy Lakos, and assemble your own dream team by making a collage.

Download PDF: English   Spanish   Chinese

Place, Seattle Cloud Cover by Teresita Fernández Immerse yourself in Fernández’s large-scale, site-specific art installation at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Learn more about public art, landscape, and senses of place, and create your own collage based on place, patterns, and colors meaningful to you.

Social Justice, Breakfast Series by Sonny Assu Take in Assu’s humorous cereal box redesign meant to draw attention to social justice issues affecting indigenous communities of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Learn about the intersection of political activism, social justice movements and art, and design your own poster to raise awareness of a social issue.

View by Age Group

Early Learners

Elementary Grades

Middle School

High School

SELECTED EDUCATOR RESOURCES BY LOCATION

Art of Empathy

Art of Empathy Educator Resource Guide

Emotions and Art Educator Resource List

Look & Make (K-5): Emotional Learning, Grandma Ruby's Refrigerator Series: The Notion of Family , LaToya Ruby Frasier English

Look & Make (3-5): Empathy, ChimaTEK: Virtual Chimeric Space , Saya Woolfalk English   Spanish   Chinese

What is American Art?

American Art: The Stories We Carry Website

Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic Educator Resource Guide

Race and Social Justice Educator Resource List

Identity Educator Resource List

Look & Make: Connections and Contrasts, American Art at SAM

Eyes on Asia YouTube Playlist

SAM Creates: Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year Educator Resource List

Seattle Asian Art Museum Educator Resource Guide

Seattle Asian Art Museum Educator Resource List

Look & Make (PK): Animals, Container in the Form of a Bull Bearing a Pot , 12th to early 13th century, Iranian or Iraqi (Persian) English   Spanish   Chinese  

Look & Make (K-5): Nature, A Branch of the Cold Season English   Spanish   Chinese  

Look & Make (6-8): Animation, Flower Ball , Takashi Murakami English   Spanish   Chinese  

Look & Make (6-8): Identity, Some/One , Do Ho Suh English   Spanish   Chinese  

Look & Make (6-8): Imagination, Bewitched #2 Seoul , Jung Yeondoo English   Spanish   Chinese  

SAM Creates: Kinetic Sculptures

Olympic Sculpture Park: Drawing from Nature Educator Resource List

Alexander Calder: A Balancing Act – Pre-visit Activity (K-3)

Alexander Calder: A Balancing Act – Pre-visit Activity (4-6)

Alexander Calder: A Balancing Act – Pre-visit Activity (7-12)

Look & Make (K-5): Place, Shape, and Color Seattle Cloud Cover English   Spanish   Chinese

Look & Make (K-5): Nature in 3-D: Wake by Richard Serra and The Eagle by Alexander Calder English   Spanish   Chinese

Look & Make (K-5): Lines: The Eagle by Alexander Calder English   Spanish   Chinese

You can find more resources on past and current exhibitions in our Library Catalog . Check back throughout the school year as we add more!

Online Interactives

Smartphone tours.

Whether you’re bringing a self-guided group to the museum or exploring on your own, check out our smartphone tours on your mobile device. Hear from guest speakers, learn about historical context, and watch videos connected to the artwork. Please note that this feature works best on your smartphone or tablet.

Chinese Painting and Calligraphy

This online interactive makes SAM's collection of Chinese painting and caligraphy accessible through an online catalog, which features thoughtful and provocative essays about major works by renowned scholars, with high-resolution, zoom-able images of the works of art, and thorough documentation—including transcriptions and translations of inscriptions and colophons, and seals which are transcribed, identified and located.

 You can find more Online Interactives on past and current exhibitions in our Library Catalog list .

OUTREACH SUITCASES

The Outreach Suitcase program remains on hiatus until further notice.

SAM Outreach Suitcases are collections of objects from diverse cultures, times, and places that students can touch, examine, and discuss. Unpack art in your classroom with these free learning resources.

Suitcase Connections ​​

The ANN P. Wyckoff EDUCATION RESOURCE CENTER (ERC)

The Education Resource Center is closed until further notice.

The Education Resource Center (ERC) is a launch pad to explore works of art and spark creative learning. The ERC supports inclusive and engaging art experiences through free resources for families, educators, and youth at the museum, in the classroom, and at home.

The Ann P. Wyckoff Education Resource Center (ERC), formerly known as the Teacher Resource Center (TRC), is located at the Seattle Art Museum.

Closed until further notice.

Please note : the ERC will be closed Thursday, November 22nd through Saturday, November 24th for Thanksgiving weekend.

DROP BOX HOURS

Until further notice, borrowed materials can be returned ONLY to the ERC drop box (accessible every day from 6 am to 11 pm), located at the parking garage of the Olympic Sculpture Park.

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future. Learn more about Equity at SAM

Teacher Resources

Writing + art: night at the museum.

Do you ever wonder what goes on at a museum after all the visitors leave and the lights are turned off? What do you think happens when no one is watching?

Locate a gallery with three-dimensional objects, such as sculpture, furniture or decorative arts.

Choose an object that piques your curiosity. Walk around it. Notice all its individual parts. View the piece from up close and then from farther away. What other objects do you see nearby?

Imagine you have become the artwork. Report what you do when the museum closes at night. Complete the prompts listed below:

• When the museum closes, I …
• Sometimes I play tricks on the security guard by …
• Sometimes I talk to (another object in the room), and we talk about …
• If I were not here, I would be …
• When I dance, I like to listen to …

Read your completed sentences to the group and have them guess which object you were pretending to be.

Activity Type

• JDSP Graduation Projects (24)
• Studio Art (32)
• Teacher Notes (5)
• Reading with Art (11)
• Classroom Activities (134)
• Gallery Activities (114)
• Post-Visit Activities (1)
• Background (51)
• Writing + Art (25)
• Behind the Scenes (13)
• Gallery Talks (14)
• Hangout with Art (12)
• Mini-Tours (13)
• Museum Inside-Out (16)
• Videos (39)
• Virtual Tours (4)
• Baylor Coloring Page (8)
• Exhibitions (180)
• Grades K–4 (90)
• Early Childhood (2)
• Grades 5–8 (148)
• Grades 6-12 (8)
• Grades 9–12 (142)
• Grades 4-6 (1)
• For Teachers (108)
• Grades K-12 (18)
• Grades 4-12 (32)
• Grades 3-6 (13)
• Grades 6-8 (4)
• Grade 5 (15)
• Grade 6 (1)
• For Parents (12)
• Art History (39)
• Biography (20)
• Careers (21)
• Drama and Dance (13)
• Drawing (8)
• Foreign Language (6)
• Gallery Talks (19)
• Geography (9)
• History (13)
• History/Social Studies (81)
• Language Arts/English (135)
• Painting (12)
• Photography (6)
• Printmaking (1)
• Reading (7)
• Science (3)
• Sculpture (4)
• Social Studies (5)
• Studio Art (91)
• Technology (15)
• Theater/Performance (6)
• Writing (56)
• Alphabet (2)
• Architecture (8)
• Art Making (44)
• Background (61)
• Brainstorming (30)
• Career Resources (25)
• Collaboration (57)
• Communication (91)
• Comparison (45)
• Critical Thinking (71)
• Curators (4)
• Design (20)
• Exhibitions (45)
• History (23)
• Icebreaker (7)
• Imagination (46)
• Interpretation (25)
• Kinetic Art (3)
• Looking Closely (80)
• Movement (4)
• Observation (14)
• Patterns (6)
• Portraiture (20)
• Reading (25)
• Research (49)
• Responding (17)
• Still Life (2)
• Storytelling (15)
• Studio Art (54)
• Vocabulary (41)
• World Communities (19)
• Writing (70)

At the museum

Loading ad...

at the museum

• Google Classroom
• Microsoft Teams
• Download PDF

ELECTROSTAL HISTORY AND ART MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Electrostal History and Art Museum - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)