The HOWs Behind Art History: Four Principles For Teaching Art History To Children

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Teaching art history to children is an incredibly rewarding experience, but it’s also one that requires careful thought. Over the years, through both study and practice, I’ve developed my own approach to introducing young minds to the world of art history. These principles are not universal truths, nor do I claim that they are the only way to teach this subject.

They are simply the strategies that I’ve found work for me—what I believe is most important to impart to my students. They reflect my philosophy of teaching, grounded in a deep respect for both the complexity of art and the intelligence of children.

When I teach art history, I’m not just concerned with dates or facts; I want to spark curiosity, encourage critical thinking, and help students connect with art on a personal level.

With that in mind, here are the four core principles I follow when teaching art history to children.

Condense for Clarity: Simplifying Complex Ideas Without Losing Depth

One of the first questions I ask myself when planning a lesson is, what’s the one thing I want my students to remember? If all they walk away with is one clear takeaway, I’m satisfied. Teaching art history can easily become overwhelming for children if we try to cover everything at once, and I’ve learned that less is often more. The key is to distill a complex concept down to something that feels graspable, yet still meaningful.

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For example, if my students leave a lesson on Mondrian with the understanding that his art is about rhythm and balance, I’m a happy teacher. It’s not the full story of his work, but for a child, it’s an entry point that feels tangible and relatable. If they remember that connection to rhythm, we can build on that foundation later, layering in more complexity as their understanding deepens.

Broadway Boogie Woogie Piet Mondrian — Broadway Boogie Woogie
Piet Mondrian

Composition in Color A Piet Mondrian — Broadway Boogie Woogie
Piet Mondrian

The same goes for someone like Andy Warhol. There’s so much to say about Pop Art, about Warhol’s exploration of mass production, fame, and consumer culture. But when I think about teaching these concepts to a five-year-old, I have to simplify. Instead of diving into the social implications, I might say, what can even a child understand about Warhol’s work? Every child has walked through a supermarket, and they know what it’s like to grab a box of cereal or a can of soup from the shelf. So, my objective in that lesson might be this: Andy Warhol wanted art to be like something you could find in a supermarket—easy to grab, easy to understand, something for everyone. If my students remember that, then I’ve done my job.

For me, setting objectives is about narrowing the focus. I choose one key takeaway and design all the activities in that lesson to point toward that idea.

It’s a personal choice I’ve developed over time, shaped by how I see and appreciate art myself. This isn’t about oversimplifying or trivializing—quite the opposite. It’s about giving children a strong foundation, something they can hold onto as we explore deeper ideas in future lessons.

This approach also reflects my belief that art is more than just its appearance. I don’t gravitate toward formalism or a strictly visual appreciation of art. Instead, I like to focus on the context, themes, and stories behind the artwork. I find these elements so much more engaging for children, and they allow for a richer, more connected understanding.

But that’s a point I’ll dive into in the next section.

Create Relatable Touchpoints: Connecting Art to Kids’ Lives

One of the most powerful ways to engage children with art is by finding elements in a piece that connect to their world. Children are naturally curious about the things they see, touch, and feel every day. When we tie these familiar elements to the artwork they’re studying, we’re not only making art history more relatable, but we’re helping them see art as something that speaks to their own experiences. Whether it’s the theme of family bonds, social justice, or even something as simple as candy, there’s always a way to create an entry point for kids.

Let’s take Andy Warhol once again. He’s a great artist to introduce to children because, on the surface, his work is visually engaging—bright colors, repetitive patterns, familiar products. But beyond that, his ideas resonate with themes kids understand.

Warhol once said “in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes,” which might seem abstract to a child at first. However, when I frame this idea in terms of the social media world kids live in—where Instagram and TikTok make it possible for anyone to have their moment of fame—it suddenly feels real to them. Children understand the idea of sharing something that gets a lot of likes, and Warhol’s work can serve as a bridge to exploring bigger conversations about fame, consumerism, and how art interacts with everyday life.

But beyond pop culture, art history offers endless opportunities to connect with deeper themes.

Louise Bourgeois, for instance, explored the idea of family and memory in her work. Her sculptures, especially the towering Maman, are not just surreal creations—they are deeply personal reflections on her mother. Children can easily grasp the concept of family bonds and protection, and these universal themes make Bourgeois’ art feel more approachable.

Felix Gonzalez-Torres "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), 1991 — Felix Gonzalez-Torres “Untitled” (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), 1991

Now, there’s an artwork by Felix Gonzalez-Torres that has always stuck with me—not just because of what it represents, but because of the way it was explained to me when I was a child. His installation, a pile of candy that visitors are invited to take, symbolizes the slow loss of his partner, Ross, to AIDS. As viewers take pieces of candy, the artwork slowly diminishes, much like the life of the person it commemorates. It’s a deeply emotional work, but what makes it remarkable is how it can be explained to children in a way that resonates.

I first encountered this artwork in a children’s art book. I was reading it to my younger sister, and the way the book explained this piece has stayed with me ever since. The book didn’t shy away from the sadness behind the artwork, but it told the story in such an earnest and gentle way that it made the emotional depth accessible, even for a child. The explanation went something like this: “The artist made this work to remember a friend. He used something sweet, something that everyone loves—candy—because it reminded him of the good times they shared. Visitors can take a piece of candy with them, just like taking a piece of the artist’s memory of his friend.”

That explanation was so simple, yet so impactful.

It stayed with me, and it still shapes how I approach teaching art today. What struck me most was that the book didn’t try to simplify the artwork by stripping away its depth. Instead, it honored the emotional truth of the piece in a way that was clear and respectful, without losing its complexity. Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ installation, which is a conceptual artwork dealing with a very personal and complex story, was explained in such a way that made even the deeper meanings accessible to a child.

But for me, teaching art isn’t just about emotional resonance, although that’s a part of it. I also focus heavily on the historical and social contexts as I believe that understanding the time and environment in which a piece was created is essential to truly appreciate it.

But let’s explore that more in the next point.

Coca-Cola Wang Guangyi — Coca-Cola
Wang Guangyi

A Big Family Zhang Xiaogang — Coca-Cola
Wang Guangyi

Bring the Art Alive with Context: Telling the Story Behind the Work

Context is key to making art more than just a visual experience. It’s not enough for children to simply appreciate how a painting looks or what materials were used to create it—understanding the world in which a piece of art was created enriches their engagement with it. Art is often a reflection of the historical, social, and cultural conditions of its time, and this context can unlock powerful discussions that go far beyond the frame.

For instance, Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s winter landscapes are not just picturesque scenes of snow-covered villages. These paintings are a window into life in Northern Europe during the 16th century, a time when Europe experienced the Little Ice Age—a period of unusually cold weather that shaped everyday life. Through Bruegel’s work, students can be introduced to broader discussions about climate change, both in the past and today. His paintings can also lead to a discussion about peasant life in medieval Europe, offering insights into the daily struggles and social structures of the time.

Art in this case becomes a gateway to explore historical and even scientific topics, blending disciplines to offer a more comprehensive learning experience.

Similarly, works like the Limbourg Brothers’ illuminated manuscripts can be used to discuss the contrast between the lives of the peasants and the elite who commissioned such works. These manuscripts provide a rich entry point into discussions about how history is often written and depicted by the powerful, and how the lives of the common people are reflected—or omitted—in these records. This not only teaches students about art but also about the importance of representation in historical narratives, encouraging them to think critically about whose stories are being told.

Hunters in the Snow Pieter Bruegel the Elder — Hunters in the Snow
Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Children's Games Pieter Bruegel the Elder — Hunters in the Snow
Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Contextualizing art also opens the door to discussions about cross-cultural influences. For example, Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e) had a significant impact on Western artists, particularly the Impressionists.

Artists like Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh were heavily influenced by the compositions, color schemes, and perspectives found in Japanese art. This influence can lead to a broader conversation about the dynamics of cultural exchange and even colonialism, as Japan’s opening to the West in the 19th century played a key role in this artistic exchange. These examples demonstrate how art history is deeply interconnected with global movements, politics, and economics.

On the flip side, art can also serve as a powerful way to introduce and celebrate one’s own culture. High art, such as the iconic works of a culture’s most famous painters, writers, or architects, serves as an entry point into that culture’s broader identity. Learning about a culture through its most celebrated artworks or literature helps students appreciate the values, beliefs, and historical milestones that shape a society.

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For example, exploring Mexico’s most famous artists and artworks can uncover the rich layers of its history and culture, moving beyond stereotypes. These works, from José Guadalupe Posada’s La Calavera Catrina to Diego Rivera’s The Great Tenochtitlan, are significant because they reflect what is important to Mexico’s identity as seen through its own lens, not through foreign interpretations.

In this way, art becomes a bridge—not only between different cultures but between different disciplines. It offers an interdisciplinary learning experience where history, literature, science, and politics intersect, showing students that art is never isolated from the world around it.

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Complexity without Trivialization: Respecting Children’s Capacity to Understand

One of the key challenges in teaching art history to children is finding the right balance between simplifying a topic and not losing its essence. Some concepts are complex and cannot be watered down without misrepresenting their meaning. Children are far more capable of grasping complexity than we sometimes assume, and oversimplification can lead to misunderstandings that persist into adulthood.

A perfect example of this is the oversimplification of Surrealism. All too often, it’s reduced to little more than a fascination with dream-like imagery and Freudian ideas, even at advanced levels of study. However, the core of Surrealism was not just about escaping into fantasy or delving into the subconscious—it was a subversive movement that sought to challenge and undermine middle-class values, bourgeois norms, and social ideologies. Techniques like automatic drawing were tools to break free from societal constraints, not the defining feature of the movement. By focusing solely on these surface elements, we risk ignoring the radical social critique at the heart of Surrealism.

This is a prime example of how, in art education, simplification should not come at the cost of truth. It’s important to distill topics into ideas that children can understand without stripping them of their full significance.

As educators, our role is to guide students through these complexities in a way that respects both the art and their ability to engage with it.

The Sacrificial Offering Day of the Dead Diego Rivera — The Sacrificial Offering Day of the Dead
Diego Rivera

Still life Reslicitando Remedios Varo — The Sacrificial Offering Day of the Dead
Diego Rivera

To ensure that children can fully participate in these discussions, I believe in the power of language. Vocabulary is a vital tool for giving students the confidence to talk about art and to articulate their own interpretations.

Each lesson I teach is accompanied by a glossary of key terms that helps students build their own voice. Gradually expanding this glossary over time allows children to feel comfortable using language that might have initially felt intimidating.

This vocabulary gives them ownership over their learning. With the right words, students are no longer passive observers of art—they become active participants in the conversation. They begin to make connections, express their thoughts, and engage more deeply with the works in front of them. In the end, the ability to talk about art is just as important as the ability to understand it visually. By equipping children with the right terms, we empower them to express their ideas and connect on a deeper level with the artworks they encounter.

Ultimately, respecting a child’s capacity to understand is about creating an environment where complex ideas can be explored, not oversimplified. By guiding them through challenging topics, providing the language to discuss them, and ensuring that the essence of the artwork remains intact, we help children build a deeper, more meaningful relationship with art.

Conclusion: A Thoughtful Approach to Teaching Art History

Teaching art history to children requires more than simply delivering information—it’s about finding ways to make art engaging, accessible, and meaningful. The principles I’ve outlined here—condensing complex ideas, connecting art to students’ lives, contextualizing each piece, and ensuring we never trivialize the depth of an artwork—are the foundation of how I approach this subject.

Each lesson is designed to help children not just understand art, but engage with it in a way that fosters curiosity and critical thinking.

But the “how” is just one piece of the puzzle. There’s much more to explore when it comes to introducing children to the world of art history—why it’s important, where they can experience art, what movements and artists resonate with them, when to incorporate art into different learning environments, and who the figures are that have shaped art history as a discipline.

These are topics I’ll dive into in future articles, each focusing on a different aspect of teaching art history to children.

For now, the focus remains on ensuring that we create learning experiences that are clear, meaningful, and rooted in respect for both the artwork and the students. By striking this balance, we give children the tools not only to understand art but to engage with it deeply and thoughtfully—skills they can carry with them throughout their lives.