Van Gogh Teaching Resources and Lesson Plans

I distinctly recall drawing a blue section of sky at the top of my paper, a green area of land at the bottom, and consistently leaving a wide open section of “air” in the middle. Did you do this, too?

This approach is an adorable and cognitively appropriate example of the schematic stage in artistic development. There’s no need (or known benefit) to rushing kids through this stage, but I find most kids eager, agreeable little sponges! They want to try new stuff!

This project presents one of many approaches we as parents, teachers, and caretakers can use to invite little minds to dip a toe in what is known as Lowenfeld’s “dawning realism” stage. This fantastic art unit for kids ages 4-8 illustrates how Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (best known for his work, “The Starry Night”) was mesmerized by the ever-changing sky and allowed it to inspire many of his gorgeous creations. These van Gogh teaching resources and lesson plans:

expose kids to several of van Gogh’s kid-friendly artworks,
explore how the sky is not necessarily blue (and does not necessarily float at the top of the page), and
help you, as the facilitator, feel confident about exactly how to connect all this to a super fun, hands-on project.

This one starts with finger painting on foil, transitions into a monoprint activity, and finishes with some cutting and gluing collage elements.

In addition to a detailed overview of our art unit, you’ll find a great collection of supplemental resources that’ll have you feeling and sounding like an absolute authority on all things van Gogh-related in no time!

Keep scrolling for:

15 Van Gogh-Related Fun Facts
Picture Books to go Along with Van Gogh Art Projects
Informational Books about Van Gogh
Informational Videos about Van Gogh
An overview with photos and screenshots of the Van Gogh art unit
Free Printable Van Gogh Quote Poster

Famous Artist Facts

15 Fun Facts about Vincent van Gogh for Kids

Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853.
Van Gogh was born in the Netherlands.
Vincent van Gogh was largely inspired by other art he saw in the art gallery his brother worked at!
Van Gogh decided to become an artist at age 27.
Van Gogh used painting as a way to express his emotions.
He painted over 900 works in just 10 years!
Van Gogh famously cut off part of his own ear.
Most of his self portraits show his right ear bandaged, but it was actually his left that was cut. This is because he had to use a mirror to paint himself!
In 1886 Van Gogh moved to Paris to learn from Impressionist painters.
One of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, Starry Night, was painted while he was in a hospital.
Van Gogh died on July 29, 1890.
Sadly, Van Gogh’s work became much more popular and well regarded only after his death.
Most of what we know about Van Gogh, we learned from letters he wrote to his brother.
Van Gogh liked to paint the places he actually visited in real life!
Van Gogh painted over 30 self portraits.

For more information about Vincent van Gogh, visit the following pages.

Vincent’s Life, Van Gogh Museum

Van Gogh Biography

Vincent van Gogh Facts for Kids

Books to go Along with Van Gogh Art Projects

Picture Books that Go Along Well with this Art Unit

In the Vincent Van Gogh Unit from Kids Art Projects 101 we explore sky colors. These picture can lead to great discussions that support student’s understanding of the concept and inspire creativity.

Stars by Mary Lyn Ray

Celebrate all of the glittering stars in the sky with this kid-friendly book! {Full book details here.}

The Cloud Book by Tomie dePaola

Learn about clouds and have fun seeing all kinds of shapes and animals! {Full book details here.}

Next Time You See a Sunset by Emily Morgan

This book invites kids and adults alike to take in a daily phenomenon with fresh eyes. {Full book details here.}

The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow

Maybe storms aren’t as scary as they seem! Learn about storms and weather patterns in this cute book. {Full book details here.}

Books About Van Gogh

The following books are specifically related to Vincent van Gogh and can supplement the facts and information provided in the digital presentation that is part of the Van Gogh Art Unit from Kids Art Projects 101.

Vincent Can’t Sleep by Barb Rosenstock

Van Gogh often couldn’t sleep, and instead took walks. These nighttime walks inspired some of his most famous paintings! {Full book details here.}

Van Gogh and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt

Camille makes friends with a stranger passing through his town, and it is none other than Vincent Van Gogh! {Full book details here.}

Vincent van Gogh (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia

Learn about Van Gogh in this fun, well illustrated book for kids! {Full book details here.}

Vincent’s Starry Night and Other Stories: A Children’s History of Art by Michael Bird

A kid-friendly art history adventure through time! {Full book details here.}

Learn More About Vincent Van Gogh with these YouTube Videos

Vincent van Gogh for Children: Biography for Kids by Free School
A child-friendly introduction to the artist Vincent van Gogh. {See it on YouTube.}

Art With Mati & Dada – VanGogh by Art with Mati & Dada
Mati and Dada discover how Van Gogh was an excellent painter, and learn about his famous paintings. {See it on YouTube.}

Who was Vincent van Gogh? By Van Gogh Museum
Learn all about Vincent Van Gogh and his art from the Van Gogh Museum. {See it on YouTube.}

Vincent Van Gogh Starry Night Unit for K-2 Art Students

Engage little artists in a project-based study of Vincent Van Gogh and sky colors in this unit of the Famous Artist series from Kids Art Projects 101.

Inside the unit you’ll find a 23-page unit guide full of information and tips for teaching this series of art lessons to students in preschool through grade 2.

The unit is broken down into four 40-minute sessions.

For each session there is a guided presentation that has already been prepared for you and can be used via Google Slides or PowerPoint.

It’s a really easy setup! The presentation also introduces and guides you and your kiddos through completion of a studio project and follow-up activity. The studio project involves stamping primary colored dots to create a simple seascape, then cutting and gluing simple shapes to add a sailboat or two. It’s the kind of project that’ll fill the room with statements like, “It works! It’s working! Look!”

The 98-page combined PDF and Google Slides full resource includes:

An original digital storybook designed to expose students to famous artworks and details about Vincent van Gogh
A printable “Exploring Sky Color” activity
A literacy connection to Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds
A digital step-by-step studio project guide with clear directions, supply lists, and work sample photos
Quick fun facts
A digital lesson review
An art show prompt with guided questions
A printable self-assessment
Early finisher suggestions
Blank slide templates

Van Gogh Unit Teaching Tips Video

The Famous Artists units are designed to be open-and-go, but if you are the kind of teacher who likes to dig a little deeper, we’ve also created video tutorials for each of the units. In each video I share helpful tips that I’ve learned along the way as I use these units in my own elementary art classroom. These are currently available only to members of the Kids Art Projects 101 program. Learn more about becoming a member here.

Free Printable Vincent van Gogh Quote Poster

I’m sharing a free printable quote poster to go with each of the famous artist units. These can be used as a way to connect art and literacy and inspire discussions about the meaning or significance of each artist’s quote.

The free printable includes a color option that can be placed on display in the art room as decor throughout the year or added to a student work showcase bulletin board.

There is also a black and white version that kids can use as an optional coloring page.