Active Kids' Art with Giacometti's Walking Man Sculpture

Kids’ art doesn’t always equal sitting at a table and drawing. Even viewing activities don’t always have to be sedentary experiences. One of my favorite sculptures to look at with children is Alberto Giacometti’s Walking Man.

When my son was younger (and even now as a teen) I took him to the museum where I worked to look at this sculpture. Even if you don’t have the opportunity to see this one in person, you can still do this activity with your child. Use the photos on this page, look in a book or print out a poster-sized image to use.

Active Kids’ Art Activity

Walking Man inspires—well, walking. So, the first step of this art exploration is to become the sculpture:

1.     Look at the sculpture with your child.

2.     Ask your child to tell you what she sees. If she’s not sure where to begin, prompt her with questions such as:

·        What is this a sculpture of?

·        What do you think the man is doing?

·        How does it look like he’s moving?

3.     Stand like the sculpture. Have your child try to mimic the sculpture’s form.

Walking On to the Art-Making

Now it’s time to get hands-on and let your child make her own Walking Man.

1.     Tear a piece of kitchen foil into long strips.

 

2.     Twist, mash and mold the foil into a thin tube. This will become the sculpture man’s body and head.

 

3.     Mold the top of the tube into a head shape. Your child can use her palms to make the top of it round.

 

4.     Twist a second piece of foil into another tube to make arms. Have your child wrap them around the first tube to secure them under the head.

 

5.     Repeat this process to make another leg. The tube itself is the first leg, so you child only needs to make one more.

After she’s done sculpting the foil, your child can move her very own Walking Man, positioning him in different poses. She can get active and try the poses first. For example, she can stand on one foot with the other leg stretched out behind her and raise her hands in the air. After she’s done moving she can bend the foil artwork to match.

 

Are you looking for more activities based on famous art? Follow my Pinterest board for ideas!

Follow Mini Monets and Mommies's board Famous Artist Kids' Activities on Pinterest.