Walking around The National Gallery I witnessed several young visitors visibly glazing over as their adult carers lectured them about the art on display. 

Thinking back to when I was young I imagined how cool it would be if it was the children doing the lecturing. This became the basis of the "Teach Your Grown Ups About Art Tour."   

Built around the premise of "learning through teaching"  at the end of each fun, info-packed stop children receive a secret fact that their grown ups are not allowed to hear. 
The thrill they get in actually telling their grown ups something amazing is not only empowering but generates conversation and stimulates young imaginations.

 

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk

 

 SAMPLE TEXT

 

The Arnolfini Portrait 
1434
Jan van Eyck

 

 

"Do your grown ups ever read posh lifestyle magazines full of rich people showing you round their houses? Well this is the fifteenth century version."

ARNOLFINI  
Welcome to my wonderfully expensive Flemish home. 

"As you can tell by his fine clothes, Mr Arnolfini here is a very rich Italian merchant and his house is luxurious"  Look at the left-hand side of the painting, just above his head. The windows have glass in them, which most people can't afford."

ARNOFINI (smugly) 
It's Single Glazing

On the wooden chest, below the window he's left some oranges lying around.But in Flanders in 1434 they're really rare. They must have cost him a fortune.

ARNOLFINI  (offhand)
I like the taste. They're ,Orangey. 

 FX: SHY FEMALE COUGH

His wife's pretty, but seems a bit shy. See how she's letting him hold her hand? Do you think if he let go it'd just flop back down by her side
Her green designer dress though looks fantastic. You could hide a bike up those sleeves. 

ARNOLFINI 
She likes to shop. She bought me this hat. It's not too small is it?

I don't mean to be rude, but her tummy's sticking out a bit. I wonder if she's expecting a baby? 

ARNOLFINI (shocked)  
What?? Have you seen the price of nappies?

Or maybe it's just the style of her dress.

ARNOLFINI
Phew.

What do your Grown Ups think?

Look on the floor in-between their feet, can you spot the little lapdog standing in the front of the picture? 

FX: DOG YAPPING 

ARNOLFINI (furious)  

 

Who let Mr Frisky in here? You know He's not house trained. It's the Pooper Scoopers day off. If that dog leaves his din-dins on my new Turkish rug I'll go ballistic.

The artist's name is Jan Van Eyck but look above the mirror, on the wall. Do you think Mr A has noticed where he's written "Van Eyck Was Ere" in Latin?

ARNOLFINI (livid) 

He told me it said "Arnolfini is cool." Artist? Ha Graffiti Artist more like

FX: SCHOOL BELL RINGING

If you want to amaze your grown ups with a fascinating fact about this picture press The Green Button now.

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Miss La La at The Cirque Fernando
Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas 

1879 

 

  

 

"Grown ups get all dreamy about the circus don't they? They say it reminds them of when they were kids. I wonder if they ever saw an act like this one?"

FX: WINCH HOISTING
FX: CROWD GASPS 

"Check out the woman in the spangly costume at the top of the picture. She's a famous acrobat. Her real name's Olga but she calls herself Miss La La." 

LA LA    (through clenched teeth) 
Do you mind? This is really difficult, I'm trying to concentrate.

"Look at the bottom of the picture. Can you see the rope reaching from the ground up to, what must be a pulley in the ceiling?"

LA LA 
If I relax for just one second , I've had it

"Now look at her face. Can you see how she's holding the rope? She's just using her teeth. They must be incredibly strong."

La La 
I brush them twice a day. 

"Can you see how her arms and legs are positioned so she keeps her balance? I bet that's not as easy as it looks."

La La 
It's not. Don't try this at home kids.

"There's a lot of space between her feet and the bottom of the painting, she must be very high off the ground. Do you feel like you're in the audience, looking up and watching her perform?

FX: APPLAUSE

La La 

Oh no! I think I'm going to sneeze Atishoooooooo 

FX: CROWD GROAN
FX: SCHOOL BELL RINGING 

If you want to amaze your grown ups with a fascinating fact about this picture, press The Green Button now. 

 Images © National Gallery, London, All rights reserved.