Edvard Munch for Kids: A Family Guide to Creative Play

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This month in our Artist of the Month series, we’ve immersed ourselves in the world of Edvard Munch, the Norwegian artist whose expressive works brought emotional intensity to life. Munch’s iconic piece, The Scream, makes him the perfect artist to explore just in time for Halloween! Each week, my daughters and I dived into different aspects of his art, exploring themes of emotion, resilience, and creativity through fun, kid-friendly activities.

Before taking a peek at how our Munch-inspired month unfolded, here’s what you need to know:

Who is Edvard Munch?

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian painter and printmaker best known for his emotionally charged and intense works, particularly his iconic painting The Scream. Born in 1863, Munch was a key figure in the Expressionist movement, which focuses on portraying emotional experience rather than physical reality. His art often reflects feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and the challenges of being human – feelings that resonate deeply with adults but can be simplified for young, curious minds.

Through bold colours, dramatic compositions, and intense facial expressions, Munch captured emotions in a raw and honest way, making him an exciting artist to explore with children. His approach provides a beautiful gateway for kids to learn about their own emotions, how colours express moods, and how art can be a tool for self-expression and comfort.

Week 1 Of Edvard Munch For Kids: Expressionism, Symbolism, Realism And Abstract

We started with Meet Edvard Munch by the Read With You Center for Excellence in STEAM Education, a great introduction that brings Munch’s life and art style to a young audience. We chatted about different art styles – expressionism, realism, and abstract – and what it means for colours to express emotions.

Mimi instantly remembered our conversations about Picasso’s Blue Period, and we revisited The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas (available here) to talk about how colours can mirror feelings.

It was beautiful to see Mimi’s understanding of these emotional links deepen as we talked about the power of art to express feelings and the meaning behind Munch’s use of colour.

To explain the difference between Expressionism and Abstract art to Mimi we used familiar symbols and concepts to get her thinking:

- Expressionism is like when you draw something to show how you feel inside –maybe you draw a rainbow when you’re happy, or a storm cloud when you’re upset.
- Abstract art is when you use shapes, lines, and colours to make something interesting, even if it doesn’t look like real things. Lou was excellent at giving examples of this art style.

Later in the week she kept drawing how she was feeling (sad when I had to go put Lou for a nap without her) and angry when I took the permanent marker away before she drew a moustache on Lou.

Curiously, when she was angry she just made a bunch of strokes, which led to the question: can expressionism be abstract?

Expressionism blends the two worlds – recognisable and emotional abstraction – while abstract art takes the leap into pure shapes and colours. Expressionism is like a toned-down abstraction – it gives more clues while Abstract is more like “guessing” a feeling.

A simplified way to explain this is:

“Expressionism is like when you draw something, like a person or a place, but you make it look a bit different to show how you feel about it. So, you’re still showing what you’re feeling, but we can still tell what it’s supposed to be, like a face or a tree. In The Scream, Munch made a face to show how scared he felt, but he painted it a bit wavy and exaggerated, right? In abstract art, though, you might use colours, shapes, and lines without showing a face or a tree at all – just colours that make you feel the feelings!”

For a reflection question, you might ask:

“What kind of details can you still see in The Scream? How does Munch show feelings without hiding what he’s painting?“.

Munch still paints a face in The Scream, but it’s not a regular face – it’s all stretched out and wavy! He also painted the sky in swirls and used strong colours, like red and orange, that make it look like everything’s on fire or really intense. So even though we can still see it’s a person and a sky, it doesn’t look like a normal picture – it looks like how he was feeling.

Week 2 Of Edvard Munch For Kids: Collage Creations And Emotional Resilience

This week, I printed various paintings by Munch, and we made an art collage. Mimi enjoyed cutting and gluing, a great way to build motor skills.

A memorable moment: Mimi had a meltdown after cutting one piece “wrong”. It was the perfect opportunity to explore resilience and self-compassion. We talked about how imperfection can be beautiful and how growth often requires mistakes. I encouraged her to try again, sharing that “failure” often makes art (and life) more meaningful and fun!

This sparked a lovely conversation about how art can be a coping tool, a way to feel better when emotions run high – though, of course, we used simpler words!

“Do you think Edvard Munch felt better after painting?”

Week 3 Of Edvard Munch For Kids: The Scream Comes to Life on Screen

We took a bit of a “screen time field trip” this week and watched A Galactic Goodnight from Little Einsteins on Amazon Prime, where the heroes encounter The Scream in an outer-space adventure. This episode was perfect for our Munch month; it was incredible to see Munch’s art come alive in a way that sparked Mimi’s imagination. She loved seeing The Scream in action and was captivated by the “Swirling and Rolling Winds” that trapped the characters in the world of Jupiter.

Watching Munch’s work in a story brought him into Mimi’s world in a way that felt so real and exciting!

Week 4 Of Edvard Munch For Kids: Bold Strokes and Scary Faces with The Scream

This was Lou’s favourite activity by far! We used big, bold strokes to paint The Scream character on cardboard, cut a hole where the face would be, and voila – a scream mask! The girls took turns practicing their “scariest” screams (apologies to our poor neighbours) and making faces that Munch himself would applaud. It was a fun way to end our month, embracing both the art of self-expression and the spirit of Halloween.

We also turned this into a little family competition, seeing who could make the most convincing scary face. Lou was beside herself with giggles, and I think even our “scariest” screams wouldn’t have scared off a fly!

Making these big emotions playful, like with our scream mask, helps Mimi and Lou feel more confident about sharing their feelings – turning even the ‘scary’ ones into something safe and fun to explore.

Reflections on Our Munch Month

I’ll be honest – sometimes I wonder how much of this information is sticking with the girls, or if they’re really “getting” the art behind it all. But the joy and curiosity in their faces each time we try something new is enough for me. Whether or not they remember who Edvard Munch was, they’re experiencing creativity, learning about emotions, and sounding rather posh when sharing what we’ve been up to with friends!

Key Takeaways for Exploring Edvard Munch with Kids

Art as Emotion: Use colours and expression to talk about emotions in a fun, accessible way. Books like The Colour Monster make emotional discussions easier for younger kids.
Mistakes as Growth: Allow children to make mistakes and encourage them to find beauty in imperfection, which fosters resilience.
Storytelling through Art: Look for ways to bring art into stories your children can relate to, like The Little Einsteins episode. It brings the art to life!
Fun and Freedom: Let loose, make bold strokes, and don’t be afraid of a bit of noise. Munch’s intensity is a fantastic excuse to have a loud, expressive time!

As we end our Munch journey, we’re already excited about our next artist. If you’d like to join in on the fun, try some of these activities with your little ones. It’s a brilliant way to bond, learn, and have a blast while discovering the wonderful world of art together.

If you enjoyed exploring Edvard Munch, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you tried any of these activities with your little ones, or is there an artist you’re eager to introduce to them? Share in the comments below – I’d love to hear your ideas!

Don’t forget to save this post on Pinterest for future inspiration, and if you’re craving more creative ways to connect with your kiddos, follow along on Instagram @SaraMelides. Let’s keep discovering the joy of art, play, and meaningful moments together!