International Museum Day is an international day held annually on or around 18 May, celebrating museums and their collections.

Museums may be temporarily closed, but they remain a source of knowledge and discovery for many - now through virtual tours in particular.

This International Museum Day, I challenged my KS2 French learners to develop their cultural capital by celebrating the inspirational power of the Louvre Museum in Paris from their home.

Here is their Home Learning Challenge:

Challenge 1: Take a virtual trip to the Louvre Museum in Paris, France and learn about some great works of art from home! Raphael, Mona, and Nabi are 3 cartoon characters who react to some works of art from the world’s largest art museum in Paris, France: “The Louvre”. They invite children (and their parents) to spend one minute with them in front of a painting, sculpture, or antique vase, and to learn a little more about art. Click on the link below to watch some short videos on the Louvre Museum playlist “One Minute in a Museum”:

One Minute in a Museum (The Louvre)

Follow on activity: What was your favourite work of art and why?

Challenge 2: Click on the link below to learn a few facts about The Louvre Museum:

Interesting facts about the Louvre Museum for kids

Follow on activity: Test your knowledge about the Louvre Museum by clicking on the link below to complete an online quiz:

Madame Birtwistle's Quiz: the Louvre Museum

Challenge 3: Enjoy a virtual tour of the Louvre Museum right from your computer screen:

Virtual Trip to the Louvre Museum

EXTRA CHALLENGE!

Explore another famous French museum in Paris: The Musée D’Orsay. You can virtually walk through this popular gallery that houses dozens of famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1848 and 1914. Discover artworks from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin, among others:

Virtual visit Musée d'Orsay

Follow on activity:

Create a fact file about Monet (or another French or Francophone artist) and then produce your own masterpiece “in the style of” this artist!

Facts about Claude Monet

10 Monet art projects for children