Budding Artist Tour of the Musée d’Orsay - Louise R.
Play with pencils and colors in Orsay
Budding Artists! An interactive experience combining a Musée d’Orsay visit with hands-on time to draw and paint like the great artists of Orsay.
Fast facts
For children aged 8 to 14
Duration: 2 hours at the Musee d'Orsay + 1 hour outside for the painting and drawing activity.
+Led by a State-Certified Guide-Lecturer
+Includes a unique guided tour of the Musée d’Orsay
+A hands-on art class makes the information come to life
"In this family tour of the Musée d’Orsay, children discover how artists like Monet, Renoir, and Seurat captured emotion with color and light.
Through fun and exciting activities, kids will learn how the masters invented new techniques to bring their visions to life. They’ll learn how tiny dots can create entire worlds and how unexpected color combinations express deep feelings.
Everything is geared toward the interest of the child and their curiosity, leading to a fulfilling and entertaining time for every member of the family."
What to expect ?
First, a unique tour of Musée d’Orsay
You and your children (ages 8-14) will start by walking through the enchanting and dense art collection of the Orsay Museum.
Beloved by Parisians, the Musée d’Orsay offers a welcoming and inspiring setting for families and children. Its bright galleries, clear layouts, and human-scale masterpieces make it especially kid-friendly and easy to explore at a relaxed pace.
The museum also allows practical comforts—such as borrowing chairs—which makes our activities more accessible.
Besides, housed in a whimsical old train station, this institution contains the greatest paintings and sculptures from the Great Century !
What we do learn about ?
Your family will learn about how to become an artist during the 19th century and the colorful characters that made up the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movements. These stories are told by the expert guide and inside educational booklets.
We will observe !
Our state-certified family guide invites your kids to look closely at the canvases, guess what colors were mixed, and imagine what the painters might have felt.
This lets your child’s imagination be part of the journey.
Then it’s their turn to experiment!
Supplies
Quality art supplies will be provided by the guide
Children are guided to make artwork using all the new Impressionist techniques they’ve just seen in action (including Pointilism and Optical Mixing). They’ll have access to:
● Bright crayons
● Washable markers
● Colored dots
By the end of the 3-hour experience, your family group will have seen masterpieces and made your own.
Make it a Party
Want to bring together friends for an unbelievable children’s party?
We can accommodate up to 4 children ages 8-12!
Children must be accompanied with at least one adult.
This makes for incredible:
● Large family vacations
● Creative playdates
Meet your guide
Created by Louise
The tour is led by Louise, a docent, part time teacher, workshop animator with the Louvre Museum, and State-Certified Guide-Lecturer.
Louise has worked at the Louvre Museum as an official cultural mediator, where she specialized in engaging young audiences as well as visitors with special needs. Trained in inclusive cultural mediation, she is deeply committed to making art accessible, meaningful, and inspiring for all.
Based in Paris, Louise regularly leads philosophy workshops and hands-on art workshops for school pupils, encouraging curiosity, critical thinking, and creative expression through works of art. Her approach combines observation, dialogue, patience and creativity, allowing children to connect emotionally and intellectually with masterpieces.
Louise also designs and leads tailor-made museum tours for children and adults, blending storytelling, interaction, and play to create memorable cultural experiences adapted to each age group.
The idea
Louise describes the Budding Artist Tour this way:
"The idea behind this visit is to help children engage with the museum, to make it an inspiring (and not boring) place that stimulates their imagination and creativity. It's also about inviting them to explore artists' techniques and experiment with them so they can better appreciate the artworks.
This gives them a glimpse "behind the scenes." Of course, the booklet is also designed to teach them things, and I'm there to provide historical background. Adults will also find it worthwhile; the product can be presented as fairly "technical and in-depth" content, adapted for children.
Finally, the advantage for parents is that they can take the time to appreciate the artworks while the children are engrossed in their booklets. Regarding the age range, I think the minimum is 8 years old, but it can go up to 14. You can also mention the concept of introductory art, as I'm not an experienced artist, just an amateur."
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