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Welcome to the Vincent Van Gogh Box!Â
Here's your guide to what's inside the box, along with links to the lesson plans, videos, slideshows, project guides, and interactive activities. We can't wait to see what your students create!Â
Go, Go, Van Gogh!
In the late 19th century, Vincent van Gogh changed the course of art—not by painting what the world looked like, but by painting how it felt. With swirling brushstrokes, electric color, and raw emotion, Van Gogh transformed ordinary subjects—night skies, sunflowers, bedrooms, wheat fields—into powerful expressions of mood, movement, and imagination. His work showed that art could be expressive, personal, and deeply human.
Van Gogh painted with urgency and heart, layering thick paint to make his feelings visible. Though he struggled during his lifetime, his fearless creativity opened the door to modern art and inspired generations of artists to paint from the inside out.
This box invites kids to explore Van Gogh’s world of bold color, dynamic movement, and expressive mark-making through hands-on projects inspired by his most iconic works. To set the stage and give students a visual and historical overview before creating, we recommend starting with our short introductory slideshow.
THE PROJECTS
SUNFLOWER
SPECTACULAR
Let's collaborate!Â
Open the lesson plan to get started.
 Students examine Van Gogh’s use of bold color, repetition, and expressive texture, then work together to create a large sunflower artwork using bubble wrap printmaking techniques. By creating centers, cutting petals, then assembling as a group, students experience how texture and pattern can bring energy and movement to a composition. This project supports collaboration, process-based artmaking, and an understanding of how artists use texture to convey feeling.Â
Lesson Plan | Deck
STARRY NIGHT
LUMINARIES
Bright Starry Nights ahead!Â
Open the lesson plan to explore instructions.
Students study Van Gogh’s swirling lines, layered blues, and sense of movement in the night sky, then create their own Starry Night luminaries inspired by his iconic brushwork. Using simple materials, students design glowing night scenes that come alive when illuminated with a tea candle. This project supports an understanding of movement, line, and mood in art, while encouraging creativity, craftsmanship, and a little bit of magic.
Lesson Plan | Deck
VAN GOGH INSPIRED
SELF PORTRAITS
Bold Lines. Big Feelings.
Find the teacher guide and slideshow here!
Students study Van Gogh’s confident outlines, visible brushstrokes, and bold color choices, then create their own self-portrait inspired by his energetic style. Using mirrors, students focus on facial proportions and mood, while building a dynamic background filled with swirling lines. This project supports observational drawing, emotional expression, and an understanding of how line and color communicate mood and feeling.
Lesson Plan | Deck
BEDROOM AT ARLES DIORAMA
Design a Room Full of Color!
View the lesson plan and slideshow here.
Students study Vincent van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles, noticing his bold outlines, simplified shapes, and expressive use of color. They explore how Van Gogh used unusual angles. Students then color, cut, and assemble their own cardstock diorama of the bedroom, transforming a flat image into a three-dimensional space. This project supports spatial awareness, fine motor skills, and an understanding of how color and perspective can communicate atmosphere.
Lesson Plan | Deck
Looking Closely
Explore the blog links below for engaging discussion prompts inspired by three additional Vincent van Gogh masterpieces.
