Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Art Gallery Walk Worksheet: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 3
- ForYear 3
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Art Gallery Walk Worksheet is a free printable art activity for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). Children look closely at a piece of art, then describe it and say what they think. They answer questions about colours, what is in the picture, how it makes them feel and what they would ask the artist. It takes about 10 to 20 minutes and needs only a pencil.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages. Give page 1 to your child and keep page 2, which has notes, help, a stretch idea and answers. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children take the sheet and a pencil to an artwork. It might be in a gallery, a book, a school corridor or a print at home. Numbered questions with space to write guide them. They find the title, name the colours, say what is in the picture and describe how it makes them feel. Then they imagine adding something and think of a question for the artist.
- What is the title of the artwork?
- What colours can you see?
- What is in the picture?
- How does it make you feel?
- What would you add to it?
- What would you ask the artist?
Why talk about art at seven and eight?
Looking at art is a skill, and it grows with practice. Year 3 children can already notice a lot, but they often glance and move on. Questions slow them down. When a child has to name every colour or list what is in a picture, they start to see small details they would otherwise miss. That careful looking helps in drawing, reading and science too.
There is no wrong answer to how a picture makes you feel, and that is what makes this activity gentle. Children practise giving an opinion and backing it up with something they can see. Saying "it feels calm because the colours are soft" is real reasoning. It also builds the confidence to speak about art without worrying about getting it right.
Fun facts about art
- Artists make art with many things, including paint, pencil, clay, fabric and photographs.
- A picture of a person is called a portrait. A picture of a place outside is called a landscape.
- Red, yellow and blue paint can be mixed to make many other colours.
- A sculpture is a piece of art you can walk around and see from all sides.
- Many public galleries in the UK are free to visit, and visitors are usually asked not to touch the art.
Skills and curriculum link
- Looking closely
- Describing
- Colour words
- Giving an opinion
- Explaining why
- Asking questions
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Art and Design | Artists | Year 3 |
What children will be able to do
- I can look closely at a piece of art.
- I can describe what I see.
- I can explain what I think about it.
Ideas to help children look and talk
- Look before you speakAsk your child to look at the artwork in silence for a short time first. Then ask what they noticed. The first thing they see is often not the only thing.
- Use colour wordsColours can be more than red or blue. Words like pale, bright, dark, warm and cool help children describe more exactly what they see.
- Opinions need a reasonEncourage "I think... because...". The reason should point to something in the picture, such as a colour, a shape or a person.
- Questions are art tooArtists make choices. Asking why they chose something is a good way to think about their work, even when nobody can answer.
Key words
- ArtworkA picture, sculpture or other thing made by an artist.
- ArtistA person who makes art.
- GalleryA place where art is shown for people to look at.
- PortraitA picture of a person.
- LandscapeA picture of a place, often outdoors.
- OpinionWhat you think or feel about something. Other people may think differently.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Take a pencil and a clipboard, or a book to lean on. Choose an artwork to look at. Do one artwork only if time is short.
- Work through the questions together the first time. Talk about each answer before your child writes it.
- Check against the notes on page 2. Ask, "What makes you say that?" The reasons matter as much as the words.
- Come back another day with a different artwork. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Talk through each answer before writing. Ask your child to point to what they are describing. Start with the easiest questions, such as colours, and leave feelings until later. Let them say the answer out loud first, then write just a few words.
To stretch confident children
Sketch a small part of the artwork. Choose one corner or one object and draw only that. Look carefully at its shape and colour. Then explain to someone else why you chose that part and what you noticed while drawing it.
Make it a game
Play I spy with colours in the room. One person says, "I spy something blue." Everyone guesses. Then make it harder with shades, such as "something pale green" or "something very dark". Take turns choosing the colour.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes "nice" or "good" for every answer.
Try thisAsk, "What makes you say that?" Help them point to a colour, a shape or something in the picture, and add it to the sentence.
Watch forA child names only one or two colours.
Try thisAsk them to look at the background and the corners. Cover the main part of the picture with a hand and name what is left.
Watch forA child says "I don't know" when asked what they would ask the artist.
Try thisOffer a starter such as "Why did you choose...?" or "How did you make...?" Then let them finish it.
Talk about it
- What did you see first, and what did you notice later?
- Which colour stands out most? Why do you think so?
- If you could step into the picture, where would you stand?
- Is the picture busy or calm? What makes it feel that way?
- What would you change or add, and why?
- Would you like to have this on your wall at home?
Take it off the page
Make a gallery at home
Pick three pictures or drawings in the house. Give each a title on a small card and set them in a row. Walk a friend or family member along the row and say what you like about each one.
Colour hunt
Choose one colour and find as many shades of it as you can in a room or the garden. Describe each with a word such as pale, bright or deep.
Draw a reply
Look at an artwork and draw what you think might be just outside the edge of the picture. Say why you chose it.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first artwork, then let them lead. Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty. Listen more than you speak. If they are stuck, ask them to point to something they can see.
Teachers
Use it on a gallery visit, as a starter before an art lesson, as a plenary, or as a table task with a print on each table. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with a library book on artists, a local gallery or museum, or art on a walk. Use it again with siblings, who can compare their answers to the same picture and see how opinions differ.
Where this fits in learning about art
Before this sheet, children have usually learned to talk about their own drawings and paintings and to name colours and shapes. This sheet moves that skill on to looking at the work of other artists and giving reasons for what they think.
After it, children can go on to compare artworks and learn about particular artists. Famous Artists Fact Cards is a good next step. Over time they use art words more exactly and link what they see to how a piece was made.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- What can you see in this picture?
- What do you think the artist wanted us to feel?
- What would you ask the artist if you met them?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Art Gallery Walk Worksheet for?
It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. Younger children can try it with an adult doing the writing. Older children can give longer, more detailed answers.
- Do we need to visit a gallery?
No. You can use a picture in a book, a print, a poster or a piece of art on the wall at school or home. A real gallery is a nice extra but not needed.
- Are there right and wrong answers?
Some answers can be checked by looking, such as colours and what is in the picture. Feelings and ideas are opinions, so they are not right or wrong. What matters is whether the child can give a reason.
- How long does it take?
Most children finish page 1 in 10 to 20 minutes. Do one artwork only if time is short. If your child is keen, repeat it with a second artwork another day.
- Is it free to print?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another class, and you do not need colour.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas to help with mixed groups.
- Is it a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children look, think and write by hand, which gives their eyes a rest from screens.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.