Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel while lying on his back on top of scaffolding, which wasn’t the easiest job! Your child can experience what it was like for Michelangelo while he was painting his masterpiece with the use of the kitchen table – and some imagination!
What You Need:
- Sheet of white paper
- Black crayon
- Watercolor paints
- Tape
- Underside of a table
What You Do:
- Help your child arrange his work area by clearing away chairs and tablecloths that might get in his way. He can also remove anything from the top of the table, ensuring he won’t have anything tip or fall while he’s working. A small play table would work great, too!
- Now offer your child a piece of paper and tape to adhere the paper to the underside of the table. He can place a few pillows in his work area to make himself comfortable, too.
- Before beginning, invite your child to take a closer look at the finished Sistine Chapel and discover what types of images Michelangelo created to adorn the ceiling. He can use the paintings as inspiration, or chose to create his own ceiling decorations!
- Invite your child to use a black crayon to sketch his ceiling creation before working with his watercolor paints. When he’s ready, he can carefully begin painting!
Once your child is finished, discuss if it was easy or difficult to create his ceiling painting. Invite friends and family to take a look at his under-the-table painting before removing and displaying in an easier-to-view spot!
Did You Know:
It took Michelangelo almost 10-years to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? And, the entire area of the ceiling is over 5000 square feet!
By Sarah Lipoff
Sarah Lipoff has a K-12 Art Education degree and enjoys working with kids of all ages.
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