The Louvre is a kind of museum you can spend a week in and not see all the exhibitions. But how could you? It’s the world’s largest museum and offers you about 35,000 objects… Visiting the Louvre with kids may seem a nightmare. But don’t be prejudiced. It can succeed if you have an adequate plan and attitude. And why is it worth?

Something nice for everyone

First of all it can be a really interesting museum even if not everything is the object of interest for you or especially for the kids. But among these 35,000 objects there surely can be found something appealing.

The world’s most famous painting

If I asked you what is the most famous painting of the world what would you answer? I would say “Mona Lisa”… Thousands of pages have been written about this work of Leonardo da Vinci, thousands of people have wondered why is she smiling and why is she doing it this special way. Even if you are not really fond of this kind of painting how could you miss the most famous smile and not see it by yourself? And it is displayed in the Louvre…

Make a list

Sightseeing will be much easier if you prepare a bit before. Show the kids a few paintings or sculptures, tell them a story why are they so famous and ask them to find it. Make a list. Of course you can’t miss the already mentioned “Mona Lisa”. Explain it shows Lisa Giocondo – the wife of a wealthy Florentine merchant. Why “Mona Lisa”? It’s a shortcut from Italian “Mia donna Lisa” which means My Lady Lisa. Francesco del Giocondo ordered this painting to celebrate the birth of their son. But was he aware he was buying immortality for his wife?

You may also add a thrilling story about a thief who carried “Mona Lisa” out hidden in a broom closet as he felt the painting should be displayed in Italy. It took two years to retrieve it! Or about the attempts of destroying the painting with a rock or acid? That’s why it’s now being shielded by a bulletproof glass…

What else can be on your list? Maybe the statue “Venus de Milo”? Why don’t you imagine a story why her arms are missing? Or the sculpture “Nike of Samothrace” who in turn is missing her head as well? Maybe the kids can try to pain how the head could have looked like? Or the portray “Infanta Maria Margareta” with the daughter of King of Spain Philip IV by Diego Velazquez. She was only 5 years old when her parents arranged her marriage with an uncle…

It’s where the King used to live

Second reason for visiting the Louvre is that it is not an ordinary building – it used to be a palace! It’s quite surprising – now the Louvre is a house shared by so many works of art while it used to belong to one king only… to King of France. The walls you are looking at must have seen many amazing things… Now they see the tourists only but in the past? What must have been happening here? In the XVII th century king Louis XIV decided he needs something more comfortable and moved to the Versailles. Can you imagine leaving such home? During the French Revolution in the XVIII th century the Louvre was transformed into a public museum we can visit today…

The Louvre Pyramid

And the third reason is that the Louvre is not as boring and unchanged as you may expect from such a historical building. You can see a modern detail – famous glass and metal Louvre Pyramid in the main courtyard serving as the entrance to the museum. It’s surrounded by three smaller pyramids. Now the Pyramid is a landmark of Paris. But was it admired from the very beginning? Of course it was’t 🙂 French do not like changes very much. Even though it was ordered by the French President François Mitterrand its completion in 1989 arouse a great criticism lasting many years. Main objection was that the modernist style of the Pyramid simply doesn’t suit the majestic style of the Louvre. Moreover the pyramid was said to be a symbol of death from ancient Egypt! And how could a Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei interfere Parisian treasures!

What do you thing about the Pyramid? Was it a good idea to build it?

And there is a task for the kids – can you find the Inverted Pyramid?

Some rest

After visiting the Louvre you surely deserve some rest. What about going to the adjacent Tuileries Gardens? Here the kids can run and shout as much as they want finally 🙂

TIP

Before visiting museums look for some inspirations in a book. For example “Lives of the Great Artists” by Charlie Ayres dedicated for children. It will help you tell something about the most famous artists in a language understandable for kids. There is a scene where Leonardo da Vinci is painting “Mona Lisa.” And when Diego Velazquez is about to end another portray of Infanta Maria Margareta “Las Meninas”. Thanks to such preparation you can arouse some interest and make your visit at the museum something the kids are waiting for.



