Artissimo

Come explore art – then play, draw, paint and create!

Families are invited to experience the National Gallery, play art games, make their own artworks and share art with other kids across Canada and around the world. Artissimo activities are for children aged 3 and older accompanied by an adult.

When

From 10 am to 4 pm
Weekends and holidays
Offered daily during March Break in Quebec (March 2 to 6) and Ontario (March 16 to 20).

Location

Artissimo Kiosk
Fred and Elizabeth Fountain Garden Court

Cost

Free with Gallery admission
Free for members

Who

Children aged 3+, accompanied by an adult

Things to Do

Have fun with loads of activities for children, parents and caregivers.

A boy observes a replica of a figure in a painting in front of the original work.

Art Buddies

Discover art with an Art Buddy

Each Art Buddy is a replica of a figure in a painting. Find the painting that features your Art Buddy and learn more about the work.

Twelve jumbo cubes allowing to re-create six different artworks from the national collection.

Art Cubed

Build an artwork from the ground up

Rotate and stack 12 jumbo cubes to re-create 6 different artworks from the national collection. Then find the original artworks in the Canadian and Indigenous Galleries.

A boy and his dad make an imaginary building with wooden blocks.

Super Structures

Explore architecture

Make your own imaginary buildings with our colossal assortment of wooden blocks.

A boy tries to identify the objects and textures in the feely box.

Feely Boxes

Challenge your sense of touch

Identify the objects and textures in the feely box, and find the artwork by matching what you feel with what you see.

A girl wears the reproduction of a dress wore by a figure in a work of art.

Who Am I?

Step into an artwork

Our costumes are stunning reproductions of the clothing people wear in our artworks. Try one on – then find the matching artwork and imagine how that person lived.