The Best Art Detective Games for Children

Game Options

• Art detective games are usually online games that are interactive and allow the child to figure out the mystery from the clues in the game. Teachers of art classes can also set up detective games for children, such as games to find details in a painting or to find where a painting is hidden in the classroom. This allows the children to get up and move around in the classroom.

Types of Lessons

• Art detective games for children are designed to help students learn something. The types of lessons vary depending on the game. For example, the game "A. Pintura: Art Detective" is designed to teach art history while the game "Detail Detective" (see Resources) is designed to help pick out various details and aspects of art in a painting.

Considerations for Games

• Age appropriateness is a major consideration when picking out the best art detective games for children. For example, a game that requires much reading and complex ideas might not be appropriate for young children, while games that are primarily looking at pictures are appropriate for younger children and older children alike. For example, the Tate Kids Art Detective game (see Resources) is primarily looking at an object rather than reading through a story and selecting actions.

Picking the Best Games

• Picking out the best games requires looking at the child's age, looking over the game and determining if the game is appropriate for the child's age and understanding as well as whether the art in the game is non-offensive to parents. Games relating to art history might not always be appropriate in the eyes of a parent as some art styles or images might offend parents.