Museum The Rijksmuseum for Children

Welcome to the Rijksmuseum. And an extra big welcome to this tour about house, garden and herd animals represented in the finest works of art in the museum.

Did you know that the very first drawings humans ever made were of buffalo and deer? That was more than 15 thousand years ago! When we were still cavemen. The drawings were found in caves in Spain and France. We humans have always had animals around us, to eat, to work with, for transportation, but also for companionship. And for as long as we have existed, we have drawn animals.
But have you ever seen a camel made of wood? Or a horse that looks like a model? And what about a deer made of silver? Or a huge cockatoo that can be broken, because it is made of porcelain? And I haven’t even mentioned the painting where children are teasing their cat…

Go and have a look! Follow the route shown by the cat paws and discover all kinds of weird and wonderful animals throughout the museum, from the Middle Ages with knights and churches, till five centuries later. Animal art in people's homes to animal art in the King’s palace.

During this trip through the museum, you will be asked some quiz questions: 9 in total. Make sure you have a piece of paper and a pen or pencil with you before you start.
Write down the numbers 1 - 9. For each question, you can choose from 3 answers, and behind each answer is a letter. Write this letter on the piece of paper next to the question number. Pay attention, because at the end of this journey, you will need these 9 letters.

Good luck in the quiz .... But, more importantly, have a lot of fun watching and listening.
By the end of the tour, you may even feel like creating a painting of an animal yourself, or making one out of clay.
You will see, everything is possible. Have fun!

Route 1
Keep the round information desk to your left and go up the stairs towards the toilets (follow the red line.) Scan your admission ticket and enter the museum. Walk straight ahead (follow the green line) and turn left at the end. Be careful because the first work of art is just around the corner to the left.