Talking Pictures for Children 

Talking Pictures is an online resource for children and their adults based on artwork from the Crawford Art Gallery Collection. We will share creative prompts for happy talk and play every Wednesday. 

You can download an Irish language version of this page in PDF format here.

About the artwork

This drawing shows a very hungry customer and a dancing chef! 

Alfred Bendiner (1899-1964) was an American artist who made lots of quick drawings full of fun and mischief. Alfred would sketch wherever he went, often in cafés and restaurants, using scraps of paper or menus. His restaurant drawings show silly waiters, plump chefs, fantastic food and all sorts of curious customers!

Let’s Play!

Feeling peckish?

Our table is set with a place just for you!

To work up an appetite, can you draw all of your favourite food on a very large plate?

Can you design an extravagant sandwich for our menu?

What ingredients will you use?

ham   sweets   cheese   lettuce   coleslaw  

custard   ketchup   jam   tomato   ice cream

sliced pan   sausage   peanut butter   spinach  

beef   butter   crisps   chocolate   cabbage   

banana   mustard   jelly   brussels sprouts  

salami   tuna   chocolate sauce   onion   broccoli 

Write about eating your extravagant sandwich!

You can dip into our word-soup below!

gobble   gobble    munch   munch    sip    slurp    chew   swallow

lick   warm   yummy  tummy   spoon   drip   drop   share  slow 

quick   dip   its mine!   slip   slop   smell   sniff   taste   tongue   teeth 

napkin   more!   full   wrap   tease   scrumptious   burp   smooth   light  

fluffy   crispy   delicious   nom-nom-nom   lumpy   table   salty   

HOT  plate   NO!   Wait   crunch   hiccup   spicy   sweet   MMMMM!!  

Want to keep playing?

Collect bits and bobs from around the house to design your own house menu!

Wool makes hairy spaghetti, for pretend eating only!
Collage scraps of fabric and cut out shapes from paper to create new dishes.
Beads and buttons in a saucepan make for a noisy, yet hearty stew.
Raid the recycling bin for this and that!
If you have access to a garden, whisk up some mud pies in old containers and decorate with a garnish of leaves and stones.

Bon Appetit!

Follow and use #crawfordartgalleryhomelife to share your creations and see others on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!