I have a confession to make.
I am not a craft-loving, messy project mom. So when I hear the words ‘art project’ I cringe just a little. But my daughter absolutely loves doing art projects (sometimes the messier the better)!
I realized that I needed to give her time to be creative so I make sure to schedule time for her to explore different art mediums and, with time, I’ve learned to embrace that time working on art projects (and even to enjoy it!).
If you need a little art inspiration, take some time to browse through the favorite homeschool art resources from our Curriculum Choice authors.
After a busy homeschooling day filled with math, grammar, and many other subjects, art often gets pushed to the back burner. But I encourage you to make time for art projects and artist study. Some of our best memories have been made with messy art supplies. Giving children time to be creative is just as important as that math lesson.
If you’re a busy homeschool mom who needs a little encouragement or the best resources for art, you’ll find lots of great tips from The Curriculum Choice authors.
From The Curriculum Choice Archives
At The Curriculum Choice, we have shared many reviews of our favorite homeschool art resources. Be sure to browse the tabs above to find curriculum reviews for homeschool art. You might also enjoy these that we’ve selected from our archives.
- A Year of Art Journaling – what a lovely idea! Art journaling would make a great family activity or part of a homeschool morning meeting.
- Math-terpieces – Combining math and art – it’s brilliant! My creative daughter would love to use this for a math lesson.
- Drawing with Children is my favorite instructional book for teaching kids how to draw.
- A Child’s Introduction to Art is a great book for an artist study and art history.
- Look! Really Smart Art will help you and your kids take a closer look at the techniques artists use.
- How to Draw Animals – if you have a child who keeps looking at those ‘how to draw’ books at the library or bookstore, this is the resource for you!
- Artists Activity Pak – Homeschool in the Woods Activity Pak series is fabulous – and this artist Pak is perfect for learning all about artists and their paintings.
- Inkblot – this book will definitely inspire creative kids to think outside the box.
- Storybook Art – is there anything better than reading a great book and doing a project? You’ll find 100 art projects based on picture books in this art book.
- A Simple Start in Chalk Pastels – chalk pastels are the perfect medium for family art projects and you’ll find lots of inspiration with the fabulous resources from Southern Hodgepodge.
- Home Art Studio – if you want a personal art instructor for your homeschool, this is the program for you! It’s also a very popular program with The Curriculum Choice authors – Heather’s review and Heather W.’s review.
- How to Plan Art Appreciation for Home or Co-Op – a fabulous post about creating your art plan from Barb of Harmony Fine Arts.
Homeschool Art Resources From Curriculum Choice Authors
The Curriculum Choice authors have active blogs where they regularly offer ideas and experiences about their homeschool adventures. Below are their very favorite art resources.
Tonia at The Sunny Patch
I’ll admit that I was a bit overwhelmed by the idea of teaching art when I started homeschooling. I certainly didn’t know much about famous artists or art history. But over the years I’ve learned some simple ways to include art study without feeling overwhelmed – Art Study in the Elementary Years.
I’ve also had the privilege of being a mom to a kid who loves art and drawing and crafts and pretty much any messy project. If you have one of those kids, you may want to read these 4 Tips for Raising a Crafty Kid.
And some of our favorite art projects and resources:
- Impressionist Art Project for Kids: Monet
- Pointillism Cookies
- Monet’s Japanese Bridge
- Resources for Impressionist Artists
- Renoir Art Project for Kids
- Favorite Art Appreciation Resources
Betsy at BJ’s Homeschool
We used arts and crafts, fingerpainting, water colors, drawing, handwork, and lots of hands-on history projects in our homeschool. Here’s some examples of how we made art a big part of our learning…
A Beka’s Art – Are you looking for a complete art program for your children? We loved the seasonal art projects, which helped to pepper our homeschool with fun ways to celebrate each season!
Develop Hand Strength with Clay Fun – This includes simple instructions for making sculptures with clay. I love how each project comes with easy to follow, step by step instructions. Your whole homeschool could take a Clay Fun break, in the afternoons.
The Art of Simple Bookmaking – These little books are very easy to make, using just construction paper. My little one loved making them so much that she wanted to do it again, and again, and meanwhile, she was learning early literary skills.
Oak Meadow – First Grade – This homeschool curriculum incorporates art, handwork, and simple projects to reach the child, head, hands and heart. Instructions are included for teaching simple knitting to your kids. I loved how they use beautiful art drawings to teach the letters of the alphabet.
- 3 Tips for Doing Art Every Week – Do you struggle to get art done each week? I don’t know about you but it doesn’t carry the same urgency as phonics, math, or writing. It’s too easy to let it slip week after week after week. If you’re anything like me, then you could use a few tips to ensure art happens.
- How to Teach Art in the Homeschool -3 years ago I threw my hands up in defeat and basically decided that Art was not an area we could handle in our homeschool. I just couldn’t find the time to consistently do it.
- A Simple Way to Add Art Appreciation to Your Homeschool- We like to employ a practical Classical Method in all of our studies. Since we do not officially set aside times to study art we still seek to develop a love of fine art. We simply follow the advice the Bluedorns give on the subject of art: “Expose the family to good music and good art. ” Teaching the Trivium pa 409
Art & Creativity Resources for Your Homeschool – A round up of all our favorite Art Resources to ignite some creativity into your homeschool. I hope you’ll stop by and share if you’ve used some of these in your homeschool 🙂
Ancient Art & the Orchestra – A Review – My post right here at The Curriculum Choice – all about Harmony Art Mom’s Ancient Art & the Orchestra lesson plans, so easy to include right into your homeschool week.
Art Spotlight – Whales, Coral Reefs & Tropical Fish – A couple of years ago we had some fun with all things whales, coral reefs and creating some tropical fish postcards!
The Art of Fall Mixed Media Workshop – Alisha Gratehouse has put together some wonderful video art courses that have been a blast to try this year. Do stop over and see if there is a workshop that suits your family, were are having tons of fun with them.
Chalk Pastels – Art at the Beach – Who knew that chalk pastels could be so fun? We have really enjoyed using this new to us medium this past year and discovering the difference between them and the oil variety. Super fun!
Tricia at Hodgepodge
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” ~ Pablo Picasso
100+ Free Art Lessons for All Ages – At Hodgepodge we are passionate about reminding you that You ARE an Artist! And in doing so, we’ve shared more than 100 Free Art Lessons for All Ages!
Art for All Ages – The Ultimate List of Art Fun, Ultimate List of Art Resources, Free Getting Started in Chalk Pastel Art ebook – It’s one handy spot for the hodgepodge of art for all ages. We wish you many art-filled afternoons!
How An Art Box Inspires Artists – Let me offer you a simple solution. An art box. See, I am very much the practical and make-it-easy type of mother. This solution is so practical you will find it easy to pull out the supplies for an afternoon of art.
How to Do Art in 5-10 Minutes – How do you fit in art? How can you do art in 5-10 minutes? When, oh when, is a good time to do art with children of all ages and stages? (These are questions I get often.)
10 Ways to Make Art Easy – Sometimes we make art difficult. Yet, just 10 minutes with crayons can be beautiful! Dear friends. You just need to say yes. Just do it.
Heidi at Starts At Eight
Art is a subject that has definitely suffered throughout the years in our house. There isn’t anyone in our house that is super artistic so it hasn’t been something I was really pushed to explore deeper. However, I feel it is super important to keep art and music alive in our children’s education! Throughout the years we have done a few standout projects that I would like to share with you.
Teaching the Color Wheel is one of the basics that I start out with, and one we still go back to in various forms when working on other projects. It is a great foundational art project.
We did a small unit on perspective that all my kids loved – Learning About Perspective Part I & Part II
The finished product of our Paper Silhouettes project is still hanging in my husband’s office. In fact he has liked them so much he recently asked if our kids would do updated ones!
The Chuck Close Portraits were my favorite! We even made some as gifts for people!
Annie Kate at Tea Time with Annie Kate
Throughout our homeschooling years our approach to art has changed dramatically. The older ones were so often taken to art museums in both Canada and the Netherlands that my middle daughter had a favorite picture at age two, and woe to us if we were in the wrong museum for her to see her Isaac and ‘Becca. Then we moved, and things changed.
As for the younger ones, well, we’ve done picture study and nature study and so much more, but it has never been the same. Even so, they have gone through Art with a Purpose, and some of us have studied Francis Schaeffer’s Art and the Bible.
I am sad that this part of our homeschool is not as vibrant as it used to be, and I can only recommend that the sooner you expose children to art and picture study, the more likely they will enjoy it. Even so, some children will get impatient with themselves and their abilities and want to stop. This led one of mine to become a keen nature photographer instead, and another one is on the same path.
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The Curriculum Choice Review Team Features
- Our Art Projects Pinterest board.
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~ Hosted by Tonia
Tonia is a homeschooling mom to one daughter, married to her college sweetheart, and owner of one crazy beagle. You can find her reading a book when she isn't busy homeschooling or writing.
This is a great resource! I am sharing with my readers this week.
And we appreciate all your wonderful Harmony Fine Arts resources – which are included here in our list of reviews! Thank you for sharing!