Art Makes A Homeschool Day Better
Art turns the homeschool day around! How? Scientific research has proven that stimulating the right side of the brain helps with whole brain growth. We have found the creativity we enjoyed during art time spills over into other subjects. Those creative ideas help with thinking throughout the day.
Nana says, “How soon should art be introduced to a child? As soon as he or she can hold a crayon! Children are innately artists by themselves and if given the opportunity and the delight of wielding a paintbrush, a child will create a masterpiece all their own. There are NO rules but one: Praise, praise, praise”!
And this is where I want to take a minute and speak to you mamas. You may not feel like you are an artist at all. You may have compared yourself to others. Take a deep breath. Set it all aside. Look at the smiling faces of your children and fold yourself right into the possible mess. Here’s some practical encouragement for you. Because it has taken me practice. And that is all you need – practice.
Not every single day but most days we clear the kitchen table right after lunch and we create.
No agenda. No commitments. No have tos. No school subjects.
(Of course you can – and it is such fun to – incorporate art into other school subjects. We do that too!)
Art Makes a Homeschool Day Better - 8 Tips for Success
Now in her 15th year of homeschooling, Tricia faces a daily dose of chaos with five children. She and her mother co-author a series of art curriculum for all ages. You can find 100+ free art tutorials and helpful homeschool habits at Hodgepodge. She and her husband, Steve, are also owners of The Curriculum Choice, a review website making homeschool decisions easy.
“Creativity, it’s good theology; it’s what God did in the beginning.” ~ Ann Voskamp, Why Everybody Needs to Make Art Everyday: 7 Keys to CreativityThe past five years or more we have been learning about creativity and the love of art from my mother, Lucia Hames (a.k.a. Nana). Her motto is “You ARE an artist!”
Nana says, “How soon should art be introduced to a child? As soon as he or she can hold a crayon! Children are innately artists by themselves and if given the opportunity and the delight of wielding a paintbrush, a child will create a masterpiece all their own. There are NO rules but one: Praise, praise, praise”!
And this is where I want to take a minute and speak to you mamas. You may not feel like you are an artist at all. You may have compared yourself to others. Take a deep breath. Set it all aside. Look at the smiling faces of your children and fold yourself right into the possible mess. Here’s some practical encouragement for you. Because it has taken me practice. And that is all you need – practice.
Not every single day but most days we clear the kitchen table right after lunch and we create.
No agenda. No commitments. No have tos. No school subjects.
(Of course you can – and it is such fun to – incorporate art into other school subjects. We do that too!)
Art Makes a Homeschool Day Better - 8 Tips for Success
- Create an art time following lunch. Commit to just 5-10 minutes.
- Get a cheap, throw away, plastic tablecloth for $1 in the clearance section. Or use an old birthday party tablecloth (children love that!)
- Place the trash can close by.
- Place baby wipes within close reach of everyone. Even place a couple at each spot at the table.
- You might even make a trail of towels (that you don’t mind getting stained) as a path to the kitchen sink.
- Use paper plates as palates. Paper towels as placemats.
- No need to invest in expensive art supplies. Use printer paper. Whatever you have on hand.
- ENJOY!
- Remember that there is no right way to do it. Because we are all created differently. We all need practice. And we all share our creativity in a different way.
Now in her 15th year of homeschooling, Tricia faces a daily dose of chaos with five children. She and her mother co-author a series of art curriculum for all ages. You can find 100+ free art tutorials and helpful homeschool habits at Hodgepodge. She and her husband, Steve, are also owners of The Curriculum Choice, a review website making homeschool decisions easy.
