Do you have some “littles” lurking around your table while you are setting up an art lesson? You know, the eager two or three-year-old want-to-be artist? Pull them up a chair, and even put a couple of books on the seat to raise them up to table level! Yep, invite them to sit at the Big Kid Art Table! I can tell you how and when this can happen at your house. Change his life with this invitation. Little person will be forever thankful! Do it today! Look, EVERYONE can be an artist! ❤️Nana
Art with preschoolers can feel a little scary and overwhelming, but it is, even more fun and rewarding. Nana is sharing some marvelous tips for encouraging your young artist.
What comes to mind when you think about preschoolers and art: crayons, markers, glitter, and finger paint? There are many different modes of art with preschoolers, but do not rule out chalk pastels.
Listen to Nana’s Podcast The Big Kid Art Table: Preschool Art Lessons for Your Homeschool
Now that Nana has given you some tips on encouraging your little artists, we want to provide some ideas to help you with the hands-on side of implementation.
Big Kid Table Preschool Art Lessons
First, Nana has some amazing preschool lessons for those littlest learners. From basic shapes to fun seasonal drawings, these are a great simple way to get them started with classes designed just for them.
Online Preschool Art Courses For Your Homeschool
Preschool Fall Video Art Lessons
Preschool Barnyard Video Art Lessons
Preschool Summer Video Art Lessons
Preschool Spring Video Art Lessons
Preschool Winter Video Art Lessons
Preschool Chalk Pastel Video Art Lessons
There are also some fun ideas for learning about sight words with chalk pastels.
Preschoolers also tend to love farms and farm animals, so you can get some more ideas from this list of 12 Delightful Farm Art Activities.
The When and Why of Preschool Art
Some of you probably think this all sounds great, but you are unsure how you will fit in art and if it is even worth the time. You might have older children that need more attention, the housework never seems to end, and someone is constantly calling your name (or maybe that’s just at my house.)
However, there are many benefits to teaching art to young children. Did you know that your children can increase fine motor and language skills in addition to art skills (valuable in their own right) through art lessons? Check out this article on Preschool Art and Music Lessons for more details on the benefits of art lessons.
When it comes to fitting art into the schedule, it is essential to remember that you do not have to do art every day to make it effective, and you can keep it very simple. You will make an impact even if you take fifteen minutes a week and set your preschooler up with one of the chalk pastel lessons at the kitchen table while you prep dinner. Check out this article from Courtney with more ways to make time for art.
I hope this post and podcast encouraged you to include fun art lessons with your preschoolers.
Big Kid Art Table Resources
P.S. If you enjoy this episode, would you please share it with a friend (there’s a handy little share button above) and/or leave a review on your favorite podcast app? Thanks!
Nana is passionate about helping you realize you ARE an artist! Not only an artist with chalk pastels but with homeschooling, creative spaces, favorite family recipes and more. Nana also enjoys chatting – especially about art. If you have followed along with any of her You ARE an Artist video art lessons, you know that. She also enjoys sharing photos and thoughts on topics while she is being creative in her studio space on her back porch. That is where she will be chatting with you – from her back porch. It’s Nana’s You ARE an Artist Podcast!
This preschool art and music curriculum for your homeschool has everything you need to foster an early love and appreciation of art and music.
The Benefits Of Adding Art And Music To Your Homeschool
What do you think of when you hear art and music for preschoolers? Do you think that should be for older children? Maybe you already have a full plate and do not know how to add anything else. You might even be thinking that your preschooler is far too wiggly to sit still for art and music lessons.
I have great news, art and music for preschoolers has many benefits and can be super simple to implement in your homeschool.
First, incorporating art and music with your preschooler is a great way to create shared family experiences and bonding. You can sing songs together, talk about art, and even create art together.
Second, music and art can help increase language skills. So often, parents feel pressured to focus on reading and math. However, preschool-aged children learn best through hands-on activities and play. Art and music will help prepare them to learn those reading skills when the time is right.
Art and music also help develop preschoolers’ fine and gross motor skills. Holding a paintbrush or chalk pastel, singing with rhythm instruments, and dancing with the music are just examples of how art and music help with motor skills.
Finally, art and music lessons in your homeschool can increase emotional well-being in children by helping them learn to express themselves and become more aware and observant of the world around them. They learn to describe artwork and use those same skills to describe their own emotions. Children hear songs that express different feelings and learn to use that same vocabulary.
Remember, with preschool art and music, the goal is exposure and experience, not mastery and perfection.
Our Favorite Homeschool Preschool Art Curriculum Choices
The benefits of art and music are many, but that does not change the fact that it may seem like a daunting task. However, there are many great options to include an art and music curriculum in your home. Remember that this doesn’t have to be something you do for hours a day or even every day. A few minutes or an hour a few times a week will offer your child a depth of incredible knowledge and experience.
One of the easiest ways to include your preschooler in art lessons is the Preschool homeschool art lessons from Nana! She has created a wide variety of simple chalk pastel lessons perfect for the preschool age group.
She starts with a short five-minute video that explains to parents how to teach art to preschoolers. Then there are some fun basic shape drawings. In addition, there is a course for each season and our personal favorite, the Preschool Barnyard Homeschool Art Lessons. The adorable tractor and farm animals from that course are lessons my children go back to time and time again.
One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
In addition to teaching preschoolers to create art, it is beneficial to teach them to appreciate the art of others. Art history is a subject that many parents do not feel comfortable teaching, and it might feel overwhelming or like it is too complicated for preschoolers. However, the new first-grade fine arts lessons are the perfect solution. I know it says first grade, but the great ideas and resources easily adapt for preschoolers (and can be used with older children to do them as a family to save time and create shared memories).
This simple homeschool fine arts program will help you choose good pieces of artwork to share with your children and give you different ways to engage with that artwork. There are links to digital images that you can view and discuss, hands-on artwork ideas, book suggestions, and an idea for incorporating some great artwork in a hands-on fashion with Child-Sized Masterpieces and Dover Classics coloring books.
The child-sized masterpieces were an excellent addition for my three-year-old. He started by matching them and advanced to using them as a memory game. They are so simple to use and exposed him to many great works of art.
Top Homeschool Music Curriculum Choices
In addition to art lessons, the first-grade fine arts lessons include ideas for music appreciation. In a low-pressure manner, it introduces a new composer every four weeks. You can read about the composer and then listen to various music from that composer. The style is easy to incorporate into your day. You might listen while you eat lunch or as you are getting ready for nap time. Other families might enjoy playing the music while children are quietly coloring or building with blocks.
If you have a You Are an Artist membership, there is a beautiful four-week homeschool unit study about George F. Handel. This study is set up much the same as the fine arts lessons and includes information about Handel and suggested listening. If you have older children joining in, there are some worksheets you can include.
Additional Resources For Homeschool Art and Music For All Ages
Whenever possible, we enjoy using programs that work for the whole family. Hymn studies can be a great way to incorporate music and art for the entire family. These hymn studies include music and art, and they are perfect for the whole family to enjoy together.
You can also check out this great post with ideas for making time for preschool art in your home!
Finally, if you have a Disney fan in your house, you may want to check out the second-grade fine arts curriculum for homeschool. It includes some songs from favorite Disney movies, and this would be a great way to get even a preschooler interested in music and fun for the whole family.
Dawn is a passionate follower of Jesus, wife to Chris, and homeschool mom of four. In her spare time she loves to read, hike, and write on her blog Schoolin’ Swag. She enjoys reviewing curriculum and helping moms find the right fit for their family.
It happens to all of us. We carefully plan our homeschool days and weeks, but we are so busy trying to cover all of the things that we often skip the most fun thing – art! Yep, we have all done it.
By the end of the day, most of us have homeschooled multiple children in multiple grade levels, and we are tired, spent, and some days just plain over it. But what we are skipping could actually be the subject that refreshes and renews our souls. Especially those little bitty souls.
Early learners need lots of play-based learning and time creating. We have to make time for preschool art in our homes and homeschools. Art is essential to the mental, social, and emotional growth of our early learners. Art is also a fantastic way to satisfy children’s natural curiosity for exploration and experimentation.
How To Make Time for Preschool Art in Your Homeschool
So the question remains, how can we make time to include art? Here are 7 tips to help you plan and cover art in your preschool or homeschool each week.
1. No Pressure. Choose a realistic goal for how often you can include art. If daily seems like too much for you, no problem. Choose one project per week to include.
2. Incorporate Art In Your Homeschool Lessons. It’s common for preschool lessons to be thematic. Luckily, a program like You Are An Artist is designed to help you easily choose a project to include with each theme. For example, if you are learning about farm animals, you can pick preschool farm art lessons from You Are An Artist with hardly any prep at all.The easiest and most affordable way to do this is with a membership.
3. Easy Mediums. There are plenty of art mediums to choose from, but pick one that feels most natural to your family. One of the reasons that chalk pastel art is so simple to blend into your homeschool is that there is little to prep or plan on your part. You hardly need any supplies, and that makes art incredibly effortless when you don’t need to gather up a lot of supplies beforehand. With chalk pastels, you only need construction paper, an affordable starter set of chalk pastels, and optional baby wipes for quick clean up.
4. Make It Fun. An excellent way to add art into your home consistently is to choose a day that is always art day. In our house, we have “Fun Fridays” and almost always end up adding in a chalk pastel art lesson. We may include our art project into weekly poetry tea time or enjoy a seasonal or holiday art lesson for the day. Whatever you decide, designating an art day or a fun learning day each week is a great way to make sure it doesn’t get skipped each week.
5. Explore with Nature.Preschoolers naturally love nature study, everything from exploring in the backyard to learning all about the seasons are sure to excite your early learner. Incorporate chalk pastel lessons as you learn about all of these things.
6. Include The Family. If you have children of all ages in your homeschool, there may be few subjects that you can combine. Another one of the perks of using You Are An Artist is that the whole family can join in on the fun. Chalk pastel art has no age requirements, and mom can even join in on the fun! We highly recommend it.
7. Plan Outside Of The Box. There are no rules for teaching preschool or homeschool, for that matter. You can plan to add art at the beginning of the day, along with morning time, or on a Saturday. If you feel like you don’t have time to include art into your daily routine, think about planning art during another part of your day and week. Maybe dad would like to join in the fun after dinner on Friday night. Be flexible and plan outside of your typical box.
I hope these ideas are helpful to you as you begin to plan in more art for your precious preschoolers. Art time with Nana is a big deal around our house, and I know it will be in yours too!
Homeschool Preschool Companion Workbook for Clubhouse Members
You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse members not only get access to ALL of Nana’s Preschool Video Art Lessons but all 700+ at the Complete level! In addition, you have this beautiful resource as a companion to Nana’s preschool lessons.
Courtney is a Jesus-pursuing, native Texan, homeschool mom of three, who believes homeschooling can be a peaceful and productive rhythm. At Grace, Grow & Edify she helps families create peaceful homeschooling atmospheres through faith, organizational strategies, and cultivating strong roots at home.
A really fun way to make summer memories together is by having Christmas in July! These ideas will get you started. Just add twinkling lights and your own fun traditions to spark some wonder and imagination!
My children and I have long loved celebrating Christmas in July. By July, the days are heavy with humidity and there are often pesky mosquitoes. So, planning something fun indoors that turns our thoughts to cooler days is just the sort of celebration we need!
Some years we have gone all out Christmas in July. Other years, we simply put on the Christmas music, added some sprinkles to store-bought cookies, and pulled out the chalk pastels.
I hope you find some inspiration for your family’s Christmas in July time!
Fun Ideas for Making Family Memories with Christmas in July
Here are some easy ideas to get you started.
Play Christmas music – all your favorites!
Bake cookies
String up some lights or a red and green construction paper chain
Pull out your stack of Christmas books
AND paint favorite Christmas scenes!
Homeschool Music and Art Activities for Christmas in July
Just one or two notes of a favorite Christmas song can transport you to the festive season!
You might like to start off with an all-time favorite – Charlie Brown Christmas! Nana has a fun lesson you can enjoy.
Christmas Tree Study for Kids – O Christmas Tree! Enjoy this Christmas hymn and learn about an evergreen tree. What a perfect study for any time of the year.
Bake Christmas Treats for Afternoon Tea Time
Nana shares her favorite, homemade cut-out Christmas cookies recipe for kids at Your Best Homeschool. All the sprinkles! Of course, you can also pick up your favorite ready-bake cookies at the store. You might prefer to make one or more of the following from Nana’s cookbook:
Online Homeschool Art Lessons for Christmas in July
Stay cool inside and let Nana lead you in an art lesson. For our family, art has been the most special of Christmas homeschool activities. Here are some really fun ways to celebrate Christmas in July:
The Ultimate List of Christmas Art Lessons – Enjoy this ultimate list of Christmas Homeschool Art Lessons! Christmas homeschooling allows us to focus on the real reason for the season. And you can do that in so many ways. We will give many resources to choose from and help you customize your perfect Christmas school day, week, or month.
You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse Christmas and Homeschool Art Lessons for the Whole Year Through!
Nana and I invite you to join us in the Clubhouse for over 800 online art lessons. There are lessons for literature, history, science, famous artists, music, maps, nature study, preschool to high school and more. There is even a daily art calendar with ideas to match the lovely learning in your homeschool.
Growing a love of art at You ARE an ARTiST is a multi-generational passion! Tricia is Nana’s daughter and a mama of five children. Nana shared her first chalk pastel art lessons with her grandchildren around Tricia’s kitchen table. Homeschooling since 2000, Tricia has seen the fruits of home education with three homeschool grads so far!She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at Your Best Homeschool and is author of the book, Help! I’m Homeschooling! She and her husband, Steve, are also owners of sister sites Homeschool Nature Study and The Curriculum Choice.
Some of the best times you can have with your homeschool group or co-op include art. Art is a crowd-pleasing subject that is extremely versatile. All ages and skill levels can participate in the fun, which can often be harder to manage with other subjects. Not to mention, art is entirely flexible when it comes to planning educational lessons. Here are some easy and engaging art classes for your homeschool co-op.
Why Chalk Pastels Are Perfect For Your Homeschool Art Class
Chalk pastels are perfect for group art projects. Chalk pastels are affordable and reusable. The supplies you will need for a chalk pastel art workshop are minimal. All you NEED to complete multiple chalk pastel art projects are only the chalk pastels themselves and construction paper.
No mess. Chalk pastels are not messy like paint, for example. Which makes them easy to pack, use, and clean up. A damp cloth or baby wipe will easily wipe away any residue left behind.
Hands-on. All kids love using chalk pastels. Chalk pastels are easy to manipulate with their hands, and children love the hands-on sensory-like experience of drawing and creating with chalk pastels.
Easy And Engaging Art Classes For Your Homeschool Co-op
Choosing an Art Lesson
Depending on the age level and objective of your group, you can choose from a range of seasonal, holiday, or educational art projects.
Luckily, You Are An Artist makes it simple for you to choose a project that everyone will love. With everything from preschool art lessons, historical options, seasonal, holiday, STEM, inventors, and so much more – you are sure to find something for your group.
With seasonal lessons, you can tie in nature study, poetry, and botany, for example. Choose the seasonal lesson you want to use, and plan to read poems from that season as well. You can add in some nature study fun outdoors before or after your art lessons too!
Plan something fun like eating pumpkin pie after you create a slice of yummy pumpkin pie from the fall lessons, or set up a fun hot chocolate bar to have a holiday party after drawing a mug of hot cocoa with Nana.
If you want to design a workshop with more of an educational aspect, you have a ton of lessons to choose from at You Are An Artist. With the “I Drew It And I Knew It” series, you can select a historical period and enjoy multiple art lessons all from that time.
Better yet, if you have studied a period of history, the perfect way to end your semester or course is by having an art workshop! Invite your students to all dress up from that time, bring snacks, and have an art party to celebrate everything they learned.
You Are An Artist makes our jobs as homeschool group and co-op leaders easier. With the curriculum match up printable, you can find art lessons to accompany just about anything you may be studying at co-op. (The curriculum match up is totally FREE by the way, go snag it now!) You can incorporate lessons throughout your studies or celebrate the completion of specific topics with an art workshop. Either way, add some art because your students will love it.
Top Tips For Setting Up A Chalk Pastel Art Workshop For Your Group Or Co-op
Secure a Venue
If you don’t have a permanent space, you will want to secure a venue complete with tables, chairs, and a visual screen big enough for your students to all see.
A great place to look for space could be your local church, community centers, or your local library. If you have a small group, this would also work at the dining room table with a laptop.
Plan Ahead
For the best turn out make sure you give your group plenty of time to RVSP. At least three weeks to a month gives everyone time to plan accordingly, and time for you to plan the event. Send emails or post on social media a few times leading up to your event to remind students that they can join. If you need a headcount, give your group a cut off date, so they know when they need to respond by.
Collect Money
If you are a co-op, you may already have the means necessary to fund an art workshop. However, if you are a homeschool group that does not have an annual budget, you may need to collect everyone’s payment ahead of time. The need to collect payments is another good reason to promote your event at least 30 days in advance, so your families have time to budget appropriately.
Pack Up
In all my years of leading a homeschool group, the chalk pastel art workshops were by far the easiest to pack and plan for.
Make sure you have the right color construction paper for each project you plan to complete (you can find this in each video lesson) and plenty of it.
Pack up your chalk pastels, I recommend baby wipes for easy cleanup, and butcher paper to line the tables with. The butcher paper and baby wipes will make for the most effortless clean up ever.
Make sure you bookmark the link to your chosen chalk pastel video lessons for easy set-up and don’t forget an HDMI cord. The HDMI cord is for connecting your laptop to the screen/TV you plan to use. (Or whatever necessary equipment you need to connect.) You may want to check with your venue in advance for access to the wi-fi as well. You will also need your laptop.
Set-Up
I recommend arriving at the venue early to connect your computer and set up the room.
Check your wi-fi connection, test the audio, and pause the first art video lesson until you are ready to begin.
The most efficient way I have found to quickly set-up the room is to cover each table with butcher paper. Make sure the tables are all close enough to the tv or monitor screen so that each student can see the videos in full view if you can. Place one package of baby wipes in the center of each table. The kids will want to wipe their fingers in-between projects. Place the construction paper on each table and the chalk pastels. You can put the chalk pastels that they will need for the day on paper plates in the center of the tables, as well.
Art Workshop Time
If you have a wide range of ages, start with the preschool or the less challenging projects first.
The attention span of the younger kiddos will run out sooner, so that allows time for them to participate and then leave the tables to go play or read nearby. Then the older children can work on slightly more skilled projects.
Invite parents to join in too! There is no age limit to who can and will enjoy art with chalk pastels.
We hope this gives you some new fresh ideas for how you can add some art to your homeschool group or co-ops. Your students will be begging to do it again! For more information on how you can use You Are An Artist with your homeschool group or co-op click here.
Courtney is a Jesus-pursuing, native Texan, homeschool mom of three, who believes homeschooling can be a peaceful and productive rhythm. At Grace, Grow & Edify she helps families create peaceful homeschooling atmospheres through faith, organizational strategies, and cultivating strong roots at home.
Thinking on your childhood days, what brought you joy on Mother’s and Father’s Day? Was it the heartfelt smile on mother’s face while you fluffed the pillows to prepare her for a hearty breakfast in bed? Was it father’s proud expression as you watched him close his eyes, make a wish, then blow on the puffy dandelion you handpicked, just for him? These Mother’s and Father’s Day art activities are perfect for making lasting memories.
Mother’s and Father’s Day is such a special time for children and parents. Moms and dads are honored for the daily sacrifices they make for their children. Children have the opportunity to give thanks, and share how much they appreciate their parents. The joy given and received on this wonderful day is a life-giving experience.
Mother’s And Father’s Day Art Activities
Here at You Are an Artist, we offer creative ways to make this day special. Master Artist, Nana, has created bundles of praiseworthy lessons that will stir love, a lot of laughter, and bring color to your next Mother’s and Father’s Day.
Mother’s Day Activities For Kids
“It is woman who rocks the cradle of the world and holds the first affections of mankind. She possesses a power beyond that of a king on his throne.”
~ Mable Hale, Beautiful Girlhood
A mother’s unconditional love has impacted our world from generation to generation. Mothers have a strength that shine through their unwavering faith, sacrifices, and devotion to their children. Let’s bring her honor by using our creativity. All you need is a few art supplies and a whole lot of love!
Paint Mother’s Day mailboxes with Nana! Fold your paper in half to create a fun card! You can even leave a little handwritten note inside. Green construction paper and a few chalk pastels is all you need. Watch for mother’s smiles as she opens this handmade card with joy!
Mother’s Day Gifts in a Mailbox
Does Mother love flowers? Nana paints fresh blooms mom will surely treasure. Add a favorite Bible verse or a letter on the back of your painting. Mother will cherish it forever!
Geranium Flower Art Lesson
Discover Nana’s family member whose favorite flower is the Geranium! Create buds and blossoms with beautiful red hues, browns, and greens.
Give a Hydrangea Garden Flower Gift
You will need those purple and blue pastels for this one! I love the twin like flowers standing so graciously side by side.
Queen Anne’s Lace and a Virtual Flower Bouquet
The Queen Anne’s Lace is a very detailed painting. Paint four blooms and learn the term “under painting” with Nana. These glorious lace like flowers make a charming painting and gift for mother.
Are you interested in more beautiful blooms for Mother’s Day? Check out Nana’s gorgeous Georgia O’Keiffe painting. The lily and it’s delicate white petals will surely brightens mom’s day!
Did you know Nana offers lessons using acrylic paint? My children adore her acrylic lessons. They also make stunning gifts perfect for Mother’s Day.
Summer Tree Acrylic
This is a pleasant painting called “Pavement Ends”. It’s bursting with green pastures and healthy trees. Looking upon the serene countryside brings peaceful thoughts of running barefoot in the green fields or taking a nice summer nap under a still tree. This is one of my favorites.
Sunflower Acrylic
Join Nana and her beloved paintbrush to paint this simple, yet bright yellow sunflower with a darling little ladybug. All you need is three simple colors and a tiny spec of black.
Fall Tree Reflection Acrylic
Sweeping leaves, a forest, and quiet waters speak softly of the reflections of fall.
Goldfinch Acrylic
This is the most adorable Goldfinch! Another simple painting using simple colors. Great for beginners.
Backyard Birds Nuthatch
A squirrel hole, spots of snow, and “tiny birds with a big personality” take the heart of this painting. Nana not only does a wondrous job of teaching this lesson, but also describing the Nuthatch and their personalities.
My children either hand wrote a Bible verse, quote, or poem on the back of the acrylic paintings. Then they signed and dated it. What an absolute delight!
Proverbs 1:8-9 “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction; don’t neglect your mother’s teaching; for they are a graceful wreath on your head, and beads for your neck.”
Proverbs 31:25-28 “Strength and honor are her clothing; she is confident about the future. Her mouth is full if wisdom; kindly teaching is on her tongue. She is vigilant over the activities of her household; she doesn’t eat the food of laziness. Her children bless her; her husband praises her: ‘Many women act competently, but you surpass them all!'”
Proverbs 31:31 Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Let her share in the results of her work; let her deeds praise her in the city gates.”
Psalm 127:3 “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”
Father’s Day Art Activities For Kids
“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in society.”
~ Billy Graham
Fathers are incredibly important to the family unit. A man’s willingness to provide for his family, love his wife, and train up his children in godly principles is worthy of honor. His desire to walk closely with Christ and lead his family deserves praise. Let’s show our dads just how much they are respected and appreciated!
Do you have a dad that is simply incredible? Nana created a Mr. Incredible lesson perfect for Father’s Day! My children wrote “You are INCREDIBLE!” on the back of the painting and signed their names. We used 9×12 construction paper for this one.
Is Dad into nature, hiking, or hunting? Chalk Pastel Art offers many art lessons that reflect scenic country sides and peaceful wildlife. All of the chalk pastel paintings listed below make charming cards. Simply fold your paper in half and follow Nana’s art lesson. We chose a couple to make into cards and created haiku poetry to place inside. The rest of the paintings served as memorable Father’s Day gifts.
Draw a Winter Forest with Chalk Pastels
Do you see the proud buck standing tall among a wintry forest. Share this one with Dad on Father’s Day and ask him about his hunting experiences. I bet he will love to share his stories!
Bob Ross Art Lesson for Your Homeschool
Learn about one of Nana’s favorite artist, Bob Ross. We found it interesting he used to be a drill sergeant in the military. Paint this grand mountain scene with Nana and watch the “happy little trees” come to life. You can also listen to Nana’s Bob Ross podcast.
Grand Teton and Yellowstone Park Art Lessons
This is an American Landmark painting found in your Clubhouse membership. This is only one of many other amazing landmarks lessons that are available. Grab the colors of the sunset and set off with Nana to the Yellowstone Falls in Wyoming. Nana describes the falls “thundering down the mountain pass” and a wondrous place called Artist Point. A stunning painting!
Winter Tree Reflections Acrylic
Paint a night time wintry scene with freezing cold water and a tree dressed in snowy white layers. This is a similar painting to the Fall Tree Reflection. Our little artist wrote Psalm 1:1-3 on the back of his canvas just for Dad!
Bible Verse Ideas for Father’s Day:
“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:1-3
“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
In the very heart of your house,
Your children like olive plants
All around your table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord. Psalm 128:3-4
As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. Psalm 103:13
Make a Hobbit Themed Breakfast for Father’s Day
Is Dad a J.R.R Tolkein fan? You know hobbits love to eat…even up to seven meals a day! Make a Hobbit themed breakfast for dad, invite a few hairy footed halflings, and present your Lord of the Rings chalk pastel art with his favorite Tolkein quotes written on the back!
The Hobbit Art Lesson
Go on an adventure with Nana and visit a halfling’s home. Paint luscious green grass, and a hobbit home among the meadows…and maybe you’ll make it time for Elevenses or an Afternoon Tea! More on this favorite Homeschool Hobbit Art Lesson.
Going on a Lord of the Rings Adventure
Are you ready for an adventure with the Fellowship? Paint silhouettes of prominent characters and watch mighty Gandalf lead the way as they trudge through the snow among icy mountains.
The Ring, My Precious!
Nana sure has a love of reading and loves to visit many places through books! Join Nana on a long journey as you paint the renowned Ring and a vintage map.
Father’s Day Gifts for Star Wars Fans
“I am your FATHER!”…..does Dad love all the old Star Wars movies? Nana shares a colorful Darth Vader Abstract that dad would love for Father’s Day! That’s not all! Chalk Pastel Art offers even more Star Wars themed art!
The Gift of Art will forever sprinkle our hearts with joy. Some of the most cherished gifts are handmade with thought and love. Through Nana’s artistry, your child has an opportunity to create and give in a meaningful way. We hope we have given you wonderful ideas to make Mother’s and Father’s Day special for you and your dear children.
More than just Mother’s And Father’s Day Art Activities, Chalk Pastel Art offers many creative resources just for your children of all ages! From Preschool learning to Summer Camp to Shark Week, and Hymn Studies! Check it out!
Jamie is the author of A Brown Bear’s Language Arts Study, a literature-inspired homeschool mom of eight, and a former educator. She enjoys a bookshelf bursting with colorful picture books and children’s stories of all genres. Indulging in a read aloud with all of her children around her is one of Jamie’s favorite moments of her days. Be sure to find Jamie on Instagram and visit her blog, Treasuring the Tiny Moments Homeschool, to be encouraged by all her learning adventures with her wonderful family.
These 12 delightful farm art activities for kids include fluffy baby chicks, a tractor, a barn, ducklings, a lamb, a cow, a piglet and even the chicken life cycle. Such fun learning for your homeschool!
Photo by Elizabeth Peluso
While you can do a farm study anytime, spring is an extra special time on the farm. Spring is when new plants grow, and baby animals are born. My children love watching the baby chicks grow into big fluffy chickens.
Planting seeds and then watching with wonder each day to see if they have sprouted. Then seeing them get a little bigger each day is magical for children (and adults).
“Encourage your child to have muddy, grassy or sandy feet by the end of each day, that’s the childhood they deserve.”
~Penny Whitehouse
Photo by Elizabeth Peluso
Farms, Farm Animals, And Curious Kids
Children learn so much about science, life cycles, empathy, caretaking, and the intricacy and wonder of God’s design through studying farm animals and life on the farm.
It is a topic that is rich with education but so much fun that it doesn’t even feel like school. It gets them outside and involved in real life and awakens the wonder of new life and discovery that has them observing with all of their senses.
The simple shapes of Nana’s Preschool Barnyard lessons make ‘painting’ fun!
If you can’t have a farm in your backyard, you can visit a local farm or even stop by your local farm store to see the baby chicks and rabbits.
12 Delightful Farm Art Activities For Kids
Even if you live in the city and can’t take a field trip to the farm, your children can experience the joy and wonder of farm life and animals through these incredible art lessons and fun farm-themed literature.
Barnyard Preschool Course
The Barnyard Preschool Course is one of my very favorite courses. This course contains several simple but adorable farm lessons, including:
a tractor
several different barnyard animals
a chick
a barn and silo painting.
They can be done separately or combined to make a big farm scene. Once my son had tried the lessons, he had a wonderful time putting the different components together to make new farm scenes.
Baby Animals Art Lessons
The Baby Animals continuing series is an excellent option with lessons for painting baby animals, including:
a lamb
a cow
a piglet
These lessons are still simple and easy to follow but have more detail than the preschool course.
In addition to the other farm animals, the Baby Animals course in You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse membership includes an adorable baby ducklings lesson that includes three baby ducks splashing in the water.
Artwork by Erin Vincent using Nana’s Earthworm art lesson
Earthworm and a Chicken Art Lesson
Learn more about how insects can benefit the farm and garden, and then enjoy the earthworm lesson from the Backyard Nature course. The earthworm lesson includes some adorable earthworms crawling around in the dirt and a chicken hunting for the worms to include in your farm study.
Fun Three Little Chicks Homeschool Art
The A Simple Start in Chalk Pastels course includes a Three Little Chicks lesson, an adorable painting of three very simple baby chicks. This is perfect for a spring farm study, easy enough for your preschoolers, and fun for the whole family.
Chicken Life Cycle for Your Farm Art Activities
If you want to get even more scientific with your art study, Nana has a new lesson that shows the life cycle of a chicken from egg to hatchling to chick. It also shows the rooster and the hen and how the process starts all over again when the hen lays a new egg. These are more detailed than the baby chicks in the other courses.
Charlotte’s Web Art Activities
Last but not least, I am not sure any farm study would be complete without one of our favorite children’s books: Charlotte’s Web. This post will help you incorporate art and literature with Charlotte’s Web. It includes some fun tea-time ideas and a companion workbook to help you go deeper in your literature study.
More Art Activity Resources For Kids
If you have enjoyed all the farm-themed resources, you can keep your science and art learning with some of Nana’s other fun lessons.
There are many great science lessons to accompany the chick life cycle lesson in the science course. There are diagrams of the heart and eye, flower diagrams, periodic table lessons, and so much more. It is a great way to incorporate art into your science lessons.
The Garden Nature course will give you some fun insects and plants that you might find in your garden. There is a ladybug, honey bee, corn, watermelon, and more.
Dawn is a passionate follower of Jesus, wife to Chris, and homeschool mom of four. In her spare time she loves to read, hike, and write on her blog Schoolin’ Swag. She enjoys reviewing curriculum and helping moms find the right fit for their family.
Are you looking for a summer art camp for your kiddo this year? How about an online summer art camp chocked full of artful activities? With just a little bit of planning you can create an online summer camp right from the comfort of your own home!
Online Summer Art Camp for Kids
Even if you can’t get your children to a “real” summer art camp this year, I want to encourage you to explore an online camp. With the wonders of technology at our fingertips, this can be an amazing option for many families to choose from. Plus, art camp can be an easy way for kids to learn to express themselves this summer. That’s because art gives children the chance to be creative, carefree, and engaged. Your child will gain self-confidence as they develop the skills and techniques to bring their creations to fruition. No artistic talent needed. Just an openness to creative expression!
Summer Art Camp For All Ages
The first step in creating a fantastic onlinesummer art camp to decide how long you want your summer art camp to be. Maybe you want to do one artistic thing with your kiddos per day for a whole week, or maybe you would prefer to have multiple lessons on only a single day. Do what works for you and your kids!
Next, gather your art supplies! We adore Chalk Pastels! They are so easy to use that preschoolers through adults can enjoy this wonderful art medium. Chalk Pastels make gathering needed art supplies easy. All you need is a set of chalk pastels, construction paper and the You Are An Artist Clubhouse Membership!
With the You Are An Artist Clubhouse Membership, you have access to a bank of art lessons for all ages, a wonderful art community; plus new art lessons from “Nana”, including themed art events throughout the year! You don’t have to worry about being the teacher, “Nana” has got your covered!
Let Kids Choose Their Own Lessons
My kid’s love “Nana” and her videos! She is such a wonderful art teacher and with every lesson she always reminds us that, “You Are An Artist!”
Another aspect that brings my children joy is that they get to choose which art video lessons they want to explore. The CompleteYou Are An Artist Clubhouse Membership offers you endless access to the ENTIRE Chalk Pastel library of courses! Clubhouse members enjoy a monthly curated calendar with lessons chosen for you, should you choose to access it. Members also receive exclusive, new Summer Art Camp lessons.
That means your kiddos could choose:
Summer Camp Video Art Lessons which include camping, camp tree house, bubbles, canoes, hammocks, and pools!
Nature courses such as Sharks, Seashore, Forest Nature, Spring, Garden Nature, Backyard Nature, Pond Nature, and more! Many of these Nature lessons contain everything kids love about summer – lightning bugs, beach vacations, bullfrogs, dragonflies, flowers, and dandelions.
Famous Artists series explores Michelangelo, da Vinci, Monet, and Rembrandt.
American Landmarks Lessons include the Liberty Bell, Washington Monument, Niagara Falls, and loads more landmarks you’d only see on summer road trips.
Plus, so much more!!!
Making Summer Camp Special
So, how can you make your kiddo’s online summer art camp just a little bit extra special?
Set the table with a fun tablecloth or strip of fabric. I used an old top to a quilt that was never finished. The colorful squares just screamed summer picnic!
I added a vase of flowers to the table that I had picked earlier from our yard.
Light some candles, tealights, or string a few Christmas lights to give off that “campfire” glow.
Following the summer camp/picnic theme I let the children make their own S’mores in the microwave. If you’ve got the time and the day is nice and sunny, you could always let your kiddos make Solar Oven S’mores before getting started with their art.
Nothing says summertime like S’mores and Root Beer Floats; however, any treat and favorite beverage will do. It doesn’t have to be fancy!
Tailoring Summer Art Camp to Your Child’s Interests
Besides the ideas above, you and your children can choose to focus on a specific area of Summer Art Camp with Nana!
Choose from:
Summer Space Camp at Home – blast off with these exciting summer space camp lessons and explore the universe and space missions!
Take a Deep Dive into Ocean Exploration – Nana has a new Tidal Pool Exploration lesson coming for members. In addition you can enjoy a vast Ocean Study with marine animals, seashore delights and water adventures!
You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse members enjoy a calendar filled with summer camp art lessons for an entire month. Plus, a fabulous Summer Camp Guide FULL of fun ideas: themed days for each day of the week, detective work, planners, a certificate of completion to print out for each week and more! There is even a special prompts list from Nana!
Summer Art Camp Fun
I like to include the poetry teatime aspect to our art time by making it enjoyable with treats, beverages, and twinkle lights or candles. The ambiance and fun factor can change a child’s perception of art! It doesn’t matter what the art looks like. It doesn’t have to be perfect. All that matters is that your children are finding joy and making memories. I always quote Miss Frizzle to my kids, “get messy, make mistakes!”
But keep a roll of moistened paper towels nearby.
Easy Online Summer Art Camp
Summertime is the perfect time for kids to explore and get excited about art! With endless chalk pastel lessons to choose from, your kiddos are going to love celebrating these lazy months in new creative ways.
An art camp is perfect for kids this summer as it provides a wonderful artistic outlet!
So, call the kids in from the heat and watch as they learn, explore, and grow their imaginative talents! Your children are going to enjoy traversing the world of chalk pastels. There is so much to discover about color, technique, and self-expression with an online summer art camp! Additionally, at the end of each lesson they will always be reminded that they ARE an artist!
Online summer art camp is one of the MANY benefits of You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse membership. Our Clubhouse members enjoy special events and new art lessons!
Erin is a writer, blogger, and homeschooler to two intense kids. Her blog is filled with information to help you explore a child led education while making meaningful connections with your children. Discover favorite read alouds, seasonal books, games, art projects, hands-on activities, and learn to just breathe through the ups and downs of life. She loves nature, farm life, good books, knitting, new pens, and hot coffee. Erin is a contributing writer for Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers. Her work has also been featured on Simple Homeschool and Book Shark.
Enjoy these beautiful, simple and no stress activities as you are homeschooling through the holidays. Our Christmas Tree Study for kids includes not only nature study but a nature craft, Christmas hymn and composer study and an art lesson with Nana too!
The Reality Of Holiday Homeschooling
When we are homeschooling through the holidays, we can change things up, take our time, incorporate favorite traditions and make lovely memories together as a family. Many families choose to set aside this time for Christmas School. These weeks can lead up to and create a special focus on the birth of Christ.
Just how? You can choose read alouds that point to Jesus and do hands on art lessons to draw your way through the Christmas story. Pick a nature study hunt for red and green and study a traditional hymn about the reason for the season. We always like to make Nana’s Christmas cookies! Have a sweet tea time. Watch Christmas movies!
Another way to homeschool through the holidays is with this special event around a Christmas tree study!
A Christmas Tree for the Animals Event: Here’s How to Be Ready
When: LIVE premiere Wednesday, November 16th at noon ET
Where: Right here on this page!
How: Sign up to participate via the form, below
Can’t attend live? No worries! Sign up and you will have access to the replay of the event
What’s Included in Christmas Tree For the Animals Event?
When the event is live, you will enjoy (you will also have access to the replay):
Decorating an Outdoor Christmas Tree for the Animals with Amy Law of Homeschool Nature Study
construction paper (Nana suggests white construction paper for this lesson)
baby wipes or damp paper towel for easy clean up
Details on supplies for the craft portion included with sign up.
Christmas Tree Animals Study
It is so much fun to decorate an outdoor tree just for the animals! For even more animals studies, you can also enjoy an art lesson on forest animals and birds – here at You ARE an ARTiST and a nature study at Homeschool Nature Study.
Here are some ideas for your Christmas Tree Animals study with an art and nature focus:
Trees are a delight to study any time of year! Enjoy these additional ideas for a tree nature study or for winter nature study you can easily do indoors or outdoors.
Paint a winter frosty leaf in chalk pastels with Nana!
Nana’s Frosty Leaf is part of the Winter art lessons series in the You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse. Suggested supplies: dark blue construction paper, starter set of chalk pastels and slightly damp paper towel or baby wipes for easy clean up.
In Homeschool Nature Study membership, you can also find a study of the Hemlock Tree in the Autumn course and Evergreens in My Yard study and journal page in the Trees course. Each season includes a new tree study.
Besides your fun homeschool nature craft that Victoria will lead you in this event, you might also enjoy these hands-on activities for Christmas
Nature Crafts course – Victoria leads you in a brand new nature craft each month at Homeschool Nature Study. As you head into winter, you might especially love creating an ice craft!
Nana’s course, The Gift of Art, is perfect for allowing your kids to make gifts for others on a dime. Nana shares easy ideas for kids of all ages to make a gift to give that they will be proud of. Letting your children handmake a gift for someone is affordable and allows them to express their creativity. Not only that, your kids can gift items that showcase their artistic progress.
Additional Resources For Christmas In Your Homeschool
Continue your lovely Christmas school with even more resources to create memories this year.
Draw Your Way Through the Story of Christmas – Add these Advent art activities to your Christmas Homeschool plans! You can draw your way through the story of Christmas from the angels announcing Messiah’s birth to the manger scene.
The Ultimate List of Christmas Homeschool Art Lessons – Enjoy this ultimate list of Christmas Homeschool Art Lessons! Christmas homeschooling allows us to focus on the real reason for the season. And you can do that in so many ways. We will give many resources to choose from and help you customize your perfect Christmas school day, week, or month.
Christmas Book to Movie Homeschool Activities Your Kids Will Love! by Erin – Check out this festive list of Christmas books made into movies – with homeschool activities your kids will love! Now your kids can re-create their favorite book characters and movie scenes with chalk pastels! Like Kevin from Home Alone, the Grinch and more!
A Merry Christmas Hymns Study for Your Homeschool – Whether you homeschool as normal through December, add in Christmas activities, or trade all your homeschool curriculum for ‘Christmas School,’ a Christmas hymns study can be an enjoyable part of your school day. It is a beautiful opportunity for the family to learn and worship together.
The Nutcracker: A Holiday Homeschool Unit Study – Celebrate the Christmas season and enjoy the famous ballet with Nana’s Nutcracker video art lessons. Nana has a Nutcracker ballet lesson added to the collection just for members. Plus Clubhouse members get to enjoy a Nutcracker-themed special event and a companion Nutcracker curriculum!
Winter Solstice Art Activities for Your Homeschool – Celebrate the winter solstice with your kids with chalk pastels winter themed art! They are easy and fun for the whole family. A perfect addition to your winter homeschooling!
As Courtney shared in her Biblical homeschool post, “we hope that this gives you lots of inspiration for your Christmas school plans this year! Remember, you don’t have to do it all this year. Advent is all about preparing our hearts and dwelling in His perfect peace. Christmas school is an opportunity not only for creativity and education but for making lasting memories together.”
Growing a love of art at You ARE an ARTiST is a multi-generational passion! Tricia is Nana’s daughter and a mama of five children. Nana shared her first chalk pastel art lessons with her grandchildren around Tricia’s kitchen table. Homeschooling since 2000, Tricia has seen the fruits of home education with three homeschool grads so far!She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at Your Best Homeschool and is author of the book, Help! I’m Homeschooling! She and her husband, Steve, are also owners of sister sites Homeschool Nature Study and The Curriculum Choice.
Nana is passionate about helping you realize you ARE an artist! Not only an artist with chalk pastels but with homeschooling, creative spaces, favorite family recipes and more. Nana also enjoys chatting – especially about art. If you have followed along with any of her You ARE an Artist video art lessons, you know that. She also enjoys sharing photos and thoughts on topics while she is being creative in her studio space on her back porch. That is where she will be chatting with you – from her back porch. It’s Nana’s You ARE an Artist Podcast!
Courtney is a Jesus-pursuing, native Texan, homeschool mom of three, who believes homeschooling can be a peaceful and productive rhythm. At Grace, Grow & Edify she helps families create peaceful homeschooling atmospheres through faith, organizational strategies, and cultivating strong roots at home.
