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The Ultimate Guide To Adding Art and Music Appreciation To Your Homeschool

This guide will help you get started with art and music appreciation in your homeschool. My hope is to help you overcome all the normal excuses. I hope it encourages you!

I don’t have time to teach art. I am so far behind in my core subjects. I have no talent in art. We will do some projects over the summer.

Sound familiar? In my years of homeschooling, I have heard many excuses from my friends on why they do not include art and music in their weekly routines. Truth be told, I thought some of the very same things until I realized that these two subjects are easily incorporated into our daily lives.

Why Include Art and Music Appreciation in Your Homeschool?

No matter what style of homeschool you use – textbook, classical, unschooling, or anything in between – art and music can be woven into your year. The study of great works of art, the listening to uplifting pieces of music, and the freedom to be creative in any subject can enrich and expand what we already offer to our children.

If this is your first time to journey into this world of art and music appreciation, you can find joy experiencing these subjects with your children and growing alongside them. I will share how we have done this in our family and how I have encouraged others to do so in their lives – homeschooled or not. Be open to the possibility that you can add some art and music into your homeschool day.

How To Make Time For Art and Music Appreciation: “I Don’t Have Time”

Music Appreciation

Music appreciation can easily by accomplished by picking two or three composers a year and pulling them up on your favorite digital listening platform. Start with the well-known masters such as Bach, Beethoven or Mozart. Choose a playlist and then regularly listen during your homeschool day or as your drive in the car to other activities. Each time you listen, you will quickly become more and more familiar.

Many times the children will easily recognize a composer and they will shout out how they heard this piece in a movie or during a cartoon. Some composers will not immediately be liked but you will find that after you get a ‘taste’ for a certain composer, their music will grow on you. If your children have not been exposed to classical music, it may take some time before they will enjoy the sound of it. Don’t give up. You might also like: The Best Way to Add Music to Your Homeschool.

Art Appreciation or Picture Study

Art appreciation, or picture study, can be a complement to your other subjects. I start by choosing an artist that goes along with the period of history we are studying. After selecting the artist, I find a source for viewing that artist’s work. The internet is a valuable an efficient source for finding a great quantity of artwork.

My two favorite choices are Mark Harden’s The Artchive artchive.com and Olga’s Gallery abcgallery.com. Another source is the library where we find art books, children’s biographies and videos that supplement our picture study. We study four to five different artists a year this way. It will not take long before your children are recognizing famous artwork when you are going about your daily life.

5 Tips to Start Fine Arts Friday

Set Aside Fine Arts Fridays!

Who doesn’t love themed days? Certainly not Taco Tuesday!! I’m sharing 5 Tips to Start Fine Arts Friday without overwhelming your homeschool schedule. Don’t miss Stef’s post full of Fine Arts Friday tips!

The Ultimate Guide to Fun Friday Activities for Kids – Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

Keep it simple and have fun!

How to Include Fine Arts When You Are Behind in Your Homeschool

Still wondering how to include fine arts in your homeschool? I will answer the reasons families put off a study of art and music appreciation. Here are some practical suggestions for weaving art activities into your more academic subjects.

Fine Arts Curriculum is an instant pdf download with helpful notebooking pages, links to resources, and an opportunity to earn High School credit!

Here are more details on a Fine Arts Credit for High School with A Homeschooler’s Quick Guide.

I’m So Far Behind In My Core Homeschool Subjects

Art and music need not be separate subjects or boxes to check off on your homeschool schedule. In our family, the art supplies are easily accessible and that reminds us to use them in many of our core subjects. Try some of these ideas and see how easy it is to be ‘art aware’ when you are working in language, math, science and history.

In the early grades, my children always enjoyed drawing a picture and then writing a story to go along with it. As they grew through the grades, their writing pieces would include an illustrated cover or a picture to illustrate the story.

Ideas for Math and Literature

To supplement our math lessons, we used picture books with colorful illustrations as a gold mine for things to count. As your read children’s literature, make sure to point out the beautiful illustrations and allow them to use that artwork to copy on their own. Copying great artwork is fun for children. Literature is full of inspiring artists like Eric Carle and Tomie dePaola.

Ideas for Science

During your science time, have you started a nature journal? We start a new one each year and fill it with sketches of objects we find outside or animals we observe in our yard and from our window. Any topic in science can be made more interesting by drawing what you are learning, making diagrams of experiments, including sketches of concepts and cutting pictures from magazines.

Ideas for History

History gives you the opportunity to draw maps, sketch an event, and draw, paint or color illustrations for reports. My younger students would draw a picture of a historical account. I would write a caption that my little ones dictated to me to go along with the artwork for their journals. You might also like Fun Activities for Your History Class.

I hope this helps you with some practical ideas for including artwork in your homeschool day.

If you think you have no inborn talent for art, we are here to help! This is the easiest objection to overcome. Very few of us are blessed with a background in art and music that would make us ‘experts’.

I Have No Talent in Art

Honestly, you do not need to be an expert. Just like any other homeschool subject we teach, if we don’t know about something, we find a resource and learn right along with our children. My best suggestion is to get out the paints, the colored pencils, the chalk pastels or what you have on hand and to play with the materials alongside your children.

It actually is a great experience for children to see their parents learning along with them. Model how to “mess up” and how to give new things a try. You may surprise yourself. View artwork together and share what you feel when you look at each piece.

I Am Not Familiar with Many Composers

Learn to enjoy classical music with your children. Share with then which compositions you like best and which ones you don’t care for. My children love to see me pretend to play the organ every time Bach’s “Toccota and Fuge in D Minor” starts playing. As time goes by, you will become your own expert and you will know what you like and don’t like. I have learned not to be intimidated by others and their opinions.

This is an area where there are no right and wrong answers. You have lots of freedom to just enjoy the experience.

We Will Do Some Projects Over the Summer

This excuse is really just a form of procrastination. How many summers roll by and you still have not done a single art project or viewed a single piece of artwork? What you waiting for? Sit down and make a short list of artists and a short list of composers for the year. Take it one step at a time and stay flexible.

It takes very little planning or time to give your family the opportunity to be exposed to great art and music. The effort you put into finding ways to use your art supplies in your every day routine are well worth it.

Incorporating art and music into your child’s life reaps immeasurable benefits. Problem solving skills, heightened awareness to the world around them, a sense of well-being, and increased motivation are all gained when you expose your child to great music, artists and creative opportunities regularly.

You need to provide the opportunity, the inspiration, and the enthusiasm. If you do, your children will be greatly rewarded by becoming well rounded in life as well as their homeschool subjects. Don’t let another year go by! There is no excuse.

We have so many resources here on the blog, in our fine arts series and in our membership. You can pick a grade and follow the flexible suggestions for each week.

Check out our art and music appreciation plans for homeschool!

Playlist for each grade can be found on Spotify and YouTube

Homeschool Fine Arts Curriculum for All Levels

You ARE an ARTiST Homeschool Fine Arts lesson plans organize great art and music appreciation resources into the classical four-year cycle of history and seasons each week with a Charlotte Mason flavor. Here you will find homeschool fine arts curriculum for the whole family!

These lesson plans are available for Grades 1-12 and will offer families three different options for art study and a detailed plan for music appreciation.

family style fine arts curriculum for homeschoolers

If you don’t feel that a full year of fine arts appreciation is for you, you can also choose from a collection of unique art and music appreciation unit studies which typically last 6-9 weeks.

Each flexible and easy to use 32-36 week plan includes notebooking pages, coloring pages plus both Spotify and YouTube links for art tutorials and listening to classical music.

What is Picture Study? A Simple Guide for Kids (includes free printable art cards)

Homeschool Fine Arts Q&A: How Real Families Make It Work – We have received many questions, comments, and praise regarding the Homeschool Fine Arts curriculum. But you know what it’s like buying homeschool curriculum! Us homeschool moms value word of mouth endorsements from our closest friends. Well we pulled together some of our Members (aka close online friends) for a little help answering questions. We hope these homeschool friends can shed some more light on the Fine Arts Curriculum and how it fits in their homeschool! So grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the Q&A session.

Fine Arts Fridays: Homeschool Lessons with Nana – Fine Arts Fridays and homeschool lessons with Nana are a creative way to add joy to your homeschool! Integrate homeschool art appreciation, music appreciation and hands on art lessons into your learning in a fun way.

The Beauty of Art, Music and Nature in Your Homeschool – My children have become acquainted with winter nature study, Vivaldi, Corelli, and Giotto within a few short months! Our Fine Arts Friday has become a fun and hands-on way of learning about great art and exciting time periods. Afterward, we head outside for our nature study and #outdoorhourchallenge. Fridays have become a rich, full day of beauty and learning like never before! Won’t you join us?

art and music appreciation for your homeschool

Homeschool Fine Arts Sample

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    More Fun With Homeschool Fine Arts for the Family

    Your time learning about famous artists and composers can be some the best of your homeschooling. Here are some more resources to encourage you:

    Composer biography pages by Stef Layton of Layton Adventures

    Composer Biography Pages by Stef Layton of Layton Adventures

    In addition to discounted fine arts titles, our You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse members receive a fantastic pack of Composer Biography pages by Stef Layton. These printable pages include sections to add interesting facts, most famous works, your favorite piece and how the composer’s piece makes you feel.

    Includes these composers: Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, Verdi, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Debussy and a blank page to fill in for any other composer you are studying.

    You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse members receive 50% off each fine arts title!

    This comprehensive guide has everything you need to get started with art and music appreciation in your homeschool.

    Written by Tricia and by Homeschool Fine Arts founder and curriculum author, Barbara McCoy.

    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.

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    What is Picture Study? A Simple Guide For Kids

    Many times people ask me just what is picture study. Here are some simple steps that have worked for our family for many years. Don’t miss the free, printable art cards to help you get picture study started!

    Many times people ask me just what is picture study. Here are some simple steps that have worked for our family for many years. Don't miss the free, printable art cards, below, to help you get picture study started!

    What Is Picture Study?

    Picture study is a wonderful way to introduce children to all types of masterful art. The simple act of taking time observe and discuss provides an opportunity for children of all ages to engage in fine arts.

    Simple Steps for Picture Study

    1. Choose the painting to be viewed.
    2. Have the child sit quietly and just look at the painting.
    3. After a time of looking, hide the painting from view and ask your child to tell you what he remembers about the painting. Have him list the literal objects he sees in the painting like trees, people, animals, mountains, rivers, etc.

    That’s it. It’s as simple as that.

    To extend the activity for older students, you may have them sketch the painting from memory.

    Homeschool fine arts plans include picture study in every year plan. Each week has a clickable link to an online image that you can use in your picture study.

    If you are having trouble with your children narrating back what they see in the painting, you can go over some vocabulary with them so they have the words to give you.

    Here are some ideas to get you started.

    Many times people ask me just what is picture study. Here are some simple steps that have worked for our family for many years. Don't miss the free, printable art cards, below, to help you get picture study started!

    Questions To Ask In Picture Study

    What kinds of lines do you see?

    • sharp
    • thick
    • jagged
    • heavy
    • choppy
    • vertical
    • diagonal
    • fuzzy
    • thin
    • curved
    • graceful

    What kinds of textures do you see?

    • rough
    • smooth
    • hard
    • shiny

    What shapes do you see?

    • circles
    • rectangles
    • triangles
    • squares

    What colors do you see?

    • bright
    • dark
    • strong
    • reds/oranges/yellows
    • blues/greens/purples
    • browns/whites/grays

    Download Your FREE Printable Art Question Cards

    Get Your Free Art Cards!

    Subscribe to get your free printable Art Cards.

      We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

      Homeschool Fine Arts Curriculum for All Levels

      You ARE an ARTiST Homeschool Fine Arts lesson plans organize great art and music appreciation resources into the classical four-year cycle of history and seasons each week with a Charlotte Mason flavor. Here you will find homeschool fine arts curriculum for the whole family!

      These lesson plans are available for Grades 1-12 and will offer families three different options for art study and a detailed plan for music appreciation.

      fine arts curriculum for grades 1-12

      Each flexible and easy to use 32-36 week plan includes notebooking pages, coloring pages and YouTube links for art tutorials and listening to classical music.

      Read a full review of the Fine Arts Curriculum and and learn how to use this resource family-style.

      Here are some homeschool mom tips for making fine arts fun!

      You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse members receive 50% off each fine arts title!

      Many times people ask me just what is picture study. Here are some simple steps that have worked for our family for many years. Don't miss the free, printable art cards to help you get picture study started!

      By Barb McCoy, founder of Homeschool Fine Arts Plans and the Outdoor Hour Challenges.

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      Homeschool Fine Arts Q&A: How Real Families Make It Work


      Chalk Pastel Art started sharing art tutorials online in 2010. Nana has become like family to many of us who have brought her into our homes over the years to our tables and gotten our fingers dirty together. The You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse Membership has been an incredible resource to artsy and non-artsy types around the globe!

      Interested in the Homeschool Fine Arts curriculum? We asked our members to help answer some common questions.

      Nana continues to add to the 800+ library of art tutorials Chalk Members can access, while just this past year a new product has hit the proverbial “store room shelves”. In 2021, You ARE an ARTiST took over and edited Fine Arts Curriculum. This art and music curriculum is slightly different from the tutorials we’ve grown so familiar with Nana!

      The first difference you will immediately notice, Nana is skipping school!! Actually, she is busy creating more video tutorials for Chalk Members! The Fine Arts Curriculum is Nana-less. It’s also not chalk project based. So if your students weren’t fans of the “messy” chalk art, (gasp, didn’t we tell you about wet wipes?!) they just might enjoy this program more of looking at masterpieces and listening to melodies.

      Fine Arts Curriculum is an instant pdf download with helpful notebooking pages, links to resources, and an opportunity to earn High School credit!

      Art Credit For High School

      We have received many questions, comments, and praise regarding the Homeschool Fine Arts curriculum. But you know what it’s like buying homeschool curriculum! Us homeschool moms value word of mouth endorsements from our closest friends. Well we pulled together some of our Members (aka close online friends) for a little help answering questions. We hope these homeschool friends can shed some more light on the Fine Arts Curriculum and how it fits in their homeschool! So grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the Q&A session.

      The You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse membership for homeschool families.

      Homeschool Fine Arts Q&A with Chalk Members

      Don’t take our word for it – take our members’ words for it! We sent out a few repeat questions we’ve been answering around social media. Here are their answers …


      Question: Is this just another thing I have to struggle to add to the school schedule?
      Sandy: I’m not an artsy person so the idea of teaching my kids “fine arts” was intimidating to me until I started using this curriculum. Each lesson has several ideas for picture study and resources to review so it was easy to implement. My kids look forward to fine arts Friday every week! ~ @Homeschooling.SuperHeroes

      Question: Can the whole family participate or is this just high school focused?
      Jamie: We have children with age ranges from pre-K – 14 (and a toddler). As we study the artwork of famous artists, it’s a family affair. Even someone as young as three can observe fine art with or without word usage. While studying artwork in unison, we tailor the given notebooking pages to each child’s writing level. We have a few who can’t write yet, however, they can discuss the painting. This opens up wonderful conversations for everyone. 
      ~ @TreasuringtheTinyMoments

      Interested in the Homeschool Fine Arts curriculum? We asked our members to help answer some common questions.
      Photo by Erin Vincent



      Question: Will it flow with other subjects?
      Tricia: We love to use one fine arts title for the whole family. This makes things easy because, for example, we can say that Wednesday afternoons are our designated homeschool fine arts time. It is open and go. Older ones have notebooking pages, younger ones can simply listen in and/or view the art piece of the week. Because we are a fine arts family – with piano lessons and, in the past, drama troupe and choir, we choose the title that matches our history studies. It all complements so well and adds such BEAUTY – and joy to our homeschool! ~ @YourBestHomeschool

      Question: We only need half a credit, can we shorten the curriculum?
      Stef: I appreciated the go-at-your-own-pace approach to this curriculum. My high school son picked from the list of artists and composers who he wanted to study. We only needed half a credit because he also played an instrument. This curriculum was the perfect way to fill the other half credit he needed. Plus he tried out playing some pieces from the works we listened to together. Printing the planners were a great help organizing the when and who was being studied. Easy fun (half) credit! ~ @LaytonAdventures

      Question: We are already Chalk Members, is this another Membership to buy?
      Amy: I am glad Chalk Members get 50% off Fine Arts. We didn’t want to cancel our membership just for Fine Arts. We still enjoy all of Nana’s new tutorials and live events.

      Interested in the Homeschool Fine Arts curriculum? We asked our members to help answer some common questions.

      Help Getting Started with Fine Arts Curriculum

      We hope these insights into other homeschool rooms have helped you make the decision to try Fine Arts Curriculum! Here are a few more helpful posts that might answer any other questions you have about the curriculum.

      Stef Layton

      Stef started homeschooling her boys in 2008. She quickly adopted a hands-on learning homeschool style and graduated her oldest tactile learner in 2021. Stef started the Hands-On Learning column in Homeschooling Today magazine. The Laytons currently reside in the foothills of Colorado where Stef also teaches yoga. The family loves to hike trails, stand-up paddle board, and chase sunsets. Stef shares travel and homeschool tips on IG at @LaytonAdventures.

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      The Ultimate Guide To Fun Friday Activities For Kids

      Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

      The Popularity Of 4 Day Homeschool Weeks

      Do you implement or have you ever considered a four day homeschool week? Just like there is a trend towards four day work weeks, many homeschoolers keep Fridays free of structured learning and instead, have “Fun Fridays”.

      5 Tips to Start Fine Arts Friday

      Fun Friday Activities For Kids

      Who doesn’t love themed days? Certainly not Taco Tuesday!! I’m sharing 5 Tips to Start Fine Arts Friday without overwhelming your homeschool schedule.

      Fine Arts Friday is an easy way to incorporate the You ARE An ARTiST Fine Arts Curriculum. I know, you’ve already booked August and you’re doing ALL. THE. THINGS. I was right there with you signing up for every activity, co-ops, and sports. Trying to be a homeschool superhero. You don’t have to exhaust yourself (and your children) with one more monster size obligation.

      fine arts Friday for homeschool
      Meet #FineArtsFriday Friends!

      Fine Arts Fridays: Art and Music Appreciation

      For fun Friday activities, Stef says, “Knowing every Friday we were going to spend a bit of time on art helped my youngest, with delayed fine motor skills, mentally prepare while also keeping my oldest, who has a library of sketch books, happy.”

      Fine Arts Fridays: Homeschool Lessons with Nana – Fine Arts Fridays and homeschool lessons with Nana are a creative way to add joy to your homeschool! Integrate homeschool art appreciation, music appreciation and hands on art lessons into your learning in a fun way.

      The Beauty of Art, Music and Nature in Your Homeschool – My children have become acquainted with winter nature study, Vivaldi, Corelli, and Giotto within a few short months! Our Fine Arts Friday has become a fun and hands-on way of learning about great art and exciting time periods. Afterward, we head outside for our nature study and #outdoorhourchallenge. Fridays have become a rich, full day of beauty and learning like never before! Won’t you join us?

      Homeschool Hymn Studies

      Homeschool Hymn Study: Weaving Beauty Into Learning – With a homeschool hymn study, you are weaving beauty into learning! Dawn Peluso’s hymn studies are a great way to learn history, music and God’s Word.

      A Beautiful Easter Hymn Study for Your Homeschool – Join us for a beautiful Easter hymn study for your homeschool and video art lessons to match! Music and art help us all to connect learning with a special holiday plus build sweet memories together as a family.

      A Merry Christmas Hymns Study – 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.

      Thanksgiving Hymn Favorites: Learning Activities for Your Homeschool – A season of thankfulness and gratitude would not be complete without sharing thanks to God for all of our blessings. One of our favorite ways to celebrate during this time of Thanksgiving is with hymn studies. Many songs help us to remember our gifts and sing our gratitude to God. Here, I’ve included Thanksgiving hymn favorites for you to enjoy, along with learning activities for your homeschool.

      Make Your Homeschool Art Museum Field Trip Extraordinary

      Homeschool Field Trips

      5 Ways to Make Your Homeschool Art Museum Field Trip Extraordinary – A homeschool art museum field trip has been on our list for years. This year, we have already been to one and have another planned for next semester. Here are 5 things I’ve learned about how to maximize the educational experience and family fun on your field trip to the museum.

      The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Art Museum Field Trips – you don’t necessarily need to leave your home to have access to things. There are so many resources you can use to enrich your homeschooling, right online! Virtual Art Museum Field Trips are one of those things!

      Why You Should Take an Art Museum Field Trip – It is one thing to study a piece of art or an artist with a book or an online artist study. It is quite another to see a piece of art in person – and to see, up close, the actual brush strokes by the artist. That is one reason why you should take an art museum homeschool field trip. And here are a few more reasons you should go.

      Van Gogh Experience for Homeschoolers – Our entire family definitely felt immersed in Van Gogh’s beautiful works of art. Especially in the immersion room after walking through the galleries! The Van Gogh Experience would also be a great homeschool field trip or educational opportunity to celebrate your Van Gogh studies. This is a great way to experience the paintings and works of this famous artist. We had a wonderful time!

      Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

      Nature Study in Your Homeschool

      Discover the beauty of art and nature study in your homeschool and help your children explore the simple joys of the outdoors. There is so much to marvel about in God’s great creation! The Beauty of Art and Nature Study in Your Homeschool.

      How to Use the Outdoor Hour Challenges for Homeschool Family Nature Study – When getting started in homeschool nature study, here are some simple ideas to consider for your outdoor time.

      Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

      Bears: An Art and Book Study for Your Homeschool – Delight in a bears art and book study for your homeschool! This is a beautiful combination of art, nature study, and living books to grow a gentle learning adventure about the world around us.

      Nature Study Crafts for Kids: Easy Activities for Learning and Fun! Nature study crafts for kids are a hands on way to learn. What beautiful and easy activities for learning and FUN! Let us show you how.

      Spring Homechool Nature Study with Art – Perfect for commemorating spring, Nana’s spring homeschool nature study with art explores all creatures great and small and all things bright and beautiful! These nature-inspired art lessons are easy and fun for the whole family!

      Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

      Gameschooling for Fun Friday Activities

      Whether stuck inside or adding fun to your Friday learning, here are some great ideas and some encouragement to get you started! The Game Homeschool is a great overview with a giant list of games for learning!

      Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

      Homeschool Art Lessons For Hands On Homeschool Learning

      Julie says, “As with every chalk pastel lesson we use in our homeschool, I adore how the boys never tire of this type of learning. Using art to learn is such an interactive teaching strategy.” – Skeletal System Activities: Everything You Need for Learning and Fun!

      Nana has art lessons to complement every subject you can think of for your Fun Friday:

      Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

      Homeschool Fine Arts: Art and Music Appreciation for Families

      You ARE An ARTiST now offers family style and grade level Fine Arts Curriculum. High school students can earn one full Fine Arts Credit. Which is super exciting! This curricula is much different than the traditional Chalk Art Lessons with Nana we have all come to love. While Nana is filming more art tutorials for Clubhouse Members, this curricula is an instant PDF download, so you can go at your own pace! Pick whichever grade you like, and if you’re anything like me with one child dipping toes in three different grades … friend, you’ve got yourself some options. Pick the topic / time period that matches up well with other core curriculum.
      Clubhouse Members can purchase Fine Arts at 1/2 price – must be logged in for discount.

      Here are more details on a Fine Arts Credit for High School with A Homeschooler’s Quick Guide

      Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

      Each fine arts curriculum offers additional art appreciation books, music, and podcasts that you can use as you have time available. They also encourage you to incorporate hands-on famous artists’ and composer art lessons with Nana. These plans pull together affordably priced materials along with internet links so you can have a reasonably priced art and music appreciation program. There are 32-36 weeks planned at each level, and this allows your family plenty of flexibility to complete the curriculum in one homeschool year.

      If you don’t feel that a full year of fine arts appreciation is for you, you can also choose from a collection of unique art and music appreciation unit studies which typically last 6-9 weeks.

      Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

      More Kids Activities For Education And Fun

      What other fun Friday activities would you set aside a Fun Friday for? Of course, any holiday is always a fun time to learn something new:

      With You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse membership, you can enjoy access to all 800+ of Nana’s video art lessons that complement the lovely learning in your homeschool. And, with Clubhouse membership you can choose to receive 50% off the Fine Arts titles and 50% off membership to our sister site, Homeschool Nature Study.

      Homeschool Fine Arts Resources Bundle

      Two winners! We are giving away two bundles! Two winners will receive the bundle of resources that go with the grade of Fine Arts they are using. (Fine Arts Title not included). Resources include the suggested art appreciation books, music appreciation books, art application books for the Homeschool Fine Arts grade.

      Enter to win via the rafflecopter widget, below:

      a Rafflecopter giveaway

      Homeschool Fine Arts Sample

      Get your FREE sample of homeschool fine arts, below:

      Get Your Fine Arts Sample!

      Subscribe to get your free week of art and music appreciation.

        We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

        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.

        Posted on

        Joyful Art, Nature and Music for Your Christmas Homeschool

        Enjoy a simple, joyful and stress-free Christmas event for the whole family. With art, nature and music plus a nature craft for your Christmas homeschool, you can make memories and have fun together.

        Enjoy this simple, joyful and stress-free holiday event with art, nature and music for your Christmas homeschool.

        Though we would like to, as homeschool moms, we can’t fit in all the holiday homeschooling fun. This Christmas homeschool event, however, gives you an easy way to say yes! And all you need is just a bit of time set aside and a few inexpensive supplies.

        It’s all done for you! Sit back and enjoy the fun!

        A Christmas Tree for the Animals – An Event for the Whole Family!

        Sign up to receive the replay

        Enjoy this simple, joyful and stress-free holiday event with art, nature and music for your Christmas homeschool.

        Sign Up To Attend Live or for Replay

        Get access to attend live and to enjoy the replay of the event – Plus accompanying resources

          Activities included in this Joyful Art, Nature and Music for Your Christmas Homeschool Event

          • Access to attend live and to the replay of the event – relax and enjoy on your schedule
          • How to create and decorate an outdoor Christmas tree for the animals with Amy of Homeschool Nature Study
          • A Christmas craft! Make an ornament for your outdoor tree (edible for the animals) with Victoria of Homeschool Nature Study
          • A hands on art lesson with Nana of You ARE an ARTiST – with a FUN Christmas tree with the animals theme!
          • A downloadable nature study, hymn study AND composer study to accompany the live event!

          Find beautiful follow up Christmas homeschool studies (including Nana’s Christmas cookies) in Holiday Homeschooling: A Christmas Tree Study for Kids

          Christmas craft

          Here’s How to Be Ready for the Event

          For your art time with Nana, you will just need a very few suggested supplies, below:

          • a starter set of chalk pastels (Our favorites are here).
          • construction paper (Nana suggests white construction paper for this lesson)
          • baby wipes or damp paper towel for easy clean up

          Craft supplies detailed at sign up.

          Enjoy this simple, joyful and stress-free holiday event with art, nature and music for your Christmas homeschool.

          Share On Social Media!

          Be sure to share photos of your Christmas Tree With the Animals Art, Nature and Music time on social media and tag @outdoorhourchallenge and @chalkpastelart – We can’t wait to see you participating and to see your paintings!

          And please invite your friends! Share this post with them!

          Art, Nature, Hymns & More Membership Bundle

          TWO homeschool memberships at a discount price! Add the beauty of art lessons AND nature study to your homeschool with this family-style bundle!

          • Self-paced and live art lessons AND nature studies
          • Online membership calendars for both – enjoy a daily art lesson prompt AND a daily nature study prompt
          • Downloadable and printable guides and resources
          • Oh so many bonuses!

          The Your Best Homeschool Ultimate Membership

          You will have the resources to make beautiful memories with your children. Just open and go! It’s JOY!

          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.

          Enjoy this simple, joyful and stress-free holiday event with art, nature and music for your Christmas homeschool.
          Posted on

          November Learning Activities For Your Homeschool: art, history, geography and more!

          As November rolls around my mind immediately wanders to my long Thanksgiving grocery list. Every homeschool lesson feels like it revolves around pilgrims, Native Americans, turkey, and gratitude. Maybe you’ve created enough Tom the Turkey disguises every November he is now officially missing in action. Grab your chalk pastels, maps, some hot chocolate, your favorite stories, and find new inspiration with these November learning activities!

          As November rolls around my mind immediately wanders to my long Thanksgiving grocery list. Every homeschool lesson feels like it revolves around pilgrims, Native Americans, turkey, and gratitude. Maybe you've created enough Tom the Turkey disguises every November he is now officially missing in action.  Grab your chalk pastels, maps, some hot chocolate, your favorite stories,  and find new inspiration with these November learning activities!
          Looking for Thanksgiving art lessons and Draw Your Way Through the Thanksgiving Story? Find it all at the end of this post!

          November Learning In Your Homeschool

          Before your eyes glaze over with the joy of second third helpings of stuffing – who is counting? – there are many interesting historical dates besides the Mayflower, mapping opportunities other than Massachusetts, and writer’s birthdays to celebrate in the month of November.

          November Exploration and Geography Study

          100 years before the Pilgrims stepped on the Mayflower these navigators and discoveries were being documented. Grab a map and chalk these continents.

          • November 8, 1519 – Cortes conquered Mexico. After landing on the Yucatan Peninsula in April, Cortes and his troops had marched into the interior of Mexico to the Aztec capital and captured Aztec Emperor Montezuma.
          • November 19, 1493 – Puerto Rico was discovered by Columbus during his second voyage to the New World.
          • November 22, 1497 – Portuguese navigator Vasco Da Gama became the first to sail round the Cape of Good Hope, while searching for a sea route to India.
          • November 28, 1520 – Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan passed through the strait (of Magellan) located at the southern tip of South America, thus crossing from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific.

          November for Religious Freedoms

          November 10th 1483 – Reformation founder Martin Luther was born in Eisleben, Saxony. You don’t need any nails to add more Bible Crafts for Kids into your morning quiet time!

          November in the Early Modern Era

          • November 3, 1534 – King Henry VIII became Supreme Head of the Church of England following the passage of the Act of Supremacy by Parliament.
          • November 17, 1558 – Queen Elizabeth I ascended the throne of England at the age of 25, reigning until 1603 when she was 69.

          Learn About and Paint the 44 Countries in Europe

          • November 19th 1600 Charles I, King of Scotland and England was born. He ruled from 1625-49.
          • November 5th 1605 – Guy Fawkes Day in Britain, for the anniversary of the failed “Gunpowder Plot” to blow up the Houses of Parliament and King James I.
          • November 8th 1656 Astronomer and mathematician Edmund Halley was born in London. He sighted the Great Comet of 1682 (known now as Halley’s Comet) and foretold its reappearance in 1758.

          Houston to Nana, can you hear us Nana? Draw your own comet and astronomy learning with Space Art Lessons.

          • November 26th 1694: – French author and philosopher Voltaire was born in Paris (as Francois-Marie Arouet). He was an advocate of human rights who published the Philosophical Letters in 1734. Other writings include; Zadig, The Century of Louis XIV, The Russian Empire under Peter the Great, The Philosophical Dictionary, and Essay on Morals.
          • November 26, 1607- Harvard College founder John Harvard was born in London.
          • November 1, 1700 – Charles II of Spain died and was succeeded by Philip V, resulting in the War of Spanish Succession.

          November in Modern History

          November 2 1734 American frontiersman Daniel Boone was born in Berks County, near Reading, Pennsylvania.

          Daniel Boone’s birthday and Mapping Skills this month inspires us to learn more about early American history and the changes of the Unites States map. It’s also a great time to read about Lewis & Clark as well as the Oregon Trail.

          November 10, 1775 – The U.S. Marine Corps was established as part of the U.S. Navy. It became a separate unit on July 11, 1789. We celebrate Veteran’s Day on November 11th.

          Discover these Veterans Day Homeschool Activities

          • November 14th 1765 – Steamboat inventor Robert Fulton was born in rural Pennsylvania.
          • November 15, 1777 – The Articles of Confederation were adopted by Continental Congress.

          American History Homeschool Lessons

          • Here are 7 American History Homeschool Lessons you’re students will enjoy.
          • November 17 1789 Photography inventor Louis Daguerre was born in Cormeilles, near Paris. In 1839 he announced his daguerreotype process, the first practical photographic process that produced lasting pictures.
          • November 17 1790 – German mathematician August Mobius was born in Schulpforte, Germany. He worked in the area of analytic geometry.
          • November 18th 1786German composer Carl Maria von Weber was born in Eutin, Germany. He founded the German romantic style of music. Best known for his operas including Der Freischutz.
          • November 21, 1783 The first free balloon flight took place in Paris as Jean Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis Francois Laurent d’Arlandes ascended in a Montgolfier hot air balloon. The flight lasted 25 minutes and carried them nearly six miles at a height of about 300 feet over Paris.
          • November 22, 1718 – Blackbeard the pirate was killed off the coast of North Carolina after a prosperous “career”.
          • It’s never too late to enjoy the Talk Like a Pirate activities.
          • November 27, 1701 – Anders Celsius was born in Sweden. He invented the centigrade (Celsius) temperature scale commonly used in Europe.

          Lively November Art Activities For Your Homeschool

          November Art in Modern History

          November 6, 1860 – Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th U.S. President and the first Republican. He received 180 of 303 possible electoral votes and 40 percent of the popular vote.
          Learn more about the Presidents of the United States.



          November 6th Birthdays:
          1854: American conductor John Philip Sousa known for his rousing marches including: The Stars and Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis, and El Capitan, was born in Washington, D.C.

          • 1860: Polish composer, pianist and patriot, Ignace Paderewski was born in Kurylowka, Podolia, Poland.
          • 1861: James Naismith, who invented the game of basketball, was born in Almonte, Ontario, Canada.

          Are you homeschooling an athlete? Add the Games Clubhouse to your art lessons!

          • November 7th 1867 – Polish chemist Marie Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland. In 1903, she and her husband received the Nobel Prize for physics for their discovery of the element Radium.
          • November 8, 1895 – X-rays (electromagnetic rays) were discovered by Wilhelm Roentgen at the University of Wuerzburg in Germany.

          Learn more about Inventors I Drew It Then I Knew It!

          • November 9, 1872 – The Great Boston Fire started in a dry-goods warehouse then spread rapidly destroying nearly 800 buildings.
          • November 10, 1871 – Explorer Henry M. Stanley found missionary David Livingstone at Ujiji, Africa.

          Learn all 54 Countries in Africa by Painting the Map of The African Continent with Nana

          • November 12th 1840 French sculptor Auguste Rodin was born in Paris. Best known for his statues St. John the Baptist Preaching, Eve, The Age of Bronze and The Thinker.
          • November 14th, 1840 – Claude Monet was born in Rue Laffitte, Paris, France. Monet was the initiator and leading painter of the Impressionist style.


          Listen to Nana’s Podcast, A Hands-On Homeschool Study Of Famous Artist Claude Monet

          November 15, 1864 During the American Civil War, Union troops under General William T. Sherman burned Atlanta.

          Find interesting art lessons in Civil War Hands On Homeschool Art Lessons and Workbook.

          November 15, 1889Brazil became a republic.

          Learn About and Paint the 12 Countries in South America


          November 17, 1800 The U.S. Congress met for the first time in the new capital at Washington, D.C. President John Adams then became the first occupant of the Executive Mansion, later renamed the White House.

          • November 19, 1863President Abraham Lincoln delivered the 2 minute Gettysburg Address during ceremonies dedicating 17 acres of the Gettysburg Battlefield as a National Cemetery.

          November 18th Birthdays:

          • 1836 Sir William Gilbert was born in London. He wrote the verses for the famed Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas which poked fun at the British establishment. Among their operas; H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, The Mikado and The Yeoman of the Guard.

          The You ARE an ARTiST Homeschool Fine Arts Grade Five: for this level cover the instruments of the orchestra. Each week will have a specific instrument or composer to listen to and learn about.

          • 1860Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski was born in Kurylowka in southwestern Russia. He achieved world fame for his interpretations of Schubert and Chopin.
          • November 20th 1889American astronomer Edwin Hubble was born in Marshfield, Missouri. He pioneered the concept of an expanding universe. The Hubble Space Telescope was named in his honor. Sketch the Hubble Telescope in the Space Exploration Clubhouse!
          • November 26, 1832The first horse-drawn streetcar carried passengers in New York City along Fourth Avenue between Prince Street and 14th Street.
          • November 26th 1832 American physician and women’s rights leader, Mary Edwards Walker was born in Oswego, New York. She was the first female surgeon in U.S. Army, serving during the Civil War. She was captured and spent four months in a Confederate prison. In 1865, she became the first and only woman ever to receive the Medal of Honor.
          • November 1874 BirthdayWinston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, England. His inspirational speeches, combined with his political skills and military strategy carried Britain through the war, and helped the Allies overcome the Nazi onslaught and defeat Hitler. This great British statesman found a source of delight and a relief from the stress of his career. He proudly painted in oils and pastel chalks, producing over 550 paintings, helping him to hone his powers of observation, memory and visual acuity.

          November in the 1900’s


          November 4, 1922 British archaeologist Howard Carter and his workmen discover a step leading to the tomb of King Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.

          In November we chat a lot about American History, but take some time to Explore Ancient Egypt with Chalk Pastels!

          • November 7, 1944 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to an unprecedented fourth term, defeating Thomas E. Dewey. Roosevelt died less than a year later on April 12, 1945.
          • November 7, 1990 – Mary Robinson became Ireland’s first female president.
          • November 7, 1918 – Christian evangelist Billy Graham was born near Charlotte, North Carolina.
          • November 7 1922 Pioneering heart surgeon Christiaan Barnard was born in Beaufort West, Cape of Good Hope Province, South Africa. He headed the surgical team that achieved the first-ever human heart transplant in 1967.

          Learn more about anatomy with Nana’s Heart Diagram

          • November 9, 1989 – The Berlin Wall was opened up after standing for 28 years as a symbol of the Cold War. The 27.9 mile wall had been constructed in 1961.
          • November 10, 1928 – Hirohito was crowned Emperor of Japan. He was Imperial Japan’s Emperor during World War II.

          Learn all 48 countries in Asia by chalking them!

          November 13, 1927 – The Holland Tunnel was opened to traffic. The tunnel runs under the Hudson River between New York City and Jersey City and was the first underwater tunnel built in the U.S.

          • November 13, 1956 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation on public buses was unconstitutional.
          • November 14th 1900 – American composer Aaron Copland was born in Brooklyn, New York. He created a quintessential American music style in his ballets, film scores, and orchestral works including Fanfare for the Common Man, Rodeo, and Appalachian Spring for which he won a Pulitzer Prize.
          • Celebrate the ballet with a beautiful scene from the Nutcracker. (Did you know Nana has a series of Nutcracker lessons plus a Nutcracker I Drew It Then I Knew It Guide?)
          • November 19-20, 1990 The Cold War came to an end during a summit in Paris as leaders of NATO and the Warsaw Pact signed a Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe.
          • November 22, 1963 In downtown Dallas, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
          • November 22 1913British composer Benjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. Best known for his operas including Peter Grimes, A Ceremony of Carols, and War Requiem.

          November 29, 1929American explorer Richard Byrd and Bernt Balchen completed the first airplane flight to the South Pole. Paint a Map of Antarctica.

          November Writers’ Birthdays

          November is packed full of wonderful authors’ birthdays. We believe in the Power of Adding Art to Literature Studies.
          November 8 1847Dracula author Bram Stoker was born in Dublin, Ireland.

          Chalk these Halloween Homeschool Spooky Art Activities and be sure to check out the Homeschool Nature Study’s Bat Nature Study.

          • November 11th 1821 – Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky was born in Moscow. Best known for The Brothers Karamazov, Crime and Punishment and The Idiot.
          • November 13th 1850 – Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Best known for Treasure Island, Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Create a Treasure Island masterpiece from the Talk Like a Pirate Day post.
          • November 28th 1757 – British artist and poet William Blake was born in London.
          • November 29th 1832 – Little Women author Louisa May Alcott was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

          Is Little Women a favorite read in your home? Read this Little Women Unit Study for Your Homeschool .

          November 29th 1898 British author C.S. Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland (as Clive Staples Lewis). He wrote books on Christian teachings including The Pilgrim’s Regress, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, and The Screwtape Letters.

          I am in my mid 40’s and I’ll never forget my third grade teacher reading the Narnia books to class every morning. I loved reading the books to my boys. Add art to these lovely stories with The Chronicles of Narnia: A Homeschool Art Adventure.

          • November 30th 1835American author Samuel Clemens (1835-1910) was born in Florida, Missouri. He wrote books under the pen name Mark Twain including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Prince and the Pauper.
          • November 7th 1900Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
          Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Art Activities

          Additional Seasonal Art Activities and November Learning Activities

          Are we at the mashed potatoes and gravy part yet?!? Here are a few awesome Thanksgiving art tutorials you can share with the kiddos while you peel potatoes and stuff the bird. What a fun way to share Chalk Pastel Art with visiting relatives this holiday.

          • Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving – How would you like to visit with famous artist Norman Rockwell, known as “America’s Artist” while he paints one of his most iconic scenes from the “Four Freedoms” series: Freedom from Want! Yep, you will sit at a festive Thanksgiving table, set with the best china, the best dinner guests and have a happy time? Come on, that turkey leg looks like it is all yours!
          • Thanksgiving Hymn Favorites: Learning Activities for Your Homeschool – A season of thankfulness and gratitude would not be complete without sharing thanks to God for all of our blessings. One of our favorite ways to celebrate during this time of Thanksgiving is with hymn studies. Many songs help us to remember our gifts and sing our gratitude to God. Here, I’ve included Thanksgiving hymn favorites for you to enjoy, along with learning activities for your homeschool.
          • Thanksgiving Day Parade – Nana has a really fun way to paint your favorite, giant Thanksgiving float in her Thanksgiving Clubhouse series.
          • The Ultimate Guide to Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Your Homeschool – Enjoy this ultimate guide to fun Thanksgiving activities for your homeschool with wonderful homeschool tools for celebrating Thanksgiving and teaching gratitude. Includes art activities, history, Thanksgiving recipes and more!

          Art Activities for Every Month of the Year

          Look ahead to ALL the art activities for homeschooling you can enjoy every month of the year:

          These November learning activities make education come alive in your homeschool. Includes lessons with art, history geography and more!

          We are incredibly thankful for you!

          Stef Layton

          Stef started homeschooling her boys in 2008. She quickly adopted a hands-on learning homeschool style and graduated her oldest tactile learner in 2021. Stef started the Hands-On Learning column in Homeschooling Today magazine. The Laytons currently reside in the foothills of Colorado where Stef also teaches yoga. The family loves to hike trails, stand-up paddle board, and chase sunsets. Stef shares travel and homeschool tips on IG at @LaytonAdventures.

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          The Ultimate Guide To Art Appreciation In Your Homeschool

          Building a love for beautiful art is something that happens over a period of time for our children. This guide has everything you need for engaging art appreciation in your homeschool.

          When we first started homeschooling, art appreciation appealed to me, but I didn’t know where to start. Sometimes you just need to dive in and give it a try and that is exactly what I did with my children.

          Even though I had no real background in this subject, I did have a passionate interest in paintings and art history. I had a desire to learn more and along with my children we learned together as the years went along.

          What did we do to get started? What method helped us get our feet wet with art appreciation? How did we progress slowly through the years? What things have stuck with us?

          Homeschool Art Appreciation: Getting Started

          • Use a series of artwork from one artist and that will help define for your children the artist’s style. Pick four paintings you like and share those one at a time.
          • Picture Study or Narration: Closely observe and enjoy one painting at a time, increasing your child’s awareness of what it means to have a “style”. View the artwork together and have your children tell you what they see in the painting. Many people call this narration or picture study. Most paintings have some sort of story to tell. Encourage your children to try to guess the painting’s story.
          • Keep the artwork you are studying in plain sight for a period of time. Make the painting your computer’s desktop background or have a print of the painting in a prominent place where you spend time each day.
          • After you have studied two or more painters, begin to compare and contrast the artists. How are they different and how are they similar? Over time this will help your child learn more about the periods of art history. But in the beginning, just make casual observations.
          • Come up with a way to review the artists from time to time. Keep your prints in a notebook, binder or folder. Pull them out at the end of each term and spend a few minutes going over the various paintings and artists. This is a fun time for children once they start to accumulate a number of artists. Keep the mood light and do not make it like a test.

          When my children were younger, I chose an artist where their style was particularly apparent and easy to see. We studied Mary Cassatt, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Pierre Renoir and a few others. These artists appealed not only in subject matter but in showing a distinct style.

          These early years were focused on gaining an interest in art and not so much in learning about art movements or art history. The viewing of artwork and then perhaps learning the title of the painting and the artist’s name were about all we did for art appreciation.

          If your child has an interest or you are starting your program of art appreciation with older children, of course you can add in a little more depth by reading a biography for the artist or perhaps making a drawing of the painting you are studying.

          I would create a folder that was not fancy. I would print out four prints on a sheet of photo paper and then slip it into a clear sheet protector. Those would go into a three ringed binder.

          I also used Dover coloring books to go along with the artist’s paintings as a quick follow up for an artist if the children were interested and had a desire. We kept everything very casual and positive.

          As they got older, we would attach the art prints in a spiral sketchbook. They would print the title under the print along with the author’s name. Again, keeping it simple and enjoyable.

          Art Appreciation For Young Children

          Art is a thing of the spirit, and we need to teach it in ways that affect the spirit. We realize that the ability to appreciate art and interpret it is as universal to all people as intelligence, or imagination, or the ability to form words to communicate. But that ability needs to be educated. Teaching the technical skill of producing pictures isn’t the same as appreciating art. To appreciate, children need to have a reverent recognition of what’s been created. Children need to learn about pictures: they need to learn about them a line at a time, and as groups, by studying pictures for themselves rather than by reading about them.

          – Charlotte Mason, volume six, page 214 (More in Charlotte Mason Homeschool Art Appreciation)
          • Study one artist at a time.
          • Study at least four prints one at a time, using careful and casual observation.
          homeschool high school

          Adding Depth To Your Study for Older Children

          • Follow up with learning the name of the painting and the artist’s name, if desired.
          • Store the prints in a three-ringed binder or in a spiral sketchbook and review at the end of each term.

          Hands-On Activities For Art Appreciation In Your Homeschool

          Follow up with a coloring page from a Dover coloring book or an art lesson with Nana! Or you can simply sketch a part of the painting or the whole thing.

          Remember that your goal is to spark a love for great artwork. This goal is one that can be achieved using any artist that suits your family. Here are some websites that I find helpful for viewing artwork

          The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Art Museum Field Trips is your extensive guide to why, how, and where to find virtual art museum resources.

          Art Appreciation Online

          The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Art Museum Field Trips – There are so many resources you can use to enrich your homeschooling, right online! Virtual Art Museum Field Trips are one of those things!

          ABCGallery.com – A large, online art collection

          A Fine Arts Homeschool Curriculum For All Ages

          Art and music appreciation are subjects that if not given priority, fail to be done in our home. (It’s probably safe to assume that is true for many homes.) It seems like every year I plan on adding art appreciation to our long list of subjects and at the end of the year I realize that once again I haven’t done it. It’s been so helpful to find a Fine Arts Curriculum that does all the work and organizing for me!

          You ARE An ARTiST Fine Arts Curriculum offers art and music appreciation plans for grades K-12. Minimal prep plans for your fine arts needs! A review from The Curriculum Choice

          One of the reasons I have need a fine arts curriculum to help me is because I know next to nothing about art. It should be simple enough to add in picture study to accompany history. But that would require me to actually know which artists and paintings are most significant. Sure, I could probably research, learn and figure some things out. But thankfully I’ve discovered the You ARE An ARTiST Fine Art Curriculum that was written by someone much more knowledgeable than I, and has already done the work for me.

          YOU ARE AN ARTIST FINE ARTS CURRICULUM

          You ARE An ARTiST Fine Arts is an art and music appreciation program that works seamlessly into your homeschool studies.

          The You ARE An ARTiST art and music appreciation program has 12 yearly plans based on a chronological 4-year history cycle. These are divided into the stages of learning of the classical trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric). 

          There are options for every grade level and each plans includes notebooking pages, coloring pages and YouTube links for art tutorials and listening to classical music.

          fine arts

          Find out more about our Fine Arts Curriculum HERE.

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          Fine Arts Credit For Your High School Transcript: A Homeschooler’s Quick Guide

          Fine arts credits are required in most states for high school graduation. Are you looking for compelling ways to satisfy this requirement in your homeschool? This quick guide has everything you need to add fine arts credit for your high school transcript.

          homeschool high school

          High School Fine Arts Credit

          When I first began planning for high school in our homeschool, I was surprised to see that fine arts credits were required for a diploma in our state. I knew I would need to figure out science labs and literature. Adding fine arts at home was something I wasn’t sure how to teach with an older child.

          To be honest, I wasn’t even totally sure what counted as a fine arts course.

          Fine arts is typically defined as “a visual art created primarily for aesthetic purposes and valued for its beauty or expressiveness”.

          The Free Dictionary
          Fine Arts Credit For Your Homeschool High School Transcript: A Quick Guide

          Fine Arts Classes For Teens

          In addition to needing to define what fine arts really means at the high school level, I also struggled with finding courses or learning opportunities that made sense for an older learner.

          It seemed like everything I stumbled across would’ve worked perfectly when my teens were in elementary school. But now that it really mattered and needed to be recorded on a transcript? It was not easy to find the right curriculum for my oldest.

          You Are An Artist For High School Fine Arts

          It was You Are An Artist and Van Gogh that finally gave us a plan for high school fine arts. Because my son showed an interest in the life and art of Vincent Van Gogh, I began looking for resources to help him learn more about him.

          We began with You Are An Artist’s Vincent Van Gogh study. After completing a lesson with Nana, we planned a trip to the immersive Van Gogh exhibit when it came to town. I ordered a few books for picture study. Eventually, I learned that You Are An Artist has an entire fine arts curriculum for high school and we were set.

          I love the approach.

          Visual art is not only the process of creating art. The education goes far beyond that. Visual art with chalk pastels also encompasses learning about art history, culture, nature, and more

          You Are An Artist

          It was clear that with You Are An Artist’s lesson plans, we had more than enough to create a learning experience that worked well for my son, and also met the requirements for credit on his transcript.

          high school art

          Fine Art Credit For Your Homeschool High School Transcript

          If you are creating a high school transcript for your homeschool, it’s helpful to begin with an understanding of what your state requires. As I mentioned, most states, as part of their public school standards, include fine arts as a necessity for graduation.

          While homeschoolers may or may not have to follow state standards (again, depends on your state), adding fine arts to your high school can, without a doubt, help create a well-rounded educational experience.

          When it comes to transcripts credits, this is the general rule of thumb:

          • .5 credit = one semester of study
          • 1.0 credit = one school year of study

          One credit is equal to about between 120-180 ‘Carnegie units’ (A Carnegie unit = 1 hour of instruction or 2 of practice). Use these guidelines to determine how to best award credit for your high school fine arts learning.

          For more support, you may be interested in our  Visual Art 1 Credit Planner and Tracker. The planner and tracker are also perfect additions to your portfolio if record keeping is required in your state. 

          fine arts credit for your high school transcript

          More Resources For Homeschooling High School

          Nana also offers 47 additional famous artists video lessons for your homeschool including:

          Vermeer
          Michelangelo
          da Vinci
          Warhol
          Monet
          Rockwell
          Rembrandt
          Lichtenstein
          Audubon
          Beatrix Potter
          … and a new one added about once a month!

          These resources will help you get started, as you pull together your fine arts plan.

          A Complete Visual Art Curriculum For Your High School Homeschool

          In addition, You Are An Artist has an entire fine arts curriculum for the high school years. It has flexible, easy to follow plans, and is worth a full transcript credit for your learner.

          high school transcript
          Shawna Wingert, Different By Design LearningShawna Wingert is a special education teacher turned writer, speaker and consultant. She is also a homeschooling mom of two brilliant boys with differences and special needs.  Shawna has written four books for parents and helps parents of children with learning differences, behavioral challenges and special needs every day at DifferentByDesignLearning.com.

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          5 Tips to Start Fine Arts Friday

          Who doesn’t love themed days? Certainly not Taco Tuesday!! I’m sharing 5 Tips to Start Fine Arts Friday without overwhelming your homeschool schedule.

          Fine Arts Friday is an easy way to incorporate the You ARE An ARTiST Fine Arts Curriculum. I know, you’ve already booked August and you’re doing ALL. THE. THINGS. I was right there with you signing up for every activity, co-ops, and sports. Trying to be a homeschool superhero. You don’t have to exhaust yourself (and your children) with one more monster size obligation.

          Fine Arts Friday Homeschool Art Lesson

          Nana shares a Fine Arts Friday Art Lesson, below.

          Suggested supplies: White construction paper and all the chalk pastel colors! Baby wipes or a slightly damp paper towel for easy clean up.

          You ARE An ARTiST now offers family style and grade level Fine Arts Curriculum. High school students can earn one full Fine Arts Credit. Which is super exciting! This curricula is much different than the traditional Chalk Art Lessons with Nana we have all come to love. While Nana is filming more art tutorials for Clubhouse Members, this curricula is an instant PDF download, so you can go at your own pace! Pick whichever grade you like, and if you’re anything like me with 1 child dipping toes in 3 different grades … friend, you’ve got yourself some options. Pick the topic / time period that matches up well with other core curriculum.
          Clubhouse Members can purchase Fine Arts at 1/2 price – must be logged in for discount.

          5 Tips to Start Fine Arts Friday

          My boys thrived with schedules and a little routine. Wait, they’re shaking their heads no. Okay, maybe I just did better managing ALL. THE. THINGS. with somewhat of a plan to fall back on when superhero costumes, guinea pigs, and junk food overwhelmed the table. I don’t know what the boys were doing but I was having a blast! Knowing every Friday we were going to spend a bit of time on art helped my youngest, with delayed fine motor skills, mentally prepare while also keeping my oldest, who has a library of sketch books, happy.

          Plan Art Field Trips

          What better way to study art than at a museum? Each fine arts curriculum lists the artist/composer and works covered so you can plan ahead – especially with traveling exhibits, ballet, opera, or family vacations. Be sure to check tickets for homeschool discounts! Read, listen, and art at home one Friday then get out to visit art the following Friday. Or take one big trip to Florence Italy while earning high school credit! Many museums now offer virtual tours. In fact, you can enjoy The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Art Museum Field Trips right here.

          Follow Chalk Pastel on Spotify

          Turn off your 90’s dance music and play that funky Classical music! Chalk Pastel is currently adding the Fine Arts music to their Spotify playlists. Using an app makes everything “cool”, right?! If you have a family account everyone can listen to the playlists on their own devices. Listen while finishing math or driving to the next co-op. Follow up with discussions, Which of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons do you like best? The answer is Winter. No Summer. All of them? We can’t decide.

          Fine Arts Scavenger Hunts

          Download info from the Fine Arts curriculum course content to your phone and head out on a Fine Arts Scavenger Hunt. Can I just say again how much I love that this curriculum is a PDF download?! Compare famous works of art in your surrounding area. Sunflowers, hack stacks, lighthouses, cypress trees, sailboats … see the influences of famous masterpieces in your own neighborhood! Listen to the restaurant music and whoever notices a familiar piece first gets to pick dessert. You’ll start noticing more and more classical music in movies now too. Or, play those songs and let family members guess the composer. I can only play the first 15 seconds of Bach’s Cello Suite No 1 in G Major – so guess quick kids!

          fine arts friday

          Choose Different Supplies

          Many of the Fine Arts Curricula offers black and white copies of the famous works of art. Use your favorite medium to color in the pages. My youngest son, who never really enjoyed chalk pastels (gasp) or paints, was thrilled to use colored pencils and markers. Go BIG or go home, my oldest son loved using sidewalk chalk and chalking ginormous pieces of art on our driveway. This turned into a side job, that’s What Raising An Artist Looks Like.

          Helpful Hints: When a coloring page was not provided we found them online and downloaded them, changed to black & white (change scale to lightest color), and printed from my phone. Also, black pastel chalk doesn’t like to come off the driveway, so if you don’t want to scrub concrete with a vegetable brush – use cheap sidewalk chalk!

          Incorporate Fine Arts into other Subjects

          Art doesn’t have to be a wall flower. It actually mixes amazingly well with other subjects like history, literature, and nature studies! Learning about astronomy? Add a Starry Night coloring page. Learning about the Elizabethan Era? William Byrd is your guy. With just a little planning your core curriculum will come alive with sprinkles of art.

          Extra Tip!

          Join your students. I noticed when I joined my boys we all enjoyed the lessons just a little bit more. Maybe because my boys are talented artistically and my masterpieces always looked like chicken scratch? Maybe because I offered a comedic narrative? Why couldn’t Johann Sebastian Bach buy a house? Because he was Baroque.
          Art provides a wonderful opportunity for moms to express their own creativity and lower stress. A few things we should be proactive about adding to our schedules this homeschool year.

          Extra Tip #2!

          Meet #FineArtsFriday Friends!

          Hi my name is Stef and I love fine arts. It’s funny how an Instagram challenge can help us stick to something. Now that you’re ready to start Fine Arts, join the community of #FineArtsFriday friends on IG. Tag @ChalkPastelArt and #YouAreAnArtist so we can all de-stress and become more cultured together.

          Stef Layton

          Stef started homeschooling her boys in 2008. She quickly adopted a hands-on learning homeschool style and graduated her oldest tactile learner in 2021. Stef started the Hands-On Learning column in Homeschooling Today magazine. The Laytons currently reside in the foothills of Colorado where Stef also teaches yoga. The family loves to hike trails, stand-up paddle board, and chase sunsets. Stef shares travel and homeschool tips on IG at @LaytonAdventures.

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          The Best Art Lessons for Homeschool Families

          Homeschool families come in all shapes, sizes and learning styles! These art lessons for homeschool families are a brilliant way to creatively bring learning to life, build memories together and have FUN learning. Let art add a layer of learning that brings joy to all ages.

          Photo by Amy Law

          Here we share the various homeschool methods and how art blesses each. No matter which homeschooling style you use, the great news is that it is super simple to get started with chalk pastel online video art lessons.

          Getting Started with Homeschool Art: Supplies List

          To get started in homeschool art, all you need is:

          • construction paper
          • a starter set of chalk pastels (our favorites are here)
          • Nana’s video art lessons
          • baby wipes or a slightly damp paper towel for easy clean up

          Art Lessons for the Charlotte Mason Homeschool Family

          In a Charlotte Mason homeschool, there are two major components to art education: art appreciation and art expression.

          Art Appreciation is helping children know and love great art and artists. Students get exposure to a variety of different types of art and the works of many great artists. Picture study is a frequent component of a Charlotte Mason-style education.

          Art Expression is the opportunity for the student to be creative and express themselves through art. Afternoon handicrafts time can be a great place to fit this in your schedule.

          These art lessons for homeschool families are a brilliant way to creatively bring learning to life, build memories together and have FUN learning.

          Though Nana would disagree (because You Are An Artist), I do not consider myself an artist. I really need the assistance of art lessons to help me include art in our homeschool.

          We love using the You Are An Artist Lessons because they tie in so well with the Charlotte Mason philosophy. Instead of being an entirely separate subject, I can use the lessons to supplement history, hymn study, or nature study. Dawn shares about Art Lessons for the Charlotte Mason Homeschool Family.

          Art Lessons for the Classical Homeschool Family

          Art Lessons for the Classical Homeschool Family

          At the core of a classical homeschool is the desire for students to delight in their observations, wonder and ask good questions, and share their knowledge. Classical homeschooling focuses on teaching children HOW to learn, not WHAT to learn.

          I was dubious about my ability to teach art to my children because I never considered myself an artist. The classical method (and Nana!) helped me overcome these doubts. 

          If you know HOW to learn, you can learn anything! Even if you’re new to art, you can learn right alongside your children. 

          Here’s what learning art in classical education might look like: Julie shares Art Lessons for the Classical Homeschool Family.

          Delight Directed Homeschool Learning

          Art and the Delight-Directed Family

          We follow our interests. And I learn right alongside my kids. My goal is to provide loads of great literature, intriguing documentaries, plenty of fun games, and tons of learning and creative opportunities that coincide with my children’s interests. As part of our child-led education, I’ve been strewing to keep my kids exploring, engaged, and full of ideas. That means our tables are covered in books, games, modeling clay, maps, and hands-on activities. I want to foster a love of learning in my children, and following my kiddo’s interests makes learning more relevant and meaningful.

          Delight-directed homeschool art has been super easy with our You ARE An Artist Complete Membership. We like to pair the video art lessons with current read alouds, picture books, or current interests. When my son was obsessed with WWII for two years, Nana consistently added history art lessons to thrill my son. 

          Both children have been obsessed with Harry Potter, and lucky for us, creating an enchanting Hogwarts chalk pastel teatime was easy to pull together with Nana’s clubhouse.

          When the children were enamored with sharks, chalk pastels came to the rescue again! There were easy-to-follow tutorials on some of the weirdest and most beautiful sharks of the deep!

          Erin shares Homeschool Art for the Delight Directed Family.

          Art and the Eclectic Homeschooling Style

          The Eclectic Homeschool Family

          Art is the perfect addition to eclectic homeschooling. Since eclectic homeschooling has no boundaries, you can add art to anything. And with so many lessons to choose from, You ARE An Artist has an art lesson on just about everything. Seriously! You are sure to find an art lesson to coincide with almost anything you might be studying at home.

          I say this all the time, but adding fun, creativity, and excitement to your homeschool can make a world of difference in your home and for your children. Art helps them express their creative ability, incorporates hands-on learning, and helps them retain what they have learned. Not to mention, we don’t have to sit stiffly or still when we create. We can sit however we want (or wiggle) and enjoy art!

          In addition to those wonderful benefits, by adding art, you can create an environment that shows your children learning can be a lifestyle! Isn’t that the goal, cultivating lifelong learners? Courtney shares: Art and Eclectic Homeschooling.

          art and special needs homeschooling
          Learn more about Homeschool Art for a Child Who Hates the Mess and the simple suggestions – pictured in these photos.

          Art Lessons for Homeschooling a Child with Special Needs

          My son has always been fascinated by art.

          He is naturally a creative child. When we visited an art museum with a group of homeschool friends a few years ago, I understood a bit better why art is so meaningful to him.

          After spending the day running all over the museum with other ten year olds, we got back into the car to begin our drive home. My son gazed out the window, tired but satisfied, and said, “That was the best field trip we’ve done in a long time.”

          Thrilled at this homeschool mom win, I asked him why he loved it so much.

          He replied something to the effect of, “I was just like all the other kids today. I didn’t have to read anything. I could just look at all the art and talk about why it was beautiful or cool. I like pictures so much more than writing.

          At the time, I didn’t realize how profound his statement really was. Now, four years later, I see how powerful art has been for him, both as a learner and as a human being.

          Shawna shares four ways art can help struggling learners and more encouragement in Art Lessons for Homeschooling a Child with Special Needs.

          Art Lessons For Your Morning Basket Homeschooling

          Starting our homeschool day with art has been a beautiful way to encourage creative thinking throughout the day. In fact, incorporating art into your homeschool lessons has tons of amazing benefits! Keep reading to discover how we are using art in our morning baskets to support our current homeschool lessons and unit studies. Jessica of The Waldock Way shares Why Adding Art to Your Morning Basket Makes All The Difference!

          These art lessons for homeschool families are a brilliant way to creatively bring learning to life, build memories together and have FUN learning.

          A Simple Start in Homeschool Art

          As these families have shared, art opens the door to learning – no matter your homeschool method. It is simple to get started with just a very few supplies. There is not an intimidating or expensive list of supplies. Not only that, art lessons with Nana are a fun way to learn together as a family. Won’t you join us?

          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 the fun of 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.