Not only can you make the snowman just like you’d like him, you can design your background, plus – decide what your snowman will paint! Nana’s How to draw a painting snowman with chalk pastels is perfect for your cozy, winter homeschool art time.
Snowman Paints!
Painting with chalk pastels is such a wonderful activity for the whole family to enjoy around the homeschool table. If you have never painted with Nana before, we invite you to grab her FREE set of Get Started in Chalk Pastel Art Video Art Lessons. All it takes is 1, 2, 3! A starter set of chalk pastels, construction paper and Nana’s art lessons.
Free Art Lesson: How To Draw a Snowman for Your Winter Homeschool
Enjoy this early art lesson Nana shared with her grandchildren around Tricia’s kitchen table and recorded for you!
Suggested supplies: white or light blue construction paper. Black, red, purple, green, yellow and blue chalk pastels. Pictured: Our favorite chalk pastels and chalk pastels drawer storage.
See how Nana’s grandchildren painted their snowmen here.
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 Hodgepodge and is author of the book, Help! I’m Homeschooling! She and her husband, Steve, are also owners of The Curriculum Choice.
Are you doing a Mark Twain literature study in your homeschool? If you are reading any of Mark Twain’s books then be sure to check out Nana’s Mark Twain video art lesson!
Books By Mark Twain For Kids
Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.
Mark Twain
Mark Twainis considered one of the most significant figures in American literature. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemons, and he was born in Florida, Missouri in 1835 when Halley’s comet came through. Did you know Mark Twain died in 1910, just one day after Halley’s comet came its closest to Earth? It’s also interesting to think about the fact that he was alive during the Civil War.
During his life, he worked at a newspaper owned by his brother, and later as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi river. The Mississippi, therefore, became an integral part of many of Twain’s writings. Many people believe that Samuel Clemons took up his pseudonym “Mark Twain” from a term meaning safe depth by the crewman of the steamboats.
Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain did not shy away from challenging the roles of race and class in America. He wrote many books, and older children and teens tend to enjoy them. Though you know your child best, I’d recommend ages 14 and up can read the originals, but the abridged versions for ages 10-13. There are themes of violence and racism in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, so you’ll want to judge for yourself what your child is ready for.
A list of his books geared toward older kids are:
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Prince and the Pauper
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
Mark Twain Homeschool Study
My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.
Mark Twain
Nana brings Mark Twain literature studies to life with her Mark Twain video art lesson! All you’ll need is a piece of white copy paper and a starter set of chalk pastels to recreate this famous and witty American novelist while Nana shares her knowledge about Mark Twain!
Mark Twain, also known as the greatest humorist and author America has ever produced!
Christmas literature – including The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, A Christmas Carol, If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, Charlie Brown, The Polar Express, and more!
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.
The start of a homeschool year has always been an exciting time in our home and the perfect chance to add new art Activities. Kick off the new shool year with the replay of our Fabulously Funny Folk Tales with Art!
Start of the Homeschool Year
Traditionally, we started the new school year with “First Day of School Cinnamon Rolls” because nothing is sweeter than sleeping in long after the buses leave the neighborhood. Then wrapping up our homeschool week with Fine Arts Friday. Below are a few historical dates and famous birthdays to study while adding new art activities.
September Homeschool Art Activities
September’s name comes from the Latin word septem, meaning “seven.” This month had originally been the seventh month of the early Roman calendar.
September Royal Birthdays
September 7, 1533, Queen Elizabeth I and September 8, 1157, Richard the Lionheart.
September 19th: International Talk Like a Pirate Day
My scalawags loved skipping math to dress up, throw around a few fun phrases, and play goofy golf. You don’t have to dust off your putters to make this day fun. Join Captain Nana with these Talk Like a Pirate Homeschool Art Lessons.
Homeschool Explorers Study
Navigate the waters of Exploration!
Mark these seafaring dates on your homeschool calendar:
September 4, 1609 – Explorer-navigator Henry Hudson is the first European to discover the island of Manhattan.
September 16, 1620 – The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth, England.
September 24, 1493 – With a fleet of 17 ships, Christopher Columbus sets sail on his second expedition to the New World.
September 25, 1513 – Vasco Nunez de Balboa discovers the Pacific Ocean.
September 22nd Autumn Equinox in Northern Hemisphere. At this time, there are approximately equal hours of daylight and darkness. September 23, 1846 – The planet Neptune was first discovered by German astronomer Johann Gottfried Golle.
Happy Fall Y’all! One of my favorite autumn activates, besides eating as many maple donuts as possible, is sketching the Year Round Seasonal Tree Study. Living in Florida with little to absolutely no fall foliage kept us inside chalking all the beautiful colors instead!
September weather is still nice enough to enjoy evening star gazing. This month’s full moon is called the Harvest Moon and appears bigger and brighter than any other full moon. Add a Homeschool Moon Unit Studyto your science lessons.
Or blast off to infinity and beyond! Add these free Buzz Lightyear Activities to your next astronomy lesson.
Classical Music All Month Long
In 1994, President Bill Clinton designated September as Classical Music Month. The perfect time to introduce your children to great composers and classical music. How to Get Started with Classical Music in Your Homeschool shares great ideas! “Where words fail, music speaks.” ~ Hans Christian Andersen.
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 September Homeschool Art Activities add adventure and fun to your learning. Happy Back To School!
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.
Make your homeschool a little more beautiful with literature, art and nature study! Explore the beloved picture book, Miss Rumphius, with Sarah, Nana and Tricia. What a FUN way to celebrate Sarah’s new book together!
Make Your Homeschool a Little More Beautiful – A Free Event!
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construction paper (Nana suggests white construction paper for this lesson)
baby wipes or damp paper towel for easy clean up
For your nature study time with Tricia, have your lupine download on hand.
Remember to sign up, above!
Share On Social Media!
Be sure to share your Make Your Homeschool A Little More Beautiful time on social media and tag @readaloudrevival@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!
What a FUN way to incorporate literature, art and nature into your homeschool routine!
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.
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:
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.
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
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.
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 ourYou 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!
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 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.
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!
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.
A really fun way to bring the Bible to life in your homeschool is with these Bible crafts for kids. You can build memories, pass on your faith to your children and create hands on art projects that are meaningful and fun!
Teaching Children About The Bible Should Be Fun
There are so many benefits to taking an art-based approach to learning about the Bible. Whether you are teaching Bible in your homeschool as a daily or weekly lesson, or perhaps you are creating a church-at-home experience for your family, you will love how effective it is to add art along with your Biblical teachings.
Art can open the door to learning and add depth to an understanding of the Bible. Listening to a Bible story while creating a Bible craft with art is a really fun way to help remember something you are learning.
Bible Crafts For Kids: Everything You Need To Get Started
Did you know you can craft Bible Art with Nana? Yes! Learning with art is simple because all you need to get started is a starter set of chalk pastels, construction paper and our video art lessons. Having baby wipes or a slightly damp paper towel is recommended for easy clean up.
In addition, our You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse members enjoy an accompanying I Drew It Then I Knew It companion guide for each of the set of art lessons listed below! Each guide includes an overview of each Bible topic with the Bible reference, a list of books and extension ideas like tea time, unit studies and art shows.
“God left us a book filled with incredible stories to share with our children, so why not go all out? I want my children to hear the amazing things God has done, and it leave an impression on them for life, just as it did for me.” Enjoy How to Plan an Awesome Home Bible Study for Kids by Courtney.
Creation
Garden of Eden
Noah’s Ark
Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors
Parting the Red Sea
Ark of the Covenant
David and Goliath
Esther
Daniel in the Lion’s Den
Jonah and the Whale – with more, exclusive lessons for members
Free Bible Craft for Kids – Sample Old Testament Bible Story Art Lesson
For a fun way to incorporate Bible crafts for kids, give this sample lesson from Nana’s Bible Stories series a try!
Suggested supplies: yellow or other light colored construction paper. Starter set of chalk pastels. Baby wipes or slightly damp paper towel for easy clean up.
“Yes, reading straight from the Bible with our family is fantastic! But it doesn’t hurt to add resources that visually stimulate our children. Visuals are excellent teaching tools for children of all learning styles. It also doesn’t hurt to tie in hands-on experiences that will help them never to forget. We can help bring the Bible to life as they hear the retellings.
I Stand at the Door and Knock and more lessons for Clubhouse members.
Disciples of Christ Art Lessons with Nana
Homeschooling is such a unique privilege for Christian families, and it is such a sweet blessing to pass along the Word of God to our children. We have, as parents, an incredible opportunity to mold our children into disciples for Jesus, and educating at home is a powerful tool for that. And what better way to experience personal discipleship with our children at home than to study the Disciples of Christ.
We have also included Biographies of the Disciples and 5 Fast Facts for them all in our I Drew It Then I Knew It New Testament Companion Guide for your family to enjoy. Inside the Companion Guide, you can plan your studies with our art planners and use our book recommendation list to get started.
A Simple Start in Hebrew Video Art Lessons with Nana and her Grandson
A Simple Start In Hebrew: Learn seven basic Hebrew words with A Simple Start in Hebrew Video Art Lessons. Why would you want to learn Hebrew? Because many Biblical words have roots in the Hebrew culture. With You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse membership, you will get the Companion Guide to these art lessons packed with Aleph-Bet chart, word studies, traceable letter printables, and much more.
Day
Peace (Full Moon)
Faith
Prayer
Hallelujah
Commandment
Israel
Easter Art Lessons – Draw Your Way Through the Resurrection Story
You can use these art lessons in your homeschool to draw through the Resurrection story and to teach the Easter story in a colorful and memorable way.
These are all accompanied by a Companion Guide too! So you will get the book list, planners, overviews, fast facts, and more.
Palm Branch
The Lord’s Supper
Crown of Thorns
Calvary’s Crosses
Easter Cross
The Stone Rolled Away
Easter Eggs
Easter Lily
Church Stained Glass Window
Jesus and the Sheep
Christmas Bible Crafts for Kids – Draw Your Way to the Birth of Jesus
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. Draw Your Way Through the Story of Christmas by Courtney.
Inspiring Art And Music Activities For Additional Learning
In addition to Nana’s Bible crafts for kids, her online hymn video art lessons are a wonderful way to celebrate these rich songs of the Christian faith.
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.
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.
The Beauty And Tradition Of Easter Hymns
Whether you call it Easter or Resurrection Day, so many emotions are tied to this special holy day. Good Friday’s deep sadness and pain countered with the immense joy of Easter Sunday.
While scripture is our primary resource for learning about Easter, we love to add beautiful hymn studies. The music and lyrics often express the emotions of the holiday more beautifully than I could, and the hymns also help children understand and appreciate the importance of that day.
Our hymn studies include music and art, which allows students the hands-on learning components that help them make connections and internalize their learning.
Be sure to check out The Art of Hymn Study for more information on using art and hymns in your homeschool.
Easter Hymns Lessons For Your Homeschool
“Up from the grave He arose
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes
He arose a Victor from the dark domain
And He lives forever with His saints to reign”
Low in the Grave He Lay is one of my favorite Easter hymns, and I love the celebration of Christ’s victory of the grave that we hear in that song. Nana created a gorgeous painting looking out at the tomb and seeing the crosses on the hill with beautiful bright colors.
In the Garden is another beautiful hymn that is great for the Easter season. This lesson is also included in the hymns course and features Jesus walking in the garden. This song reminds us of the ladies walking in the garden with Jesus on Easter morning and of our relationships with Him.
You can find the Hymns course in your You ARE An Artist Clubhouse Membership. There are also free hymn studies that have hands-on ideas, background stories, and copy work for each of these hymns included with the lessons.
Finally, The Old Rugged Cross hymn pairs beautifully with Nana’s Easter Cross lesson in the Easter Course (available for purchase or included with the clubhouse membership). This chalk pastel painting is a stunning rendition of the cross, complete with flowers. It does a beautiful job expressing the pain of the cross contrasted with the joy and hope of the resurrection. You can also enjoy this accompanying hymn study.
More Resources For Easter Homeschooling
In addition to all of the Easter hymn studies for homeschool mentioned above, Nana has a plethora of other beautiful art lessons perfect for Easter.
In the New Testament Bible Course, she has a Garden of Gethsemane painting that is a beautiful accompaniment when discussing the days leading up to Easter Sunday.
There is also an Easter course included in the membership, or you can purchase it separately. The Easter course has a variety of different lessons, including:
Palm Branch
Crown of Thorns
Easter Lily
Stained Glass Window
The Stone Rolled Away
Lord’s Supper
Calvary’s Crosses
For Clubhouse members, each of the above courses includes an I Drew It Then I Knew It Companion Guide with fast facts, overviews, art planners and more.
You will also enjoy these resources for Easter homeschooling:
Draw Your Way Through the Resurrection Story with Art – You could use these ideas in your homeschool, in a Sunday School, or for home church or family devotional time. Perhaps spread them through the Lenten weeks, or use them for a concentrated study during the Holy Week.
Easter Art Lessons That Will Make For a Memorable Time – Whether you want to experience Easter with your family through Lent, Holy Week, or Easter Sunday, we have something for you. Because studying Easter is not only Biblically rich but history-rich. There is so much to learn!
Spring Homeschool Ideas in the You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse
You can enjoy all of the hymns art lessons and hymn studies for your homeschool, spring homeschool lessons and more than 800 video art lessons in the You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse. You will enjoy access to a monthly interactive calendar and lessons for any time of year.
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.
What does Charlotte Mason say about homeschool art appreciation? Learn how to get started in Charlotte Mason homeschool picture study in a few simple steps. We have family-style homeschool art and music plans to make it easy!
How to Get Started in Charlotte Mason Homeschool Art Appreciation
Art appreciation is regarded with a lot of respect, but teachers tend to be intimidated about how to teach it.
– Charlotte Mason, volume six, page 213
As homeschoolers, we’re in the unique position to change our own thinking and look at our children as people with varying needs and interests. Balancing the more academic subjects with an introduction to things beautiful to the mind and spirit brings a sense of joy to our homeschool.
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
Simple Charlotte Mason Picture Study for Art Appreciation
Pick an artist.
Choose six paintings to view.
Study one painting at a time.
The six reproductions are studied one at a time so that the students learn to not just see a picture, but to look carefully at it, absorbing every detail. After looking at the picture, it’s turned over and the children narrate, telling what they saw, perhaps, ‘a dog driving a flock of sheep along a road all by himself. No, wait, there’s a boy, too. He’s lying at the river, getting a drink. You can tell by the light that it’s morning, so the sheep must be going out to graze in the pasture,’ and so on. The children don’t miss any details – the discarded plow, the crooked birch tree, the beautifully formed clouds that look like it might rain. There’s enough to talk about to keep the children busy for half an hour, and afterwards, the picture will have formed such a memory that the children will recognize it wherever they see it, whether it’s a signed proof, an oil reproduction, or the original itself in a museum.
– Charlotte Mason, volume six page 214
If you are viewing the painting on your computer screen, you can have your child move away from the monitor and complete the narration of what he sees in the painting from memory. Over time, this simple exercise helps your child to see the unique style and techniques of each artist you study. A Monet will look like a Monet. A Raphael will look like a Raphael. All ages of children are capable of this sort of activity and all will learn to narrate paintings quite naturally if you offer the opportunity each week for art appreciation.
Art Appreciation for the Homeschool Family
We can help you get started with picture study with our family-style Art and Music Appreciation Homeschool Plans. Included is six weeks of art and music appreciation. Everything you need to get started is included in the plans. Even the paintings and links to view them online.
More Fine Arts Resources for Your Homeschool
We also have fine arts plans for your for homeschool year for grades 1-12! You ARE an ARTiST’s 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. The plans are listed by grade, but you can also use Grades 1-8 family-style if you have multiple children at home.
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 Hodgepodge 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.
Add a beautiful layer of education with art! With these March homeschool art activities and spring homeschool ideas, you can celebrate Lent, St. Patrick’s Day, Dr. Seuss and Van Gogh’s birthday and more! Nana has human anatomy science lessons to add to her continuing series as well.
Spring Homeschool Ideas and Spring Homeschool Art Lessons
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! Including a NEW Spring Splendor Nature Walk art lesson.
More Spring Homeschool Resources You Will Like: First Day of Spring: Simple Ways to Study Nature in Your Homeschool from our sister site, Homeschool Nature Study – We are excited to get started on this first day of spring with simple ways to study nature and a fresh set of homeschool nature study ideas. It hardly seems possible that we are at the beginning of another spring season but here we go! We look forward to another season of encouraging nature study. Have fun and get outdoors with your children! (Including a FREE Set of Getting Started in Homeschool Nature Study Guide)
March Homeschool Art Activities You Will Love
So much to enjoy!
The mighty Aslan with Nana’s Narnia lessonsBaby Animals Lessons
March In Like a Lion Out Like a Lamb?
In like a lion, out like a lamb! With Nana’s lessons in the You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse, you can literally choose exactly what you would like to complement the learning already happening in your homeschool.
Grand Tetons (the beautiful, neighboring park on Yellowstone’s southern border) – American Landmarks
Plus these animal nature lessons – bald eagle, bear, chipmunk, beaver, rainbow trout
And maybe for your travels: camping with tent, open road with mountains (Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory hymn lesson)
Dr. Seuss Homeschool Lessons – Read Across America
Dr. Seuss Day with Chalk Pastels – You can try this lesson for free. Dr. Seuss art with chalk pastels? Yes, please! How adorable would a Cat in the Hat be hanging on your refrigerator? How about the lovely Truffula Trees? Nana has a lesson for both! Now you and your kiddo can enjoy a Seussical art time with chalk pastels!
Here are a few ideas for using chalk pastel art lessons to teach the Resurrection with kids. You could use these ideas in your homeschool, in a Sunday School, or for home church or family devotional time. Perhaps spread them through the Lenten weeks, or use them for a concentrated study during the Holy Week.
5 Easter and Lent Activities Perfect for Tweens and Teens – What if I told you You ARE an ARTiST offers Easter activities perfect for tweens and teens and suitable for all ages? Nana also has a brand new art lesson appropriate just for your tween or teen!
Nana has brand new lessons releasing to our You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse members over the next weeks! There are lessons for all 12 disciples. A Disciples of Christ Unit Study for Your Homeschool. A great way to begin adding Bible study into your daily homeschool routine might be to start with Lent or Holy Week leading up to Easter. Lent is a 40-day period observed by Christians to commemorate the forty days that Jesus fasted in the desert. You can find the full story in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. By reading the Bible and studying all that led up to the Resurrection of Christ, you and your children can build a solid habit of reading God’s Word together.
The Perfect St. Patrick’s Day Unit Study with Art – St. Patrick’s Day is full of educational goodness, and it’s so much fun to celebrate with kids. We can’t wait to share all of these ideas with you. Not only shamrocks but Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher and a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!
Pi Day Activities and Homeschool Lessons
Celebrate with a yummy fudge pie painting AND Nana’s fudge pie recipe!
Hands on Homeschool Science – The Periodic Table
There’s a saying that goes, “What in the world ISN’T Chemistry?” because everything we see is made up of elements (not necessarily as pure elements, but in their ionic, compound, and mixture forms!). Showing kids where they are most likely to encounter each element makes learning chemistry memorable and practical. Enjoy Nana’s lessons and Julie’s The Periodic Table: Fun Activities for Kids!
Human Anatomy Step-by-Step Art Activities
Nana recently added both the Lungs and Respiratory System plus the Circulatory System to her continuing human anatomy series. Help your child get excited about homeschool anatomy with these activities for hands on science! Diagram a cell, a bacterium, the human eye, the human heart and more!
Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice Literature Art Lessons
Nana has new I Drew It Then I Knew It Literature art lessons celebrating Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice! In addition, You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse members enjoy a new Jane Austen lesson with writing prompts in the accompanying Literature Guide. Learn more about The Power of Adding Art to Literature Lessons. You will also love these ideas for How to Host a Jane Austen Movie Night for Homeschool Moms.
Barn Animals Arts and Crafts
Everybody loves Charlotte’s Web! Charlotte’s Web is a fantastic elementary read-aloud, and I am so excited to share some art & tea time ideas to help you plan something memorable for your homeschool too. Nana has art lessons for Charlotte, Wilbur, barn animals and farm life.
Preschool Baby Animals and Barnyard Lessons
Your youngest artists can definitely get in on the action with the barn animals lessons and preschool baby animals lessons! Paint a chicken, a cow, a pig and a sheep with Nana! Make Time for Preschool Art in Your Homeschool!
Ocean Study for Homeschool
So, whether you live by the seashore or hundreds of miles away, you can still enjoy an ocean unit study with all the depth and excitement of the open ocean and the color of a coral reef! A Majestic Ocean Study Perfect for Your Homeschool.
Learn About Artist Vincent Van Gogh – His Birthday is March 30
Celebrate famous artist Vincent Van Gogh! This homeschool study includes everything you need for a hands-on approach to learning about Van Gogh with Nana’s art lessons, her podcast and a Van Gogh fine arts unit study. You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse members enjoy them all!
Grade 3 Homeschool Fine Arts
You ARE an ARTiST’s art, and music appreciation program is designed for busy homeschooling families. Our art & music appreciation plans organize a variety of resources so you can open the schedule and, with little preparation, offer your child experiences with famous artists and composers. See a list of the artists and composers included, view a sample and find out more Grade 3 Famous Artists and Composers.
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:
Spring Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation – This spring homeschool nature study curriculum contains all the nature study Outdoor Hour Challenges, custom notebook pages for nature study as well as three months’ worth of art and music appreciation.
Nana would LOVE to see photos of your art time and your finished paintings! Please share on social media and tag us onInstagram @chalkpastelart – Nana would love to comment!
Homeschool Art Lessons for the Whole Family with You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse
Enjoy access to ALL of Nana’s video art lessons from preschool to high school with a You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse membership.
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.
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.
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