I’m sure all kids love art to a degree. They certainly seem to when they are younger. My kids seem especially fond of art and my teenagers are quite talented, having won awards in art shows and other competitions. One of my favorite parts of homeschooling was that I could nurture this love of art that they all had. I truly believe that is the reason my older two have done so well with it and also still love it so much.
In most public schools, arts and crafts are a common occurrence in the younger grades but the older they get, the less art they seem to get, until high school level when they can choose it as an elective in many schools. It’s no surprise then that a lot of students lose their interest in art as they grow older. They start to think they can’t do it, or that they are not any good at it, because they are out of practice. Few young students worry about this. They just enjoy the art experience for what it is.
If you homeschool, then you should definitely have an art program. How detailed this program is and what it entails will vary based on your needs and that is the beauty of homeschooling – we get to decide for ourselves. However, there are some basic steps to supplementing your art program that you can use to get started.
For one, you should always have plenty of various art supplies on hand. They will always get used with kids in the house and different tools and mediums allow your student to experiment and be flexible. They may even end up really liking a certain type of art they would not have known about if you had not given them so many opportunities to experiment.
Here are some ways you can supplement your homeschool art program:
- Visit sites like Art for Kids Hub or Hodgepodge.
- Go on field trips to art museums.
- Create an art assignment in a different subject, such as history.
- Create art journals.
- Look for area artists and ask to meet with them.
- Attend an art show or exhibition.
- Study the history or art or certain artists.
These are just a few ideas on how to supplement your homeschool art program. You can use them, tweak them, or incorporate your own. The most important thing is that your student is getting regular art exposure.
Do you have some ideas that have worked for your family?
