Homeschool Art Curriculum - Artistic Appreciation and Creation for Every Child

By Carol A Henderson

Homeschool art curriculum should instill an appreciation for artistic works in every child while giving them the opportunity to create interesting things with their own hands. Art instruction can include anything within the artistic world, from drawing and painting to sculpting and creating ceramic bowls. Since you are teaching your children at home you have no boundaries when it comes to developing an exciting and stimulating homeschool art curriculum.

Homeschool Art Appreciation

The best way to teach children to appreciate art is to let them see a diverse collection of art in a variety of forms. Take note of all art museums and galleries in your local area, plus areas that are a reasonable drive for weekend or overnight field trips. Try to find exhibits and museums that celebrate unusual forms of art by artists of different ages and from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Plan leisurely trips that will allow children to explore these art displays without feeling rushed.

You can also check your local library for books that show pictures of different art forms. If your child takes an interest in a specific type of art, you can find a book on the art form to combine reading and homeschool art curriculums. The same thing can be done with biographies of famous and modern artists.

Homeschool Art Creation

A portion of your homeschool art curriculum should center on projects that allow children to try their own hand at different art forms. What art forms you include and how they are approached depends on the interests of your children and your financial resources. Here are some ideas to get your creative ideas flowing:

    Check drawing or painting instruction books out of the library so children can learn to draw and/or paint things they find interesting. Invest in a good drawing pad so they have space to practice. Display their drawings in a home gallery and invite friends and family members over once a month, just like a real gallery.

    Sign your child up for lessons in art forms that are not easily practiced at home. For instance, pottery or ceramics lessons may be offered through community organizations.

    Take your child to a local business offering pottery services. You can pick out a piece of pottery already created and then allow your child to paoint it. Classes may be offered from these businesses as well.

    Sign up for homeschool art curriculum programs, such as Artistic Pursuits. You can purchase comprehensive curriculum packages that include a variety of interesting art projects that can be completed at home. Some programs focus only on projects, but Artistic Pursuits focuses on art appreciation as well.

    Search for art project ideas online. For instance, you will find tons of ideas if you visit Pinterest.com.

Anything that allows your child to try their hand at an artistic form can qualify as homeschool art curriculum. Make sure you are realistic about your child's ability. You may need to complete some steps of a project for your child, and smaller children will need to be supervised when working with scissors, glue, and other art tools.

Diversity vs. Excellence

Many homeschool children will take a serious interest in one form of art before they are out of high school. If this happens with your child, make sure to balance the time they spend exploring that art form and the time they spend exploring other forms of art. You want your budding artist to practice their art and develop their skills, but you also want them to appreciate other forms of art.

You may find ways to combine homeschool art instruction with other curriculums, such as math and history. If your child loves art, make sure to plan lessons to teach other subjects through the guise of art. For instance, studying the art in one period of history may help a child understand other elements at play during that historical time.

Carolann Henderson, homeschooling mom, website editor and researcher. You'll find some more homeschooling resources, education tips and encouragement on my website. I also have a free gift for you that you will find instrumental in getting and staying organized in homeschooling and all areas of your life along with a free ebook to help you homeschool holidays. You can claim your free gift by visiting my website http://www.homeschooling-road-map.com and signing up for our free newsletter "Homeschool Helping Hands".

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