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How to Make an Easy Nature Paint Brush With Kids

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Creating your own diy nature paint brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors.

Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings.

If you are digging deep into a nature-based unit study or you just want a unique nature-based unit study add-on to do with your child, look no further.

Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE! #diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

These fun and simple diy nature brushes are an inexpensive and creative way to get your kids into the great outdoors exploring, creating, and coming up with unique new ways to use natural objects.

DIY NATURE PAINT BRUSH FOR KIDS

Toddlers on up to middle schoolers will enjoy gathering their own materials on their next nature walk or from your own backyard, creating paintbrushes, and then painting their unique masterpiece with their DIY tools.

This activity is perfect to go along a general nature study, a tree unit study, or an art unit study.

Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids.

You will need:

  • Craft sticks (or sturdy sticks)
  • Small rubber bands
  • Collected leaves, flowers, ferns, grasses, etc…
Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE! #diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

Begin by taking your little nature explorer outdoors to collect leaves, long grasses, flowers and their stems, ferns, and any other material you think will make good “brushes”. 

It’s fun to experiment with the different textures and shapes so be sure you gather a large variety of different items.

Our Journey Westward

Next bring them in and straighten them up into little bundles, varying the size here and there.

Place one end of the bundle on the end of your craft stick and wrap a small rubber band around the end until it is tight and secure.

Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE! #diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

The easiest way to do this is to wrap it around the opposite end and then roll it upwards over your brush.

DIY NATURAL PAINT BRUSH ACTIVITY

Use scissors to trim the ends of your leaves and grasses shorter. They are more like actual paintbrush bristles. Also, this makes a great fine motor activity for preschoolers. Of course, don’t use the same scissors we used. Just saying’.

Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE! #diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

Next, challenge your child to paint a nature picture on a canvas or large piece of paper. 

Our Journey Westward

We practiced on a scrap piece of paper to see what texture and coverage each brush gave.

Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE! #diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

Encourage them to experiment with different size brushes and see what types of textures you can make from the various brushes you have made, solid strokes, wispy strokes, tapping the canvas, etc..

The Basement Workshop Store

We went with a simple tree this time, but are eager to try more advanced art with them soon.

Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE! #diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

You can use acrylic craft paint or try watercolors for a lighter look. 

Our Journey Westward
Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE! #diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

Wash out your brushes when done or toss them into the compost bin and make more.

HANDS-ON NATURE STUDY

Why should you do nature studies with your child?

6 Reasons Why You Should Do Nature Studies With Your Kids

  1. Nature studies are the base for all science studies and creates a personal connection which helps your child later with more advanced studies;
  2. Spending time outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine is calming and relaxing for you and your child. It is also a great way to get exercise and get the wiggles out;
  3. Nature study encourages your child to develop the skill of investigation;
  4. It is a great activity for the entire family and even the youngest member can appreciate and enjoy what nature has to offer;
  5. It gives your child a respect for the earth and their place in it; and
  6. Kids develop a greater understanding of the impact we all have on the earth.

Nature brushes are a great way to use natural materials to make art supplies and make science fun, but there are ways to expand this hands-on craft.

5 Ways to Expand On Nature Anatomy

Before making the paint brushes you can

  • use the items you have collected to identify which plant it comes from;
  • press flowers and leaves with this diy flower press;
  • make rubbings using the flat side of crayons;
  • sketch your findings in your nature journal; and
  • check out this list of nature inspired novels to use as read alouds.

In addition, use the app Inaturalist to help you identify what you find.

LIVING NATURE BOOKS

Don’t stop here, investigate further with some great nature books to turn this activity into a full unit study.

Use Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman.

Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids by Kim Andrews.

Exploring Nature Journal for Kids Observe and Record the Outdoors by Kim Andrews.

Tell Me, Tree: All About Trees for Kids by Gail Gibbons.

Exploring nature with your kids can cover so many subjects when you use a unit study approach.

Teaching about the outdoors is a natural way to learn which kids love. Not only can you include many different subjects, but adding a hands-on craft or two, makes learning stick.

You’ll love all the fanstastic ideas I have here for you to round out making these diy nature paint brushes with your kids.

Look at this list below:

What nature craft activities do you like doing with your kids?

Hugs and love ya,

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

A fun kids diy flower press can turn a simple wildflower (or garden flower) unit study into a fun and memorable unit by adding in some simple hands-on activities.

Just a few dollars and a little time are all you need to create an easy perfectly portable flower press that you and your child can use again and again.

Turn everything from black-eyed susans to hydrangeas into a dried keepsake.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Too, make dried pressed flowers for crafts, homemade potpourri, or to put into a scrapbook.

Kids DIY Flower Press

Besides, this flower press is great for on the go and can be toted around in your backpack to bring your floral treasures home.

Lastly because it’s such a frugal project, everyone can have their own.

We spent $2.00 on wood at Dollar Tree; we had paint and twine already on hand making it a frugal and fun activity with a purpose.

You will need :

  • 2 thin unfinished wood pieces
  • twine
  • hot glue gun/sticks
  • card stock
  • paint 
  • foam brush
How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Directions: 

I found these two unfinished wood pieces at Dollar Tree (my favorite place to find  inexpensive supplies for homeschool projects) in the craft section.

If you don’t find them there you can get any two precut wood pieces from the craft store. Just be sure they are ¼” thick or less.

Paint one side of each of the wooden pieces and allow to dry completely.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Trace around your shape onto cardstock to create layers for your flower press.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Moreover you don’t need more than two layers.

And you can cut extra as you will want to replace them after every few uses due to the moisture it will collect.

Steps for DIY Kids Flower Press

First, cut 2 pieces of twine into two foot lengths.

Then, hot glue one of the pieces of twine to the corner of the painted side of the wood. Secure it well.

On the other piece of wood glue the second length of twine to the opposite corner of the first.

If you prefer to give it a more finished look you can cover it up by glueing on silk flower or greenery like we did here. 

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

To use your flower press lay flowers between sheets of cardstock on the bottom wooden piece, lay the other on top and wrap twine as tightly as you can around the sides, tying it off into a bow.

Next, allow your flowers to sit in the press for 2 or 3 days until flat and fully dry.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Hands-on Ideas for Kids DIY Flower Press

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

    Try some of these additional hands on activities to expand on your flower explorations!

    • Head outside and gather up flowers from locals fields or your own backyard and try them out on your new flower press. Again, once you have them home search through field guides  or use an app try to identify each.
    • Find out your state flower and try to locate one.
    • Use a real flower to label each of the parts.
    • Plant your own wildflowers after making these Wildflower Seed Bombs.
    • Take apart a flower and identify the parts- petal, pistel, stem, stigma, filament, etc…
    • Use watercolor paint to recreate your flower finds on paper.
    • Dig deep into this Wildflower Unit Study & Lapbook.
    • Futhermore, try to identify at least 10 different types of flowers.
    • Create a flower sensory bin for young children with fresh flowers, leaves, and stems.
    • In addition, young children can also count the petals on the flowers. 
    • Use different types of flowers on long stems as natural paint brushes.
    • Plant a flower garden or even a small container of flowers together.
    How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

    In addition, here are some great resources to help you identify your flower finds in the field or at home.

    If you’re wanting to add a few more activities to this activity, I know you’ll love these ideas below.

    Trees, Leaves, Flowers, and Seeds

    Audubon Field Guide to Flowers

    Pocket Guide to Wildflowers

    Fandex Wildflowers

    Finally, whether you have a budding botanist or love being outdoors, you’ll love making this fun DIY flower press.

    Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

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    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

    Your kids will love labeling the parts of a honey bee lego activity. Also, look at my Fascinating and Fun Honey Bees Unit Study and Lapbook for Kids.

    Bees are fascinating little creatures from how they create their honeycombs to maximize space, to how they know to fan the hive to keep it cool.

    Bees are used in so many ways than just the delicious honey they produce.

    Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

    We use beeswax in cosmetics, candles, as a coating, and bee venom is used as a holistic treatment.

    Because they are so very important to our world as pollinators I think it is important to educate our children about them from the beginning.

    Labeling the Parts of a Honey Bee

    If you’ve been homeschooling awhile you know that hands-on activities really drive home information in a fun way that really makes it stick, often better than any worksheet could.

    Since most kids love LEGO, I thought that an activity using them would be a hit with the kids and turn an ordinary and possibly boring homeschool lesson into something unique and fun.

    Turns out I was right- The kids loved doing this project and I hope you and yours will too!

    Grab a big bucket of LEGOS and a handful of bee books and let’s get started.

    A LEGO baseplate.

    Assorted LEGO bricks

    • Cardstock paper
    • A book or printout of parts of a bee
    • Pen or marker

    Books for Bee Unit Studies

    Next, look at these books about bees for kids.

    8 Honey Bees Unit Study Resources & Books

    Add some of these fun resources to your bees unit study or spring unit study.

    You can make this as simple or as involved a LEGO build as you like depending on the age and ability of the child.

    Hands-on Activity for Honey Bee

    Using the larger Duplo blocks to create a simple bee and let your child point out the various parts of a bee as you call them out is another idea.

    Provide your child with a book or printout on the parts of a bee to use as a model and a variety of LEGO to build their bee model. 

    Give them a large variety of LEGO bricks to build with, I love this starter box for kids just beginning a LEGO collection.

    Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

    I keep a box for each kid separate from all the other LEGO in the house just for school projects like this.

    Have them start with creating a head, thorax, and abdomen using yellow and black bricks.

    Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

    Add wings using white bricks.

    For older children you can differentiate forewing and hindwing if you like.

    Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

    Use long single row black bricks to create 3 sets of legs.

    Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

    Finally add eyes and antennae.

    Hands-on Science: Labeling the Parts of a Bee

    Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

    Cut small strips of cardstock and add the names of whichever bee parts you would like your child to identify.

    Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

    Give them the strips and let them locate each part on their LEGO bee, with so much interaction while building and then labeling they are sure to retain much of the information they get from this build.

    HONEY BEE LAPBOOK FOR KIDS

    Also, you’ll love my honeybee lapbook.

    Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

    Here are some additional bee activities to try 

    • Create a honey bee lapbook.
    • Create the life cycle of a bee using LEGO again.
    • Pick up some local honey and try it right out of the jar as well as in a recipe or two.
    • Make a honeycomb by cutting down toilet paper tubes and bending each ring into a hexagon, glue each together to create any size you like.
    • Paint a watercolor bee or beehive.
    • Thumb through one of the books listed below and learn some more bee information-make flashcards.
    • Plant flowers in your yard to help support the bees, very important pollinators.
    • Make a mason bee house to put up outdoors.
    • Preschoolers can work on fine motor skills by transferring “pollen” (yellow pom poms) from one flower (colorful bowl) to another with tongs.
    • Research all the products we get from bees.
    • Give your child a bee themed writing prompt for handwriting, creative writing, and grammar practice such as “ What if there were no bees?” or “ The day I turned into a bee…”.

    You’ll love these other hands-on science activities.

    15 EASY History Ideas for Homeschooled Kids Who Don’t Like School

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    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

    As a history lover I find dates meaningless; I totally sympathize with home educators and kids alike who hate anything school-ish, but I especially feel your pain when learning history. With these 15 history ideas for homeschooled kids who don’t like school, I know you’ll find one or two fun things you can use.

    The first tool I use to bring history to life are (1) lapbooks.

    I’m not the craft lover. However, I found a way to use lapbooks for my kids which benefited them and brought history to life.

    15 EASY History Ideas for Homeschooled Kids Who Don’t Like School

    Using lapbooks as a way to feed a kid’s passions and adding enrichment has been one of the best ways I’ve taught my kids.

    I came close to giving up lapbooks because I over worked it. We almost went from lapbook lovers to lapbook haters. Read how I fought back and made lapbooks suit our purpose. My tips are here at Beware of the 3 C’s of Lapbooking. Don’t make my mistakes for beginner lapbookers.

    Also, I have more than 30 history lapbooks here on my site.

    Click on UNIT STUDIES on my site for the drop down menu where I divided the lapbooks by time period.

    Another way to teach your kids is to do what kids naturally like which is to read (2) stories or to be read to.

    15 History Ideas for Homeschooled Kids

    You can present history stories in at least two ways.

    First, you can use laid out history curriculum like Story of the World which has a reader and hands-on activities to go along with each period of history.

    We loved this series.

    Second, use a living book or story book.

    Look at these series of books.

    • Another series kids love is the Horrible History books which has British humor. The books are full of jokes about history.

    Your kids will love learning about the smelly parts to history. Horrible History also has a YouTube channel which I listed below.

    Homeschool History Field Trips

    Additionally, history just doesn’t come from stories, but it’s learned through (3) field trips.

    If your kid is turned off to books because he learned from boring books, then take field trips in person and take virtual field trips.

    Taking a trip through a cemetery brings enough mystery into learning history for the day.

    Walking through the house of a pioneer family or visiting a one-room schoolhouse gives your child a picture of what life was back in the day. A tiny spark of love for the past can be ignited from a fun field trip.

    Look at my post 22 Awesome Homeschool History Field Trips for ideas of places to visit and look below at a few ideas for virtual field trips:

    Too, a (4) geography twist makes a wonderful slant on history.

    We used the Ancient Empires to learn about continents and not only did we learn about countries we found interesting, but we learned their history while having fun with a group of other homeschooling families.

     In our co-op each family chose a country, created a pizza box display, came in costumed dress for the country they represented, and made a delicious recipe to share with others.

    Look here at my post Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too) to see how we used it.

    Make your co-op as big or as small as you want. However, some kids do quite well learning with others about subjects which they consider boring.

    Homeschool History Curriculum

    Another study of history and science with a geography angle using living books is one by Beautiful Feet. Your kids will love the science slant.

    There are no shortages of FANTASTIC ways to cover history through geography by focusing on a country.

    Case of Adventure is another one we loved.

    Destination Scotland - CASE OF ADVENTURE

    What I like about Case of Adventure is being able to focus deep on just one country through a story and lapbooking and notebooking type of activities.

    Case of Adventure - Country-Themed Kids Activity Books

    Another interactive way to learn history is to (5) look real close at your own circle of family and friends.

    Use what you already have at your disposal. Most people, even acquaintances, love to help educate kids.

    Interview people who are from other countries or who lived through certain periods of history. It can be your parents, grandparents, or extended family member or even a friend who is well-traveled.

    My kids interviewed my mom who grew up picking cotton and farming; they interviewed a close family friend of ours from Africa. The friend of ours from Africa cooked my kids soup from her country and showed them handmade objects in her house from her native country.

    Speaking of connections, another friend of ours was an international flight attendant. I got creative again. There is no harm in asking.

    We ask her to take pictures of each country she visited and pick up a few mementos. She was happy to oblige and told us it gave her something to do on the layover. We gave her a few dollars to spend.

    She couldn’t bring back a lot from different countries since her suitcases were small, but candy and key chains make great mementos to study about from other countries.

    We still have our kimonos from Japan. The items from Japan were some of the ones my kids really loved. Mementos gave my kids something to hold and look at which cemented cultural awareness and love of people and history.

    Homeschool History Unit Studies

    Did I mention the pictures she took of the local people, food, and costumes made for a fantastic study? We couldn’t wait for her to get back from each flight.

    • Japanese fan
    • Chopsticks
    • Japanese kimono
    • Cool keychains

    Another slant I took with my kids which they really loved was to look at a period of history through a (6) real person or (7) event/place which piqued my boys’ interest.

    Feed and fan a history love for your kids by basing your teaching on your kids interests.

    An example of how I did this was our Wyatt Earp unit study for a history character and the FBI for an agency or interesting place to learn about.

    Choosing a character or event/place has a helpful side benefit. Your topics and time period are considerably narrowed. Your child and you have a starting point for learning history.

    Look at Free American History Lapbook – The Old West Through the Life of Wyatt Earp.

    Narrowing your focus only to the time period of your history character and learning where he lived and traveled, what was life like during his lifetime, and significant events in his life ties history to a real person. It’s a life study.

    This same outline of how to teach history focusing on a person applies to a place. The FBI unit study topic was narrowed down to when it came to existence and events during modern times.

    Homeschool History Media and YouTube

    In addition, (8) media and/or YouTube channels can revive the love for learning history.

    Look at a few of these.

    Studying (9) art history is another unique way to study history.

    If you have an art lover or even a kid who loves to draw, they’ll tolerate history with a focus on culture.

    Art is the way persons or cultures of the past express emotions about day to day life whether it’s appeasing their gods or crafting items for everyday use. It’s a great angle to teaching history.

    Look at Art History Kids.

    Homeschool History Tips

    Look at these other unusual approaches to teaching history. (10, 11,12,13,14)

    Finally, the last fun way to make history fun for the kid who is most challenging to teach is to use (15) history games. You can learn so much from board games and they don’t have to cost a lot.

    Look at these 13 Free and Fun BEST Printable History Board Game. Also, check out the ones at Homeschool in the Woods.

    Recap 15 History Activities

    Look at these ideas in a nutshell for you:

    • Lapbooks
    • Stories
    • Fieldtrips
    • Add a geography twist
    • Look to family and friends
    • Look at history through a historical person
    • Learn history through an event
    • Watch videos/use media
    • Learn history through art
    • Study women in history
    • Learn history through cooking
    • Learn history through fashion
    • Lean history through a movie
    • Learn history through a novel
    • Learn history through a game
    15 EASY History Ideas for Homeschooled Kids Who Don’t Like School

    You’ll love these other resources I have:

    What do you think? These 15 unusual homeschool history ideas should at least get a nod or two yay from even the most stubborn learner.

    Hugs and love ya,

    The BEST Resources for Teaching Art at Home (K to Gray)

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    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

    If you’re like me you love art, but teaching art at home can be intimidating. Also, look at my page free Art Units Curriculum Grades 1 – 8.

    Finding a quick starting point, resources for all ages, and working it into your full homeschool schedule is frustrating. So, I rounded up some homeschool art resources and organized them here so you have a place to start while keeping it easy.

    Some resources are free, others are worth their weight in gold when I’ve paid for them.

    The BEST Resources for Teaching Art at Home (K to Gray)

    All of them will making teaching art at home a delight like it should be.

    Worth mentioning at this point too is that your definition of what is art influences your teaching.

    Whether it’s art history or pencil drawing, I’ve rounded up a bit of everything to give you a palette (corny pun intended) to choose from.

    Homeschool Art Curriculum and Lessons

    Art History  Kids is one I’ve used and loved because it’s thorough.

    Also, I loved the fact that in the older grades art history is included.

    If you’re overwhelmed with teaching and want to cover art with attention to basics and to be able to count it as art for the high school years, you’ll love this easy to use curriculum. It has been worth every penny I spent.

    From free lesson plans for each age group to ideas organized by art period, you’ll find something fun.

    You’ll have no shortage of ideas to go with your unit studies or ideas to stand alone.

    Because there is so much to navigate on this site, one important tip is to click on the age AND then look at the art period.

    Art for All Ages Bundle

    Chalk pastel art rocks and You Are an Artist by a homeschool mom makes it easy to get started. I love the fact that you don’t need but a handful of supplies to get started.

    We loved the chalk pastel sticks and through the years expanded our art supplies. But chalk pastel art allows you to quickly jump into art with minimal supplies.

    This is good if you’re looking for a fun and fuss free fix.

    More Art at Home Curriculum and Lessons

    Also, some kids have a perfectionist streak which can be crippling when you want them to focus on the process instead of the product.

    What I’ve learned through the years in teaching art (from a believe me I’m not an art mom) is that our kids need to know that art is self-expression.

    Art is not copy and paste, but we can use models to express our creativity.

    Looking at art galleries helped my kids to understand that self-expression comes in many different forms.

    I used real life objects for my kids to draw so they didn’t always compare to another drawing or painting.

    Reminding my kids constantly that we use other art as a way to learn how many different ways people self-express gives a child room to accept his artwork.

    • Art for Kids Hub.From the site: “Art lessons for kids, including how to draw for kids, even painting and origami for kids.”
    • Artful Parent. Ideas and lessons for younger kids
    • Kinderart. Not just for kindergarten. Lessons from K to High School.
    The Best Resources for Teaching Art at Home at Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

    Next, another homeschool fave of mine is ARTistic Pursuits. It’s been around for a while and there is a reason for that. Some kids especially older kids just love to pick up a book and learn without watching a video.

    ARTistic Pursuits helped my boys as they got older to learn about technique, art appreciation, and art history. They wanted background information to round out their study.

    ARTistic Pursuits has books from PreK to 12. You’ll love my review here of ARTistic Pursuits, Middle School 6-8: Book One -The Elements of Art and Composition

    YouTube Homeschool Art

    Art is subjective and I’ve tried my best to screen through channels that are appropriate for all ages, but ultimately you need to decide which channels work for your family.

    I simply want to give you lots to choose from for every age because we love the school of YouTube.

    Also one more tip – pause the videos as you go along. There is no sense in frustrating kids if they want to take art at a slower pace.

    Look at the variety of art YouTube channels below:

    • Mr. Otter Studio. From the site: “We provide free tutorials for people of all ages and all interests. From watercolor painting to cardboard sculpting, our tutorials are broken down into simple steps.”
    • LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems! Children’s author who gives drawing lessons.
    • Alphonso Dunn. Helping you develop and refine your drawing, pen and ink, and watercolor painting skills and techniques.
    • Emmy Kalia. Pencil drawings and watercolor paintings.
    • The Art Sherpa. Easy acrylic step by step painting tutorials for. beginning artists.
    • Bob Ross. Learn how to paint for older kids.

    Homeschool Art History

    If you love unit studies, history, and rabbit trails like I do, you’ll want to take a look at Art History For Kids.

    It’s great for the non-artsy parents who wants art projects which tie into other subjects like math and science.

    You’ll want to look at The Studio Art History which is a monthly membership that introduces you and your kids to a new (super fun and engaging) art history topic each month.

    Want your unit studies planned? You’ll love this. The art projects are designed with 5-12 year old kids in mind, but they’re flexible to adjust up and down.

    Art Games

    We love the whole Professor Noggin series and the History of Art is no exception.

    You’ll love the fun and printable art games at Artsology. From a Paris Street Art game, The Salvador Dali Surrealist Exile Game, and Andy Warhol Word Find to a Tjapanangka Desert Game, you’ll find something fun.

    Learn about 30 of the world’s most famous paintings with these Famous Paintings Cards.

    Homeschool Art Field Trips

    • Take your teens on an architecture walk.
    • An aquarium is a great place for ideas to spark art.
    • Another time when we lived in South America, we took our sketch pads to watch the street performers and musicians downtown. Look for opportunities to watch for street performers.

    The Museum of Modern Art YouTube. From the site: Our goal is to introduce you to as many artists and artworks of our time as possible.

    • We lived near a very old courthouse and tons of historic buildings which are great to ignite an idea or two.
    • Of course nature has been one of our best art teachers.

    Art Coloring Pages, Images, & Tools

    Art Books, Reference, & Journals

    Then of course there are lot of great art books, but a few make teaching art a bit easier.

    This next book is a keeper too. It’s Vincent’s Starry Night and Other Stories: A Children’s History of Art. A great way to introduce art through stories. It starts with the earliest of times and goes through current times.

    A Child’s Introduction to Art: The World’s Greatest Paintings and Sculptures is for kids ages 9 to 12 and another great book to introduce the most famous painters, styles, and periods.

    Complete Book of Art Ideas. Lots of art ideas and how to keep art supplies too.

    Journal Sparks: Fire Up Your Creativity with Spontaneous Art, Wild Writing, and Inventive Thinking.

    Drawing With Children: A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too is an easy-to-follow, lesson-by-lesson approach for drawing for children of all ages and beginning adults. 

    Here is a really fun spin on learning art. ” This one-of-a-kind book, Art Fraud Detective, combines a mystery story, fun spot-the-difference puzzles, and a fantastic introduction to some of the world’s greatest art.”

    Homeschool Much-Loved Art Supplies

    Because art is about creativity, expression, and experimenting you want to have a good variety of materials to feed your children’s creativity.

    As a matter of fact you don’t really have to spend a lot of money. I just purchased inexpensive ones to see what my kids liked best, but don’t do that for a long time.

    Kids know good quality and if you buy something high quality it makes a difference in how artwork turns out. So if you have a budding artist be sure he or she has some great quality tools. Start with inexpensive materials, but add higher quality tools as the budget allows.

    Look at the list below to get you started!

    • sidewalk chalk
    • popsicle sticks
    • glue dots
    • inexpensive construction paper
    • paper plates for mixing palettes
    • oil pastels
    • paint brushes
    • tempera paint
    • toilet paper tubes (empty of course)
    • coffee filters
    • soft pastels
    • scissors
    • colored art tissue
    • stencils
    • colored pencils

    My only regret in teaching art through my 20 years of homeschooling is not doing more of it! I know this list will give you an easy starting point. If you see a link you want added, give me a shout.

    The Best Resources for Teaching Art at Home (K to Gray) at Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus. You'll love this AWESOME roundup of YouTube art lessons, curriculum, and games. CLICK HERE!

    If you need more resources or ultimate lists, you’ll love my other topics:

    Hugs and love ya,