Making Time for Art in Your Homeschool

Art is one area of our homeschool that didn’t always make the cut when we first started our learning at home journey. I thought it was “wise” to spend our time reading, writing, and computing. Art would be messy and time consuming so it was best if I left it off the list. I find it pretty crazy that I had such thoughts since I was actually disappointed when I realized I could’ve pursued art education versus general elementary education, and I teach art classes regularly.

If you are like my first year homeschool mom self, I want to encourage you to make time for art in your home

Three Quick Tips for Making Time for Art in Your Homeschool

Prioritize Art.

Other stuff has a way of snuffing art out of our daily living if I allow it. I decided I would have to prioritize art by placing it at the top of the day versus the latter part of the day. When art has become absent in our homeschool, we will do art before doing any other subjects. Changing up our schedule isn’t only great for helping us keep art in our daily living, but it also provides spontaneity to our homeschool, and we all benefit from mixing up the routine. We are a little more energetic while experiencing peace. That’s what I love about art—it awakens your mind while relaxing your soul at the same time.

My girls incorporating art and play

Rethink Art Time.

One thing I realized is creating doesn’t have to be a subject, but instead we could create for pure enjoyment. Does your family make time for game nights or movie nights? Art could be incorporated in the same manner. My youngest daughter was my main art loving child. She thrived when it came to being free to create. When she was around 5 years old, she made it a point to have Saturday Art with us. She would think of projects for all of us to do together. We painted canvases, crafted, and anything else she wanted us to do. I have fond memories of creating art on Saturdays with my family. This time didn’t last forever, but it was a fun time while it lasted. You and your family can experience art outside of school time if during school hours doesn’t fit your schedule.

Enlist Art Help.

I know every homeschooling mom isn’t the artsy, crafty type even though Pinterest tries to paint the narrative that we all are artsy, crafty moms. When something isn’t natural to you, it is easier to shy away from it which makes it less of a time issue, but it still plays a role in how often art occurs in your home. If art truly isn’t your thing, you don’t have to go at it alone. There are tons of resources to help you and your family enjoy art time without putting pressure on you. When we lived in Illinois, we visited the Art Garage often to ensure that we created at least once a month. We don’t have an Art Garage here, but each month there are youth art classes at a local church here. My daughters make it a point to attend. When we aren’t looking for ways to create in our community, we can create with Masterpiece Society. Masterpiece Society is an online art hub. There are tons of projects using various media and techniques. If you don’t know where to start, Masterpiece Society is a great place to start. Although I enjoy creating my own projects, I have found creating alongside an instructor can open my mind to new methods that I can use in other projects. If you’re stuck when it comes to art, consider enlisting help.

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A post shared by Latonya | Joy in the Ordinary (@latonya_mo) on Sep 20, 2018 at 2:04pm PDT

If you haven’t found time for art in your homeschool, I hope the three quick tips will help you and your family create more!