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Art Study Coloring Books for Middle Schoolers

Art Study Coloring Books for Middle Schoolers

August 15, 2016 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Scrambling to find art study resources for your middle schooler this year? These art study coloring books for middle schoolers are absolutely awesome ways to study classic paintings!

We’ve loved these books and today – I’m giving four of them away to one of my readers! Woohoo!

Read on for more about these books and for your chance to win them!

Art Study Coloring Books for Middle Schoolers

Art Study Coloring Books for Middle Schoolers

Let’s face it: Studying classic art can be a bit of a challenge, especially if your tween is not into art. Getting to “recreate” classic masterpieces, though, can bring these artistic styles to life!

Take a look at these!

Color Your Own Impressionist Paintings

Color Your Own Impressionist Paintings

Color Your Own Famous American Paintings

Color Your Own Famous American Paintings

Color Your Own Still Life Paintings

Color Your Own Still Life Paintings

Color Your Own Italian Renaissance Paintings

Color Your Own Italian Renaissance Paintings

Get more ideas for teaching art in your homeschool with my Art Appreciation board on Pinterest!

Color Your Own Masterpieces Giveaway

Now – for the fun part! You can enter to win all four of these coloring books, plus a set of colored pencils! Use the Giveaway Tools widget below to enter!

Entry-Form

Want to enter to win even more awesome resources for your homeschool year? Stop by the iHomeschool Network Gift Basket Giveaway to see all of the other amazing gift baskets you can enter to win!

Gift Baskets 2016 Collage 2


Art and Sensory Activities Galore with Family Fun Friday!

July 9, 2015 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

This week’s Family Fun Friday is all about art and sensory activities for kids! We use sensory play a lot in our homeschool, especially because some of our children are living with Sensory Processing Disorder.

Interestingly, though, I’ve found that sensory activities and art projects can be particularly helpful for learning. And that’s why I’m excited to announce the release of the book Learn with Play by the bloggers of the Kid Blogger Network! It’s filled with even more art and sensory activity ideas!

Disclosure: I received a copy of the ebook free in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Art and Sensory Activities Galore!

As I mentioned above, Learn with Play is a brand-new ebook packed with over 150 different activities for young children! A lot of resources offer suggestions for activities to keep your kids busy during the day, but only a few are focused on educational activities.

What makes this book special is that all of the activities are geared toward helping kids actually learn something.

Learn with Play eBook

To get an idea of what’s included in Learn with Play!, check out the two activities below.

Learn with Play eBook

As you can see, each activity features a clear picture, a supply list, and full instructions. No having to jump pages on blog posts to know what to do next! 🙂

During Launch Week, Learn with Play is available at the discounted price of $9.99 – a $5 savings off the regular price! To get your copy, click the image below!

Learn with Play eBook

Learn with Play eBook

Now – it’s on to Family Fun Friday! Be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom to see this week’s posts! 🙂

Monica H&BHnewlogo2013
Monica created Family Fun Friday and blogs at HappyandBlessedHome.com where she shares free preschool tools and printables, encouraging words for moms, and ideas for having fun together as a family. Follow: Blog / Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter /Google + / Bloglovin’/ Instagram. Monica will feature Family Fun Posts.
Selena-headshot_zps34ee5bae-1 Look Were Learning Logo
Selena is a homeschooling graduate and a veteran homeschooling mom to four super special kids. She blogs at Look! We’re Learning! about unit studies, foreign language, and homeschooling with ADHD. Follow: Blog / Facebook / Pinterest / Instagram / Twitter. Selena will be featuring homeschooling and kids’ crafts.
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Herchel enjoys blogging about parenting, organizing, crafting, and having good old-fashioned kid fun her blog Scrggbug Corner. Follow: Blog / Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter /Google +. Herchel will feature organizing and family fun.

Here are my favorite posts for this week!

Art and Sensory Activities Galore!

1. Letters in the Sand shares a fun sensory play activity you can make yourself: DIY Moon Sand!
2. Learn how to make DIY Chalk Paint for Kids over at Mini Monets and Mommies!
3. Mosswood Connections features an Exploring Owls Art Project – perfect for a fall unit!
4. Make your own Homemade Gak with the directions from One Little Project!
5. Learning about Picasso? Art Club Blog explains how to make Picasso-Inspired Pots!
6. Ever think about using sidewalk chalk to make powdered paint? You can with the instructions from P is for Preschooler!

Were you featured? Grab the Family Fun Friday button below!

HappyandBlessedHome.com

<a href=”http://happyandblessedhome.com” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://happyandblessedhome.com/FeaturedButton.jpg” alt=”HappyandBlessedHome.com” width=”200″ height=”225″ /></a>

 

Stop by to see what my co-hosts are spotlighting this week!

Sweet and Savory recipes at Family Fun Friday hosted by HappyandBlessedHome.com

Fit on Family Fun Friday

Bloggers are invited to share their best family-friendly and mom-inspiring posts in the link-up below.

Link guidelines:

  • Link your post.
  • Link back to the link party.
  • Follow your host(s).
  • Spread the word. Share and pin your favorites.
  • Mingle! Bloggers love comments.
  • Grab a button.
  • If you link up, you permit the hosts of Family Fun Friday to use your pictures/ideas as part of future posts and/or social media.

Family Fun Friday is a growing link-up with over 200 bloggers sharing their posts each week. Each host shares her favorites from the week before, increasing your chances of being featured. Co-hosts will also be pinning their favorites to a community Family Fun Pinterest Board. This link party opens up at around 4 pm EST on Thursdays.

Please be aware that by linking in Family Fun Friday you give our hosts permission to use your images to create a collage for our features. We may also use the collage to promote Family Fun Friday through our individual social media accounts.



Educational Crafts for Kids with Family Fun Friday!

September 11, 2014 by Selena Robinson 7 Comments

It’s time for another edition of Family Fun Friday! On behalf of my co-hosts, I want to say thanks for visiting and linking up last week! We had a blast featuring our favorite homeschool curriculum options from the linky, and this week we’re sharing some great educational crafts for kids!

Keep reading to learn about our wonderful co-hosts, see my favorite features from last week, and share your own posts!

Keep Reading…

Making Shark Art with Chalk Pastels - Look! We're Learning!

Making Shark Art with Chalk Pastels

August 7, 2014 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

Hey everyone! One of my goals for the new school year is to include more art activities with the kids.

In our homeschool curriculum post for 2014-15, I mentioned one of the art curriculum products we’re using this year, so I’m sharing our experience with it today!

Keep Reading…

Collage Making with Kids

January 22, 2014 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Have you entered our Lego Game Giveaway yet?

Collage Making with Kids: Look! We're Learning!

Hey everyone! Today, we’re linking up with the Kids Get Arty linky at Red Ted Art! Each month, families focus on an artist and then do a project inspired by that person’s work. We decided to focus on the art of Romare Bearden. In fact, some good homeschooling friends of ours went to see an exhibit of his, but since we couldn’t make it, we got to work on a project of our own at home.

Image c/o: Carl van Vechten

Romare Bearden was an African-American artist, who became famous for his mixed media collages. He did a lot of paintings, but his collages were most notable, because he often used pictures, paint, and fabric together. On a visit to the High Museum of Art, Jay and I got to look at some of his works in person and they were very fascinating. It seemed like the longer we stared at the work, the more we saw in it.

We decided to help the kids make a collage of their own. We based it on God’s promise of a paradise and we chose pictures that reflected that hope – beautiful scenery, happy families, and animals.

Collage Making with Kids: Look! We're Learning!

Along the way, we gave Tigger some help in gluing things without making a mess. She got the hang of it, which means (hopefully) less messy projects. 🙂

Collage Making with Kids: Look! We're Learning!

On one side of the collage, we focused on land. We used the other side for the beach and sea life.

Collage Making with Kids: Look! We're Learning!

I wouldn’t mind sitting in one of the rocking chairs on that deck right now.

Collage Making with Kids: Look! We're Learning!

And we’re finished! That looks like the kind of world I want to live in! 🙂

Today, we’re linking up with Red Ted Art’s Kids Get Arty linky! Be sure to stop by and get a look at the kids’ art projects shared by other bloggers!

How I Teach Fine Arts to My Kids with ADHD

January 17, 2014 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

This post contains affiliate links. See our Disclosure Policy here.

It’s Friday and that means it’s time for the final post of our winter hopscotch on ADHD Learning! We’re ending the week with a look at how we teach fine arts to our kids with ADHD. If you’ve been following along for the past few days, you probably already know what’s coming: unit studies, activity, and field trips. 🙂

Kids Art Activities

Fine Arts for Kids with ADHD: Look! We're Learning!

I cannot say enough about the value of letting kids experience art at an early age. I didn’t really paint or draw or use clay much as a child and, as a result, I didn’t think much about having our kids do so either. I would buy art supplies, but then they would just sit there because I didn’t want to deal with the mess of cleaning it up afterward. Eventually Jay said “Just put down newspaper and then teach them to clean up.” Problem solved.

Now it’s true that playing with Play-Doh or making flour clay does not qualify as “fine art”, but I feel like fine artists all started somewhere and that kids can always get structured art lessons as they get older. We don’t want to make them feel that “fine art” is something that is out of their reach, so we encourage them to explore art mediums and experiences whenever we can.

Fine Arts for Kids with ADHD: Look! We're Learning!

One way we encourage the kids to experiment with art is to paint with various items. We’ve used finger paint, paint brushes, and even kitchen sponges to create art. It’s been interesting for them (and us) to see that art can be made into anything with just about anything!

Unit Studies

Fine Arts for Kids with ADHD: Look! We're Learning!

Yes, unit studies are making yet another appearance here…lol. When we cover a unit, we attempt to include at least one artistic activity – such as painting, drawing, coloring, or music. We got the chance to focus on transportation activities last summer and we created train wall art with pastels as a family. That idea was sparked by something we liked on Pinterest, so don’t discount the Internet when it comes to art inspiration!

Field Trips

Fine Arts for Kids with ADHD: Look! We're Learning!

Looking at the work of other artists is a superb way to help children (and adults) appreciate the power and flexibility of fine arts. It’s fascinating for them to see that, unlike many other subjects, fine arts can serve as an expression of anything. There are no rules to it at all, which makes it a great diversion from our more structured subjects.

At the same time, we notice and appreciate the skill levels of accomplished artists who dedicate themselves to improving their craft. It’s an interesting balance between freedom and discipline, which makes it a good metaphor for kids who want the independence of adulthood with the security of childhood. (We’re entering that phase with Tigger now.)

When we visited the High Museum of Art last spring, Tigger was surprised to find out that art is subjective – it’s open to just about any interpretation. Several times during the tour, she’d turn to Jay and I and ask us what a painting or sculpture meant. Nearly every time, we’d reply by asking her “What do you think it means?” She’d think about it and then guess. We were happy to see her trying to observe and think about the works herself, which helped to keep her attention on the tour.

Now that the kids are getting older, we’re looking to add more structured art lessons to our curriculum. So we picked up The Usborne Complete Book of Art Ideas from Amazon. Look for us to share our experiences with it soon!

The Usborne Complete Book of Art Ideas (Usborne Art Ideas)

We hope you’ve enjoyed this series on how we approach language arts, math, science, history, and fine arts for our children who have ADHD! If you have any questions or comments, we’d love to hear them below!

This post is part of the 2014 Winter Hopscotch hosted by iHomeschool Network! Be sure to stop by and visit our fellow bloggers to learn how they teach fine arts in their families!

Language Arts for ADHD Kids: Look! We're Learning!

Visiting the High Museum of Art

May 13, 2013 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

The High Museum of Art entrance

Good morning and happy Monday to you all! We’re beginning the week by sharing a recent field trip we went on as a family. Christopher Robin and I got a chance to visit the High Museum of Art in Atlanta last year before we had Piglet, but the kids had never been. So we decided to take them on their first trip to an art museum.

Pooh and Roo were excited to see the house cutout display. They insisted that it was Steve’s house from Blue’s Clues and they thought they could go inside, which was adorable. (It’s actually a work by Roy Lichtenstein.)

Roo pretends to trace the movement along the train tracks on this painting that was inspired by the Underground Railroad. (Don’t worry. He’s not actually touching it. We didn’t want their first art museum trip to be their last!)

When we visited, the High was just concluding a traveling exhibit called Frida and Diego, which showcased works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. At the museum’s Greene Family Learning Gallery, they displayed a few copies of her still lifes and set up an art circle for kids to work in.

Naturally, our three got to work drawing their own still lifes. (After we explained to them that the plastic fruit in the center was not for play.)

Tigger shows off her strawberry art.

We’re not exactly sure what Pooh was drawing here, but it’s still art!

Inside the Learning Gallery was a picture of this work by Tony Cragg called “New Figuration”. He used pieces of garbage and plastic to create it. This was easily one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a while.

Next to the picture, the museum installed an interactive magnetic wall so the kids could make art out of everyday objects such as alphabet letters, coat hangers, plastic dishware, and containers. They probably would have stayed at that wall all afternoon.

Even Piglet got in on the fun and held a plastic letter!

Of course, she then tried to put it in her mouth, but oh well.

All in all, we had a great time at the museum! The kids got their first real exposure to master artworks and we got a chance to stir up our artistic interest as a family. I’m calling this field trip a success.

Have you and your family enjoyed a visit to an art museum? How did you help your kids keep their interest in art after returning home? Let us know in the comments!

Keep on learning!

Making a World the Ed Emberley Way!

April 15, 2013 by Selena Robinson 15 Comments

Good morning everyone! Time for another week of learning in our family! I thought I’d start off by sharing an art activity we enjoyed recently. I had never heard of Ed Emberley before I started homeschooling. I wasn’t much for drawing as a kid and I never thought about learning how to do it as I grew up. But I found an Ed Emberley book at our local library a few years ago and I was hooked. I had no idea that drawing could be so easy! I ended up buying three of his books the very next week at the dearly departed bookstore chain Borders. (Sniff.)

The kids were partial to his “Complete Funprint Drawing Book”. And why not?  I mean, you get to put your fingers on a stamp pad!

See what I mean?

Christopher Robin got to work with the book “Make a World”. And he drew a great schooner that he then erased before I could get a picture of it. *grumble*

And now for the masterpieces…..

Roo wanted to make bumblebees, so I did one for him and then he made a few. Not long afterward, he lost interest and asked if he could make random fingerprints and doodle. This is the point where I reminded myself, “Process, not product.”

Pooh made a fingerprint clown and then added his own touches with an ink pen.

Tigger really took to the little fingerprint people and practiced making them with different expressions and movements.

Even me and Christopher Robin got involved! He drew the really great steamboat above and I did the somewhat disturbing looking animals below using the “Big Purple Drawing Book”. (I promise y’all – the pictures look much better in the book.) Process, not product, right?

How do you include drawing in your school lessons? Have any of you tried an Ed Emberley book? Let us know in the comments! Keep on learning!

 

Sensory Play with Magic Muck

February 18, 2013 by Selena Robinson 9 Comments

You ever have one of those days when the kids are just bouncing off the walls but it’s too cold to go outside and you’re too broke to go anywhere else? Yeah, that was us one day last week. Plus, Piglet was nursing constantly and I was just exhausted and desperate for something for the kids to do. As a last resort, I went rummaging through our homeschool closet for a quick activity that wouldn’t be too messy or expensive.

Then I remembered the book: The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions: More Than 65 Wacky, Wild & Crazy Concoctions.

I got this over a year ago, but I think we’d only made one thing from it before last week. (I’m really awful about that.) Anyway, I looked through it and ah-ha! Magic Muck sounded like a perfect time-filler, especially since our kids are extreme sensory seekers.

What is Magic Muck, you ask? It also goes by the name “Oobleck“, so you’ve probably heard of it before. It’s just cornstarch, water, and a bit of food coloring. But, the neat thing about it is that the mixture behaves differently, depending on how much pressure you apply. When you initially touch it in the bowl, it feels firm, but when you pick it up and squeeze it, it runs through your fingers like a liquid. Very cool.

We laid down some packing paper and stood at the table to feel it. Instead of giving each child his or her own bowl of it, I did a communal bowl to encourage everyone to stand still. I’m sure that if all the kids had a bowl, I would still be cleaning Muck off the walls a week later.

See how the texture looks firm in the bowl, but runny off of Tigger’s hand?

The funny thing about sensory play is that you never know how the kids will respond. Tigger and Pooh loved it. In fact, they’ve been asking to do it again every day since. Roo? Not so much. I brought him a bowl of water to rinse his hands in and he asked if he could just put his hands in that for play instead. Which he did happily for over 20 minutes.

To each his own…

Have you used sensory play with your kids? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments. Keep on learning!

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Building Fine Motor Skills with Play Dough

January 21, 2013 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

In case you missed our previous post about my homeschooling resolve in 2013, one of the things I’m focusing on is being less “boring” around my kids. So, I’m trying to add in more art play since everyone loves art in our house.

Our boys, Roo especially, really need to work on fine motor skills. And I wanted to help him improve those skills without making it into a chore he’d hate.

To make the day less “school-y” and more fun, we decided to work on building fine motor skills with play dough! Talk about something that’s not a chore at all, right? 🙂

Building Fine Motor Skills with Play Dough

Image: nadezhda1906 / Dollar Photo Club

Building Fine Motor Skills with Play Dough

I’ve actually had these Play-Doh sets for a while but we haven’t played with them nearly enough over the years. One is the Barnyard Pals playset and the other is the Sweet Shoppe playset.

When we work with play dough, I like to have the kids use tools to shape it and manipulate it. That way, the kids can work on using their hands to grasp, pinch, and move small bits of dough. Fine motor skills ahoy!

As you can see, this is not an activity that requires any direction from me whatsoever. I just bring out the set and hand out the canisters and let them get to it. 🙂

Roo was content to sit and make Play-Doh ice cream all morning.

Pooh used multi-colored Play Doh to make some pretty colorful dreadlocks on a plastic pig.

As someone who has dreadlocks, I was only moderately offended.

Tigger made a blue mohawk on her purple rooster.

Pretty sharp, huh? I think I’m raising a house of future hairdressers.

Once we were finished, it was time to reinforce fine motor skills by….cleaning up! I’m only half kidding. Trying to get all those tiny bits of dough up is actually a pretty good skill builder. 🙂

How do you help your kids with building fine motor skills? Let us know in the comments!

 

Our Newest Family Portrait

August 27, 2009 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Tigger had an assignment during her schoolwork earlier this week to draw a picture of her family. After much creative brainstorming, she produced this masterpiece….

Apparently, Daddy is the biggest, because Tigger said “he’s the tallest”. Then comes me, Roo, Pooh, and finally Tigger herself. You may be wondering why the drawing of me is so little. Well, Tigger forgot me at first, then squeezed me in next to Daddy. (I think little children look at mammas more as home furnishings than people.) Looks like we need to move up art appreciation, huh?

Hi! I'm Selena, a teacher and a veteran homeschool mom to four. I'm so glad you're here!
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