Art is not my thing. I would rather write one hundred stories than draw a single picture when I was in school. “Grab your crayons!” my teacher would say, and the whole class would cheer while I’d roll my eyes. Why? Why did I have to do arts and crafts when I just plain didn’t like to?
Well, now that I’m the teacher, I can see the value in including arts and crafts into your homeschool schedule. And because God has a sense of humor, my oldest, Mr. C, absolutely loves anything to do with art. Drawing, sketching, painting, he wants to do it all. But how in the world can I teach something I don’t love and I’m not good at? With online art lessons for kids!
*This post is sponsored by Sparketh. I was given access to the program for free and compensated for my time. I was not required to give a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Please see my full disclosure for details.
Online Art Lessons for Kids
We got the chance to try Sparketh Online Art Lessons, and both Mr. C and I are absolutely hooked! Mr. C has had a ton of fun following the different lessons and I love that I can be hands-off with art time. It’s given me up to a solid hour in my day to focus on my littles while Mr. C is happily entertained and busy. As long as I take the time to look at his finished projects to tell him how beautiful they are, he’s a happy camper. Because here’s the thing. Not all homeschool moms are meant to teach art.
Sometimes Homeschool Moms Aren’t Arts and Crafts-y
I really wish I was one of those moms that magically came up with crafts and art projects on the fly. The moms that said “let’s get out the paints!” or “maybe we could add some glitter”. My sister creates beautiful artwork and always has. Me? I just can’t get the hang of it.
For a while I tried to fight my non-arts-and-crafts-iness. I tried to force myself to enjoy it, and it just turned into a big mess. See, when someone is faking a love for arts? It’s just not as fun for anybody. That’s why we love using the Sparketh Online Art Lessons for kids, because Mr. C can be taught by someone who absolutely loves art and actually knows what they’re talking about.
My Homeschooled Kid Loves Art
Mr. C would do art from the second he wakes up in the morning til the moment he falls asleep at night if we let him. This kid even gets excited when his math book tells him to use his crayons to color in certain fractions. We knew that we needed to add some serious art time to his homeschool day to keep him satisfied.
Finding Online Art Lessons for Kids
When looking for online art lessons for kids we had a few simple criteria. First, It needed to be full lessons. Not just project ideas that mom had to actually teach the kids to do. We wanted to be able to set Mr. C up with his materials and the i-Pad and let him go to town.
Next, the materials list couldn’t be a million (expensive) items long. We stick to basics in this house, so we were not about to go spend a hundred dollars on random magical art pens that he’d use in one lesson and never touch again.
And finally, it needed to be accessible from an iPad. Both Chris and I work from home, so we need to be able to hop on our computers at a moment’s notice, so tying one of the laptops up in the middle of an art project just wouldn’t work for us! That’s half the reason we have an iPad!
How We Fit Online Art Lessons Into Our Homeschool Day
Since art is Mr. C’s hands-down favorite subject, we use it as a natural motivator. Writing has been our biggest struggle all year, so now we save our Sparketh online art lesson for immediately after writing. Mr. C has a built in reason to get his writing done fast!
The best part about online art lessons, though, is that it doesn’t have to take a ton of time. Really, it doesn’t take any time from me. Mr. C can navigate the lessons on the iPad independently, and he knows where to find the supplies he needs. Chris and I are around for help if need be, but it’s really nice to have that hour or so free to get other things done!
Why This Homeschool Mom Loves Online Art Lessons for Kids
The biggest reason why I love the Sparketh Online Art Lessons for Kids is that it takes away so much of my homeschool mom guilt. You know when you feel like your kids should be doing something, but you just can’t seem to get it together? I know that art is important and that the kids should be getting art lessons in, but it just seemed to be too much. With online art lessons, I don’t have to stress about me teaching them. They’re learning independently, from teachers a lot better than me!
I also love how simple it makes art for me. The projects are really simple to understand and they don’t require a bunch of advance prep time for me. It’s as simple as handing Mr. C the iPad when he finishes his writing and letting him get to work! Not to mention, the art projects are beautiful and Mr. C is so proud of each and every single one he does.
How to Try Online Art Lessons for Kids With Your Homeschooler
If you’re ready to give Sparketh Online Art Lessons for Kids a try, you can sign up for a one month free trial! We’ve had so much fun with our Sparketh subscription. I’d highly recommend it to any mom who doesn’t love arts and crafts but wants to give her kids more art time! You can also follow along with Sparketh on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!
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