Kid-Tested Tools to Share: Art Cards (#3 in Series)

This evening I am glad to share with you one of our most favorite tools from this past year of homeschooling!  This resource was included within our package of 1st Grade curriculum.  But this gem can be purchased individually and would make for an excellent summer project for a child ages 6-9 who is interested in art.  This is definitely not limited to homeschooling students!  When I look back on this past year, some of my fondest memories are from "doing an Art Card together".  And here is the reason why... it is not that I am particularly interested in art and am certainly not well-versed on the topic.  My seven year old daughter has always had an artistic flair but it is not that she is the next Monet!  I am a mom who is not the best at simply sitting down and doing something with my kids.  We tend to be more on the move and they are doing whatever they are doing alongside of my projects.  Homeschooling in general has made for a great boost of quality time together and I am thankful for this.  I have personally grown so much this year and look forward to seeing how all of this continues.  But back to the Art Cards and "Enjoying Art Together" book!

Here is how we would utilize this program:  The package includes a reference book which has a picture of each image as well as the background and discussion questions for each.  There are also 20 Art Cards total and they are high-quality prints on a very nice card stock.  The paper has a bit of sheen and weight to it and feels "special".  

Each art card has a full-page art print on one side and then also a brief artist background and discussion questions printed on the flip side.  This material also matches what is included within the book. I have to say that I LOVE the discussion questions!  Being a "Type A" person myself, I would never even THINK to notice/ask about some of these angles.  My creative, free-spirited daughter delights in these discussions together.  Spending this time has enabled me to really delve into a side of her that I literally had no real idea of how to begin prior to this.  Kylee would typically hold the art card face-up herself and I would hold the book and reference that for my own reading and question asking.  After we had spent 10-15 minutes "looking" at all of it together, the next step was always, "let's look this up on your phone"!  We would find the artist, do a bit more reading and then spend another chunk of time exploring other works of his or hers.  I enjoyed that more than I ever would have anticipated!  Again, it was because of the quality of the time spent.  The final step would be for Kylee to take either the art card or another piece of the artist's work and use it has her "inspiration" in creating her own work.  The idea is not to make an exact copy of the classic piece but rather to incorporate some of the technique and style that we had just discovered.  It was cute that Kylee always wanted to be alone for this part!  She would listen to music and ask me to please go and "do some of your own chores or computer work until I am done"!  Well, I have to say that works for me!  

Then I would come back and we would review her creation together before finding a place to hang this latest masterpiece somewhere on our school room walls!  Back around Christmastime, I was THRILLED with a fantastic find at the store Tuesday Morning.  They were carrying a top-notch set of Chromatix markers.  Regular price was $80 and they had them for $20.  The day I went in to purchase the set, the cashier was telling me that another customer who is an artist had just purchased four sets of them herself.  She said that she rarely sees them anywhere for under $50 and this was a real deal.  Nifty!!!  This set made for a nice birthday gift and I have enjoyed using them alongside of Kylee!  When I am invited to do so, that is!

If you check out this page you will find "Enjoying Art Together".  It is $24.95 for the complete set.