Teaching Kids Art Through Picture Books

 Is learning supposed to be fun? Most kids and adults think of learning something new as a bit of a chore. It sometimes feels daunting; a mountain to climb requiring a lot of hard work and effort. But what if we could instill a sense of adventure and reward and fun into learning? What if learning generated excitement instead of dread? It is possible to do this. Here are three ways to teach kids to love learning.

        1. Feed their interest-Start at the library and let kids browse the non-fiction books in the children’s section. What are they interested in?

One of our sons was interested in the Titanic. That led to reading all the library books about shipwrecks, watching DVD’s about shipwrecks, which led to reading about finding buried treasure. Did that seed planted about adventure and travel eventually lead to him becoming a pilot? I don’t know, but it didn’t hurt.  Check out bunches of...

Sometimes, we all need an infusion to help the creative juices flow again

Recently, after a season of creating and creating and creating, I just found myself needing a little boost. I felt empty of ideas…dry…dull…blank. It’s almost like the feeling of being hungry or not getting enough sleep. Have you or your kids ever felt that way, especially when asked to make or create something? 

We cope with this brain fog by scrolling endlessly on our phones, which adds to the fog, or by putting our heads down to finish the endless round of tasks in front of us. That’s ok for a little while, but we weren’t meant to live that way for long, and neither were kids. We are created to create! God Himself is an infinitely deep, joyful, creative person who made human beings in His image to appreciate beauty and to create.

So if you want your kids to create, you must feed that creativity, as if you were watering a plant you want to grow strong...

There is nothing better than a pile of picture books to create interest and engage kids in learning. My favorite way to grab kids' attention and pique their curiosity is to simply start reading a book aloud. It can be a picture book or a chapter book, but once you start reading aloud, if it's a good book, they will inevitably be drawn in, like I am these days, to the sight of a red tulip or yellow daffodil or purple hyacinth.

Today I'm going to share:

• three characteristics to look for in a good read aloud picture book
• a booklist of ten of my favorite read aloud flower books for you to print out
• some of my favorite resources for finding good  picture books.

As you head out to look for ways to inspire your kids this month, I hope you find some of these tips helpful to spark their love of reading! 

What separates the good books from the duds? When I look for a good read aloud, there are some that clearly make the cut, and some that I...

“Help! What do I do with All. This. Artwork????” 

“My child is prolific! Our house is overrun with art! I don’t want to throw it away, but how do I deal with the paper mess?” 

I understand, and I’ve been there. Before there was Facebook, the internet, or Etsy, there were bulletin boards, binders, and magnetic refrigerators. And walls. So there I lived during the 90’s when my little ones were busy coloring every available surface they were allowed with a marker or a crayon.

Thankfully, I have more options for you today than I had for myself when I was a young mom, and I’m happy to share these artwork display ideas from my own recent research and some help from Storygalorey mom Cara Lewis, who shared her ideas with me-thank you! 

Here are 13 ways to keep (at least some of) your kid’s art without too much overwhelm:

1. Bulletin Board: You can easily find bulletin boards or cork squares at Walmart, Amazon, or even...

When my kids were little, I was always trying to introduce them to compelling stories that would shape their characters. I wanted to find good books to read with them that would ignite their curiosity and form them into leaders with character. 

Enter the picture book biography. Sometimes these books are overviews of people and what they accomplished; sometimes these are a short story of something interesting about their lives, but always the writing and the illustrations draw a child into meeting someone new they may or may not have encountered before. Reading these books together helps stimulate new thoughts and discussions between you and your kids. After reading about these interesting people, ask your kids:

• Why did the person make the decisions they did?
• When did they have to show perseverance?
• How did growing up the way they did influence their later life?
• How have their lives changed the world?
• What do YOU want to do to change the world?

Want some new...

Are you a New Year's resolution kind of person? Do you make goals at some point for your kids and your family life, or do you mostly go with the flow? I haven’t always written down my family goals, but I do tend to be goal oriented-I find I get stuff done more when I have time to gather my thoughts, hopes, and dreams, and write them down. Sometimes they just live in my head and I veer my actions toward them instinctively, and sometimes they live in my head and just annoy me because I do nothing about them. 

Goals are signposts. If our actions repeatedly line up on the road the goals are pointing to, we form habits that help us achieve the goal. For example, we might have a goal to exercise 3 times a week this year.  We join the YMCA. Then we go once-it takes a huge amount of motivation because it is unfamiliar and takes extra time. We go again because it felt good.(repeated actions, forming a habit)  Pretty soon we are carving out time 3 times a week, and it is...

Here are a few tips from my homeschooling friends and me to help you relax and enjoy the ride--even during a pandemic!

1. Start the day with a story to signal the beginning of the day and to draw them together in a pleasant and attractive way.

2. Do the hardest subject when you have most energy.

3. Take timed breaks as needed. Run around outside for a few minutes if possible. Don't just plow through--kids need breaks!

4. Read aloud every day. My friend Sharon's favorite memory is "going to the library to get books for themed unit studies then cozying up with pillows and blankets in front to the fire and having a whole morning or afternoon just to read separately and together." She advises, "As you take in the responsibility of homeschooling your children, remember to have fun with them-plan for fun-do silly things from time to time! They will be grateful and you will make some good memories they will talk about when they are adults!"

5. Field trips are opportunities...

Guess what? It's not really your job to entertain your kids.

You are responsible for keeping them safe and healthy. You need to care for their needs emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. You need to guide them and discipline them.

But you do not need to entertain them.

Here are some ideas for guiding them on spending their time well:

• Set up Daily Household or Personal Chores

  for them to do that are age appropriate and easily accomplished in a 15-30 minute time frame. Here are a few examples:
  • making their beds
  • brushing teeth
  • emptying the trash
  • emptying/loading the dishwasher
  • picking up their rooms
  • here's a link for more ideas: Age Appropriate Chores

• Set up a routine for Seasonal Tasks for after personal chores are done. 

   This is what I mean:
  • During the school year, all school aged kids have school work to do, whether from a homeschool model or traditional going to school model, or distance learning model. Help them get set...