Teaching Kids Art Through Picture Books

Would you like to help your elementary children draw a quick art project? Have you seen your children draw a house? Perhaps they have drawn your house, or maybe a house from a story, or maybe a house they are imagining. I love seeing kids draw houses. Here are two drawings given to me by children years ago, to welcome us as we moved into our new home. I have kept these drawings for 20+ years, because they remind me of how these sweet children were helping us celebrate our new home 20 years ago!

There are some fun picture books out there for elementary kids about houses that will foster your kids' curiosity and creativity. Reading picture books is a great jumping off point to get kids drawing all kinds of homes. Here is the list:  
Download now

Here are 3 of my favorites to get you started: (Amazon links)

1. If I Built a House by Chris VanDusen

2. Home by Carson Ellis

3. Let's Go Home: The Wonderful Things about a House by...

Sometimes this time of year you are looking for ways to keep kids interested in giving to others, in showing love in the spirit of the season. It is all too easy for any of us, but especially for kids, to think that Christmas is all about what they get on Christmas Day. When you spend time showing them a creative way to brighten someone else's day, there is no need to say anything-they should be automatically motivated to give something away. That's a win-win, because they had fun creating something, and they will bring joy to whoever receives their homemade Christmas card. Plus, they made a fun memory doing something artistic.

Here is an idea for making Christmas cards that is fun to make and fun to give: the ever-popular pop-up Christmas card! 

Making a pop-up card isn't hard. All you need are a few simple supplies: (These are Amazon Associate links-no extra cost to you, just helpful to support Storygalorey-thank you!)

• scrap pieces of colored and white paper
• 2 pieces of...