Teaching Kids Art Through Picture Books

Drawing things in nature teaches kids to really slow down, pay attention, and see the beautiful natural world in front of them.

One quick tip that always helps them to be ready to learn and draw from nature is to carry a sketchbook and colored pencils in your car. If you go on a hike or a picnic or a vacation, encourage them to take a few minutes to sketch the lines and shapes of something in nature as you go. This sketchbook can be put in a backpack or in the seat pockets of your vehicle so your child is always ready to sketch.

After I looked for an inexpensive sketchbook or kit to recommend to you, I realized that, outside of Christmas or birthdays, I would not have bought something like this for my kids. I had 5 kids. So we often made simple books for the current learning objective. There is a simple way to do this.

The good news is, you don't have to buy anything! You've probably got the time and resources to make a 1 minute sketchbook at home for your kids. These...

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...