Teaching Kids Art Through Picture Books

As I write this in Indiana, it is January, it is cold, and it is snowing. I love that! I much prefer the beauty of snow to the gray and colorlessness of no snow in winter. How about you? Do you like snowy weather? Do you get excited and take your kids sledding? Or do you prefer to stay inside with a good book? Or both?When it snowed after Christmas, I had fun watching my kids drag their kids around the yard in the snow.
Award winning Illustrator Susan Jeffers says, “There is only one thing more majestic than a Robert Frost poem about snow--a snowstorm itself.” His poem Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening captures a feeling all parents can relate to: that of the tension of wanting to slow down and appreciate the beauty in front of us, and at the same time needing to do urgent tasks that are also in front of us. 

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, 

But I have promises to keep, 

And miles to go before I sleep, 

And miles to go before I sleep."

Doesn’t that just sum up the way we f...

There’s nothing more magical than making snowflakes with kids. And if you are a parent who likes to connect art to science, today I'm sharing a great book/art combo that makes learning fun and effortless during the cold winter months! Simply read this story and do an art project-it’s that simple! 

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Snowflake Bentley, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Mary Azarian, is a Caldecott Award winning picture book that tells the story of Wilson Bentley. Wilson was a child fascinated by snow who grew up to study the little miracles we call snowflakes. It is his research that gives us what we know about snowflakes today. 
After reading this picture book together, try this art project with your kids:

Cut a flurry of paper snowflakes. Fold, fold, fold, and cut. Unfold your papers and witness the magic and wonder-making snowflakes never fails to delight kids of all ages! 

Want to extend the snowflake art fun? Try these art ideas:

• Hang your snowflakes on a window with tape.
•  P...

Are you looking for fresh inspiration to brighten your winter days with your kids? I love sharing favorite winter books and art ideas for your elementary aged kids--but I hope you or your older kids will have fun doing them, too! They need only simple supplies and will be a fun activity for kids to look forward to on these sometimes too-cold-to-be-outside days. These projects can stretch to kids from age 3 to older kids, too. Each of the next few weeks I’ll be sharing a new winter art and book idea for you. 

Recently, I had the joy of being with three of our granddaughters ages 3, 4, and 5. We read many winter and snow books and had fun creating together. The girls liked choosing different elements to add to their snow people. Our oldest granddaughter, age 5, created a whole snow family while she dictated to me who was who and the relationships between the snowy people. Her 4 year old sister enjoyed carefully gluing shapes and took a minimalistic approach. Their 3 year old cousin was ...