In this episode, I invited Lesli Richards to join me to talk about the importance and beauty of including Art in your home without losing your mind. Lesli is the homeschooling mother of five and a former Classical Conversations director and tutor. In addition, Lesli is a dear friend and my business partner at The Homegrown Preschooler. Lesli stays busy schooling her blessings and traveling across the country sharing her passion for classical education and life long learning.

Lesli shared three reasons she believes art is a must in every home. She suggests that art be displayed on your walls, your screensavers, and in your books. Lesli and I talk about the importance of process driven art instead of product driven art for young children under the age of six. This process-oriented art develops the structure of a child’s brain, releases endorphins, and encourages the child to take risk when creating art. Art for young children should be open ended and parents should not have an expected result (eyes in a certain place, looks like a picture, etc…). Parents should invite children to create with a variety of materials, leaving the results up to the child.

Some of our favorite process art books for young children are written by Mary Ann Kohl and can be purchased here.  We also recommend our book, The Homegrown Preschooler for sensory table and Plexiglas easel plans and our curriculum, A Year of Playing Skillfully for a year of planned out art ideas (and other developmental areas).

We love buying quality art supplies for young children at Discount School Supply and Lakeshore Learning. We suggest you have the following in your supply closet, so that #saying yes is easier.

* Liquid Tempera
* Water Color
* Chalk Pastels
* Markers
* Crayons
* Colored Pencils
* Glue
* Large Plain Paper
* Roll of Paper
* Quality Paint Brushes
* A variety of other painting tools (kitchen gadgets, dog toys, and even plungers make great painters. Qtips make great painters for toddlers.)
* Smocks or dad’s old work shirts
* Shower Liner or Picnic Tablecloth to protect spaces
* Paint cups
* Collage materials (feathers, shapes, large sequins, fabric squares, tissue paper, string)
* Scissors
* Magazines
* Hole punches
* Shaving Cream
* Easel

Lastly, Lesli and I decided to offer two prizes to our listeners.  Post your creativity on our FB or Instagram with the hashtag #THGPmomscreate to enter yourself or #THGPkidscreate to enter your children. We will choose a winner in each category two weeks after this episode airs.

Don’t forget that you can receive a 10% discount on all of our products at www.thehomegrownpreschooler by using the code therealkathylee.

Get out there and create some beauty!!!

You’ve got this,
Kathy

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