Christmas Gifts for Young Artists full of learning Fun

It's December and of course I am still working on my holiday shopping list, or you, too?  

This year has been hard for all kind of families.  Covid 19 has affected all of us in some way.  

As homeschoolers, we could still carry on in our normal fashion, except of course for the effects of covid19 in our area.  Did your co-ops close?  How about your children's other activities?

I know my daughter always missed her activities and co-op during the breaks.  I can only imagine what it has been like homeschooling during this covid time.

Whenever we had difficult times in our homeschool, I looked for ways to find the fun, and share that with our daughter.  As one way to help nurture her.  Hands-on learning activities sure helped us get through the long winter days.

So today, I am putting together a list of hands-on fun holiday gifts that may help you when you start back to homeschooling in January. These are all art oriented and hands-on, including easy to use:

• arts and crafts kits
• knitting and weaving 
• Christmas themed art
• nature themed art
• construction kits with wood

Let's start with arts and crafts, which are so great for developing small muscle skills.

1.  ARTS AND CRAFTS KITS

Arts and Crafts were always big in our homeschool.  

My daughter learned to hand sew early on, and loved making small sewing projects.  We also enjoyed spinning art, origami, and crafting with clay.  And anything project oriented from American Girl.  Here's some creative kits for each of these activities that I just mentioned.

Have you ever thought about teaching your kids how to knit or weave, using very simple projects? 

Oak Meadow Homeschool curriculum got us started with some knitting and weaving.  These projects were so fun to do together and also helped my daughter with her attention issues and concentration skills.

2.  HAND ARTS  - KNITTING & WEAVING

Each year, in the elementary years, we spent Thursday mornings working on a hand arts projects, using VERY small, VERY easy projects.

Now that we have touched on Arts and Crafts and Fiber Arts, let's turn to hands-on science FUN with science kits...

And finally, I'd like to share some wonderful wooden construction kits that I found.   At our house, my daughter started out making things out of cardboard and tape, and here's one that she made of the rides that she took at our state fair.  Then she got into making things with wood.....

3.  CHRISTMAS THEMED ART

Now that we have touched on Arts and Crafts and Fiber Arts, let's talk about the video based art lessons from You Are An Artist.

Have you seen these video art lessons yet from You Are An Artist?  This is a little family company, started by Hodgepodge Mom, Tricia Hodges, a homeschooler of 5 kids and her husband, who serves as their principal.

Another one of our favorites from "You Are An Artist" is just perfect for holiday giving!

Christmas Video Art Lessons

Invite a Master Artist to teach the joy of the Christmas Season to all grades and ages using this one video course.

Enjoy it as the spine of your holiday homeschool, or after the holiday to help fill the time between Christmas and New Years with heartwarming and educational art activities

For the whole family.

Enjoy it from the comfort of your home at your convenience and on your schedule.

Click here for more information.  These are only 3 of the many art lessons that Tricia offers, either as video lessons or in a book.

Sharing our favorites for your artists, of all ages, starting with FUN lessons related to birds. 

4.  NATURE ORIENTED ART

And nature study can still be done.  Indoors!

Bird Chalk Pastels Video Art Course

Bird Chalk Pastels Video Art Course

Your kids can learn more about bird identification by learning how to draw them.  

These lessons are taught by a master artist using chalk pastels, an easy medium for young artists.  

The only supplies needed are a set of pastels and some construction paper.

The lessons are easy to follow!  Just put the video in the computer, get the chalk pastels out and you are ready to go!

Click here for more information and a free sample lesson.  

Your kids can learn more about bird identification by learning how to draw them.  Winter is a perfect time for Bird Chalk Art, while gathering around and watching the winter birds go to and from your bird feeder. 

Another one of our favorites is full of art and God's creation, too.

Pond Nature Video Art Lessons

All it takes is a small set of chalk pastels, construction paper or your nature journal.  And these video art lessons to capture the beauty of pond nature.  

What a wonderful winter activity!  Enjoy the pond scenes while snug and warm inside.

No expensive intimidating list of art supplies.

Pond Nature is a wonderful stand alone art curriculum or a  perfect complement to your nature study learning.

Gather your kids around the table and give them the gift of art activities for inside fun winter afternoons!

Click here to get yours or for more information.


More ART Lessons for your artists by You Are An Artist include:

- Gifts to Make and Give
- Sharks
- Winter Games
- the Nutcracker
- Knights and Crusaders
- Old Testament Bible Stories
- History and Geography
- American Landmarks
- Medieval Art Video Course
- Seashore Art Course
- Art in Space
and many more!

By clicking here, you can browse through all of the art lessons offered by Tricia and taught by a master artist.

Finally, I'd like to share some wonderful wooden construction kits that I found.   At our house, my daughter started out making things out of cardboard and tape, and here's one that she made of the rides that she took at our state fair.  

Then she got into making things with wood.....

5.  WOOD CONSTRUCTION KITS  

Building with wood, what a great way to play and learn on a winter's day!  Making things with kits like these below, improved my child's direction following skills, attention to task, organizational skills and more.  And then, there was the pride of creating something by hand, and a job well done!

I hope that this gives you some helpful ideas for your own holiday gift shopping list.  Here are reviews for 5 more of my favorite hands-on gift ideas for your kids.  

What would you add to this list?  If you share your ideas below, I am sure that other families would be interested in them.  

I wish you a cozy and warm winter, with lots of hands-on learning fun with your kiddos!

      

     

Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool, and may you have a blessed Season with your family,

Betsy

Betsy is a Christian and mom to her college grad whom she and her husband homeschooled through high school. She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, and wrote 

Homeschooling High School with College in Mind, 2nd edition.  

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