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  • Noisy Nora
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    Poor Nora! The loveable mousette experiences all the pangs of the child-in-the- middle, caught between the demands of baby brother and bossiness of big sister. Catchy meter, playful illustrations make for a wonderfully satisfying mouse's tale. Baby-Preschool
  • A Chair for My Mother
    A Chair for My Mother
    A remarkably beautiful story told by a young girl whose mother is a waitress. Since they lost all their furniture in a fire, they've been saving mother’s tips in a jar – so they can buy a big comfortable chair for their whole family to enjoy – daughter, mother and grandmother. Life has its ups and downs, but there’s always lots of love. Ages 4-7
  • Caps for Sale
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  • Character Sketches From the Pages of Scripture, Illustrated in the World of Nature
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January 14, 2009 8:17 AM

Art for families - a whole new world

fragonard.jpg

A must for homeschool families - and anyone who wants to expand their children's world. Choose your own classical music as you browse. Besides browsing, you can make postcards - accompanied by music - to send to up to 20 friends. You can also download a classic desktop and order prints you like.

Because I grew up in a home without the arts, I was amazed as a young mother exploring the world of classical art and music with my children at how rich a world it offered us.

Plan an outing to your local art gallery soon. Some tips from Head Start on the Arts:

When you make plans to visit an art museum together, prepare your child. Explain why you need to wear comfortable, quiet shoes, to use quiet voices, to look and not touch.

Don't plan on seeing the whole museum in one visit, and be sure to take a break for lunch or a snack. Let your child set the pace (unless you need to help her slow down). When she is interested in a particular picture or sculpture, read the label nearby for the for the title, the artist's name, the date, and the medium.

If there's a gift shop, let your child pick out a few postcards of the works she likes. These will be the ones she'll never forget, the first items in her own art collection.

And as with music, much of our Christian heritage is represented in classical art. There's something very gratifying about having your child instantly recognizing the subject matter of a painting straight out of the Bible.

If you can't get out to the galleries, here's a great way to expose your kid to art.  Also two CD-ROMS I recommend:

With Open Eyes: an interactive, kid-friendly introduction to viewing art using 200 works from the Art Institute of Chicago. No reading required - but lots of learning going on.

The Louvre Museum (Museums of the World for Kids!, Vol. 1): Bring European masterpieces into your home for your children to see!

~~~~~~~
Art Note:
FRAGONARD, Jean-Honoré
Monsieur de la Bretèche (Fanciful Figure)
1769
Oil on canvas, 80 x 65 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

Love,
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