Summary: This article explores how to incorporate messy, hands-on activities into Charlotte Mason homeschooling, fostering creative learning and stronger connections with your children. This approach to embrace messy learning should help make your home more cozy. For the other articles in this series, see “Embracing Messy” and “Messy Motherhood.”
As a Charlotte Mason(ish) homeschool, I love the idea of “getting our hands dirty” in what we are learning. One of the things that really spoke to me about this method is the ability to linger and experience education, up close and personal. As a crafty, from-scratch kind of person, it is easy for me to dream up plans only to have them completely derailed by my own capacity and emotions. While I love to paint and create as a means of selfcare, doing so with 4 kids around a school table with the intention of painting something specific is a very different scenario! There are a lot of moving pieces – literally!
For far too long, I resisted incorporating art into school. That is, until I made it my sole mission to figure out a sustainable way to incorporate it! I have learned that it’s all about the set up. Being prepared for the mess frees up our minds to actually enjoy creative learning rather than be stuck in the “react-and-triage” state of mind. While my process is not a one-size-fits-all approach, nor is it a fail-proof plan, it has worked well for us. I hope it will free you up to embrace whatever “mess” you’re hesitant to invite to your school table.
Key takeaway: Embracing messy homeschooling activities requires preparation and a shift in mindset to fully enjoy the creative learning process.
A Step-by-Step Plan for Incorporating Art into Your Homeschool: Prepping for Messy
1. Schedule Art Time: How to Make Space for Creative Learning in Your Week
Even with having our supplies ready and accessible, it wasn’t until I dedicated a time of the week to artistic endeavors that it actually happened. For me, this meant literally scheduling time for messy activities and lessening the load around that time frame.
Regardless of the project, be sure to pick a consistent time of day that allows you to have the space prepped before the kiddos jump in. My favorite is the start of the school day. If afternoons are better for you, that’s totally fine! Just consider your regular activities and set your calendar up for success!
We start each school day off with a Morning Basket, so I decided in advance that we would always paint our narration from the bible verses we were studying for the week. If nothing else, we would do that one thing. As time has gone on and interest has piqued, we’ve added in extra nature journaling items we’ve picked up from nature walks. Next term, I’ll add a horse drawing book to work through. So rather than cozying up with our morning basket books, we have set Friday mornings aside to engage these subjects, artistically!
Summary: Effective homeschool planning involves scheduling regular time for artistic narration and nature study, integrating them into your homeschool routines.
2. Prepare Your Space: Organizing Art Supplies for Stress-Free Homeschooling
I like to set up each person’s station with all the necessary supplies ahead of time:
- a cafeteria tray
- a sheet of watercolor paper
- a paintbrush
- a watercolor palette (my favorites for elementary students are this or this!)
- a paper towel
Key point: Proper homeschool organization and preparation of art supplies are crucial for successful messy learning sessions.
3. Set Realistic Expectations: How to Enjoy Creative Learning Without Perfection
It would be so easy to get frustrated at every single way your plan fails (because it inevitably will!). Instead, decide ahead of time that this is not going to be perfect, and that’s ok! You are teaching your real-life kids and it’s going to be real-life messy, but if you’ll choose it ahead of time, it can also be real-life fun!
Summary: Embracing imperfection in messy homeschooling activities is essential for creating a positive learning environment.
How to Lead an Art Session in Your Homeschool: The Event
1. Let Kids Express Themselves: The Importance of Artistic Freedom in Homeschooling
Although you should guide and direct this time (especially if it’s not a free-for-all craft time), refrain from micromanaging. This is their art, their perspective, and their interpretation. Unless they are just flat out wrong, allow their imagination and creativity to have its full effect.
One way I do this is by giving the art a title. If it’s bible verse narration, I will write their narration in sharpie at the top along with the bible verse. If it’s a nature journal entry, I’ll help to write the name and facts about the object. Other than that guidance, I try to be the audience rather than the conductor.
Key takeaway: Encouraging individual creativity in artistic narration and nature study is a core principle of Charlotte Mason education.
2. Participate and Connect: Why Joining Your Kids in Art Time Matters
I set up a station for myself as well. I love to watercolor, and that’s something I want to share with my kids. So no better time than the present! This will also eliminate the illusion that you can get other tasks done while they are occupied. That’s not the point. The goal is to connect with our kids and with the subject we are studying. I can’t do that well (and can’t expect them to either) if I’m switching over the laundry and feverishly prepping dinner while they are working.
Summary: Participating in hands-on learning activities alongside your children fosters connection and enhances the homeschool art experience.
3. Stay on Track with Timers: A Homeschool Mom’s Secret for Managing Art Projects
One reason it took me so long to commit to art at the school table is because it’s so easy to get carried away and thrown off track. If you stick around for any length of time, you’ll learn just how much I love a timer. This situation is no exception.
Set a timer for each subject. When the timer goes off, take time to regroup: wipe up spills and splatters, swap out paper, and refresh water cups. Little by little, you are setting yourself up for success!
Key point: Using timers helps manage messy homeschooling activities and maintains structure in creative learning sessions.
4. Embrace the Mess: Tips for Homeschool Moms Who Struggle with Creative Chaos
This, unfortunately, can’t go without saying. For those of us who really struggle with messiness and overstimulation, this is such a real thing. If you missed it, be sure to check out this post on how I am reframing my thoughts on messy play!
Summary: A positive mindset is crucial for successfully incorporating messy, hands-on activities in your homeschool routine.
Handling the Aftermath: Practical Tips for Cleaning Up After Homeschool Art Projects
So you’ve planned for the activity, your kids have fully “enjoyed” the activity, and now you are 3 seconds away from paint flying and the toddler has scissors. (Just me? Cool.) What do you do now?
Now would be a great time to employ Mission: Aftermath!
1. Decide the Cleanup Strategy: When to Include Kids in Post-Art Cleanup
Decide in advance what camp you are going to fall into: sending the kids off to another task/game OR including them in the clean up process. The important part here is the decision being made before the paint flies. Because I have a very rambunctious little boy, I know that in this season, my best bet is to whisk him off to play trains in his room or plopping him straight in the bath. This allows me to tidy up my space without “help” (if you know what I mean!)
Key takeaway: Planning for post-activity cleanup is an essential part of homeschool mess management.
2. Managing Unfinished Projects: Tips for Organizing Drying Art in Your Homeschool
If your activity requires a holding place until it is dry, plan for how you are going to handle the unfinished projects. While my little man is occupied, I quickly put all the water cups in the bin and stack trays with drying projects on the counter. This puts all chaos out of reach long enough for me to manage it and takes literally 5 minutes.
Once art pieces are completely dry, I display them on rods in the hallway. (My favorite are these rods and these ring clips!)
Summary: Implementing effective art display ideas for homeschool projects encourages pride in creative work and maintains an organized learning environment.
Encouragement for Homeschool Moms: You’re Doing Better Than You Think
This entire blog post may be one big brown paper bag hyperventilation session for you or you may be thinking, “what’s the big deal? It’s only a little paint!” Let me just say, I’m so glad you’re here! If you’ve stuck with me here, I know three things about you…
- You deeply desire strong connections with your kids.
- You are willing to do the work to get out of your own way.
- You are doing better than you think you are!
Keep going, Mama! In the words of my all-time favorite redhead:
“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will. Of course, you must make it up firmly.” -L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
Final thoughts: Embracing messy homeschooling and creative learning in your Charlotte Mason education journey can lead to stronger connections with your children and a more enriching homeschool experience.
