Review: Great Online Art Program for Kids!
I am not an artsy kind of gal – I took art classes in elementary school but never felt like I had any particular skill at it, and didn’t keep at it long enough to develop any skill! I therefore never felt qualified to teach my kids art – thumbprint art or VERY impressionistic is my bent lol, and I’ve been looking around for an art program for them to try. When ArtAchieve offered us the opportunity to review their Entire Level 1 program, I said yes! And I’m so glad I did!!
I wanted a program that didn’t require a lot of supplies. Pen, paper, pencils, maybe some watercolors, and that was about it. I’m not ready to dive into something more in depth than that, and my kids aren’t either! We need basics! I also wanted a program that didn’t require much from me! (This is a theme in my homeschooling, have you noticed? 🙂 I’m a work-at-home, homeschooling mom, and when “extras” can happen without me, that’s a win!!)
This program accomplished both of those goals for me, and we all love it!! I also really like that I can jump in and do a lesson with the kids, no problem. It’s a fun outlet for me!
Level 1 includes 11 lessons, all on video. Each lesson took us about 45 minutes to complete, from start to finish.
This is our first project: Super D’s (9) is on the left, SweetHeart’s (6) is in the middle, and mine is on the right. The kids had a blast! It’s a great “Quiet time” activity for them.
To begin each lesson, we gather supplies and print out a warmup drawing page, as well as a picture of what our completed image will look like. Then he leads us through a quick relaxing breathing exercise. I was impressed, it really does relax you! 🙂
The warm-up asks the kids to draw parts of the piece they will then do as a whole in the lesson. It’s a great way to introduce them to the lines and curves they’ll be making, broken down into easy steps.
The art lesson itself is explained really well, and is simple enough for the kids to follow! The instructions are clear and the zoom is close on the video so the kids can easily see what is happening. It’s helpful that the video can be paused and reversed. SweetHeart needed a little extra time occasionally.
One of the things I love about ArtAchieve is how encouraging the instructor is. He emphasizes that art isn’t going to be perfect, and that everyone draws things they don’t like sometimes. His admonitions were REALLY helpful for my kids who can be too hard on themselves!
We LOVE these art lessons and highly recommend this program! It’s been a fun hot-summer-day activity for us, and I’m sure we’ll continue to use it during the school year, just for fun.
ArtAchieve has several sample lessons that you can download and try for free. You can connect with ArtAchieve on social media via:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Artachieve
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/artchieve @artachieve
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/artachieve/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+artachieve
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnahofland/
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