As seen on pinterest ~ lets make Art

I had great intention to write a post last week about something I made from pinterest, but I didn't. I did do a few projects, but just didn't write it here. The once a week thing, have to work at being more diligent of doing that.

Here I am this week and I will be sharing with you, another great way to use pinterest, to get your creative juice flowing.

For all of you who haven't yet discovered pinterest, seriously where have you been in the last year or so!. Pintrest in a great tool for people to get more creative, you just "pin" a link of something you would like to try and put in into a board and hoping that one of these day come back to it and try it. 

It's like having lots of magazines for ideas without the clutter or making a hole in your wallet.

I have pinned lots of food relate pins those are always fun to do, but today I want to share with you how pinterest can help your homeschooling (or entertaining your little one on a rainy day)

Source: mamasmiles.com via Mama on Pinterest

Just a side note here, when using pinterest you are not only posting nice pictures on your boards, you are posting the link of the person who took those picture and took time to write a lovely post, so your pinning is sharing the love. Here my pin comes from Mama Smiles, and you will be a mama that smiles after going to her little corner of the blog world, that I'm sure.

If you are like me, and not using a learning in a box tool for your little ones home education, you might always be on a look out for some new creative ways to make learning fun and practical.

Art inspired by great artist, was a inspiration for me. How can I use this to make a full lesson, was my question.

1. Did a quick online search of the artist I wanted to share with the girls. I use the internet, but books, or museum visit could have also been done here, but I prefer something quick and easy, might have the "fast food" syndrome here!
2. Read to the girls major highlights of the life of the artist and look at our map to find the country where he was born and where he did all his work.
3. Choose the painting that I want them to try to paint themselves  we talk about what was on it, what they saw, the color used etc... 
4. Got my paint supply out. Yes I am one of those crazy mothers that thinks using the real material will help the little one learn to appreciate their creation better. Explained to them the type of paint that we were using, how to use it properly and how to clean up after. Yes cleaning up, here in this house, is part of homeschooling.
5. let them try to replicate with their own interpretation the painting, and Voila, an artist in born.

You might think this is just a a art lesson, but no, this is a opportunity to teach way more then just art. In the painting that I use there was a chance to do some math, learning to spell words, learn about colors, geography and of course art.

So how does it all work together, how can you use a art lesson and make it a "living" lesson.

• Math, counting how many items are being seen in the masterpiece  simple additions and subtractions can also be done (depending one the age and level of understanding of your child)
• Using what you see for vocabulary or spelling lesson.
• Like I said earlier using a map to teach where the painting was created is part of a geography lesson. Also you can have a time line to teach history (put the concept of when this was created into perceptive)
• Learning to mix colors, teaches about colors but also motor skills.
• Cleaning up, teaches about responsibility and how to use certain tools (paint brushes etc..) in a proper way.
• Using Art, teaches how to appreciated our surrounding better, to have a eyes for the beautiful things that is all around. 

Now can you see how a inspiration, a simple pin, can be used in many ways. How about you, have you use pinterest at it's full potential yet?