Engaging, Hands-On on Art History Lessons with Take Time for Art
I love when I discover a curriculum that engages my kids as they are learning. This year we hit the jackpot with Take Time for Art. Not only did it fit in nicely with our history plan for the year, but everyone has enjoyed this addition.
Take Time for Art is a hands-on art history curriculum that tells the story of history using videos of beautiful art images. Following the videos, the kids complete well-developed art projects
Take Time for Art Review
Take Time for Art has been one of our favorite additions to our homeschool curriculum this year. It has been a perfect addition to our Medieval History plans and I am so grateful that I reached out to the creator, Penny. She supplied our family with the access and materials in exchange for a blog post. I was not required to write a positive review and definitely not a gushing review, though it will be clear we loved this addition to our year!
Take Time for Art: The Basics
Take Time for Art is an art history curriculum presented from a Christian worldview. The video lessons and art projects are designed to bring a specific time period to life for your children. They will be able to view art as part of the historical time period and then create similar projects at home. There are four historical time periods available:
- Ancient Greece
- Ancient Rome
- Ancient Egypt
- Middle Ages
Each time period set includes access to a series of videos about the art and history of the time period as well as coordinating videos with step-by-step instructions for the follow-up art projects. You can purchase access to an individual time period for 20 weeks or pay monthly for access all of the time periods as long as you are subscribed.
Our family enjoyed the Middle Ages videos this year and we were able to complete the projects just within the 20-week window.
In addition to the video access, you have the option to purchase an art supply kit with all of the necessary supplies for the projects. Each child will need their own kit.
I highly recommend that you purchase the kit. Having everything on hand made the completion of these projects so much easier. While some of the supplies might be easy to find, adding up the cost of items such as foiling paper and metallic sharpies made this well worth the convenience to me.
Take Time for Art: The Videos
The art history videos included with Take Time for Art are created with music and voiceovers set to art images from a specific time period. The videos in the Middle Ages (and I suspect all of the kits) were the perfect length. They were all around 8-10 minutes long, which was just perfect to maintain the interest of my kids. The videos are clear and easy to understand and filled with great art examples throughout history.
NOTE: It is very clear that Penny approaches history from a Christian worldview in these videos so please keep that in mind before purchasing.
Take Time for Art: The Projects
I can not say enough positive things about the art projects that came with this curriculum. My boys (ages 10 and 13) had a great time with every single project.
It can be tough to find art activities that engage middle school boys, but these projects did the trick in this house. The projects felt challenging enough for an older child to enjoy, yet with some help from a parent, younger kids could easily make them as well.
Many of the instructions included simply ways to modify the project so you could make an easier or more difficult version. My boys always selected the more difficult version and they were proud of their work when they were finished.
The curriculum is recommended for ages 9 and up. My experience proves this recommendation to be accurate. I am certain that a 7 or 8-year-old could complete these projects with help from an adult, but if they would be frustrated when help was needed then it might not be the best fit.
Take Time for Art: Final Thoughts
Not only was Take Time for Art an easy addition to our history curriculum, but it was fun and engaging. I never heard a complaint when I told the boys it was time for our art history. They were happy to enjoy the videos and make the projects, often spreading them over more than one day so they could do a good job.
Take Time for Art is my favorite kind of curriculum because multiple ages can enjoy it together. Both my 5th and 7th-grade boys were equally engaged and excited about their projects. Surprisingly, my 15-year-old daughter was clearly interested in the projects so we tried to find ways to include. I had extra materials for the mosaic so she created one alongside the boys. If I had known she was going to be home with us, I would have added on a third kit.
Finally, the curriculum is open and go if you purchase the art supply kits for each child. Everything you need is included other than a few basics you are certain to have around the house. I didn’t have to prepare the night before or spend the weekend shopping for materials. We simply watched the art history video and then moved into the art room. Once we watched the intro to the project video, we gathered the necessary materials and followed along.
I highly recommend Take Time for Art if you are looking for a fun and easy to use art history curriculum for your homeschool.
If you love art, you might also enjoy these related posts:
She believes that creativity, laughter, and fun are the backbone for engaging and inspiring homeschools. You can find her encouragement and tips on this blog, Mary Hanna Wilson.
She is an enneagram 7 and an extrovert. She enjoys traveling, tea (iced or hot), good conversations, and books. You can connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
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