Should I Be Teaching Art in My Homeschool?

The subject we skip. The one we feel guilty about. The one we promise we’ll get to next week.

If that’s you, you're not alone.

Art is one of the first things to fall off the schedule when homeschooling gets real. There’s math to catch up on, essays to revise, and dinner burning on the stove. Compared to grammar or science, art can feel optional… even indulgent.

But here’s the truth:

Art isn’t extra. It’s essential.

It’s not just painting or coloring. Art is how kids learn to see. To interpret. To express. To slow down and notice. And for many kids, it’s the one subject that helps them breathe again.

Why Do So Many Homeschoolers Skip Art?

Watercolor pencils and a sketchbook. A week of small lessons: 1. Sketch out the shape. 2. Sketch out where the details are. 3. Draw with watercolor pencils and use a little water on them. 4. Draw darker lines for details.

Because we’re overwhelmed. Because we don’t feel “artsy.” Because it seems messy, expensive, or hard to grade.

And perhaps because some of us grew up thinking art was a talent, not a skill.

But you don’t need to be an artist to teach it. You don’t need fancy supplies, expensive kits, or a huge block of time. What you do need is: A willingness to slow down. A few basic tools. And a mindset shift: art is not about perfection.

What Happens When Kids Don’t Get Art?

When art is removed from a child’s education, we lose more than playtime.

We lose creative confidence and emotional expression. We lose the ability to interpret images, the joy of open-ended exploration, especially for visual thinkers and neurodivergent learners. We lose the ability to make something new that others have not seen before. We lose innovation. We lose perspective...

Look around your room.

How many things in it were made by artists?

ALL OF IT WAS!

So, Should You Be Teaching Art?

Yes. Not because it’s on some list of required subjects (though many states do recommend or require it), but because:

• It teaches thinking – noticing, interpreting, evaluating.

• It supports writing – visual storytelling builds narrative skills.

• It enriches history and science – art connects cultures, centuries, and concepts.

• It builds self-awareness – reflection and personal style matter.

• It gives your kids a voice – especially the quiet ones.

How to Start (Even If You’re Not an Artist)

• Start small: one sketchbook, one prompt a week.

• Let go of outcome: praise observation and effort, not results.

• Use open-ended lessons that work across ages.

• Find resources that do the heavy lifting for you (like our Let’s Do School Art Workbook, designed specifically for homeschool families who don't want the mess).

Quit thinking they should be producing beautiful works of art you can post on Instagram!

You Don’t Have to Feel Guilty

If you’ve skipped art in the past, it’s okay. But maybe now is the time to bring it back. Not because you “should" but because your kids deserve space to express, create, and be seen.

Even once a week, art can become your family’s time to relax and be together. Over time, you’ll see something beautiful happen.