By Spramani Elaun
If you’re teaching art at home, it’s natural to wonder where to begin and what truly matters. Parents often ask me, “What art lessons should I focus on so my child actually builds skills?” In this post, I’ll share a clear overview of what to teach in a home art school setting and how to create a balanced visual arts experience for elementary-aged children.
This guidance is drawn from my years as a homeschool parent, art teacher, and curriculum developer, and reflects what I’ve consistently seen children need in order to grow confidently as young artists.
A Balanced Visual Art Education at Home
When art lessons feel scattered, children often miss foundational skill development. A balanced home art program focuses on core art experiences, not one-off projects. Over time, I identified five essential areas that children should experience regularly during their elementary years. These areas work together to support creativity, fine-motor development, visual literacy, and independent expression.
I refer to these areas in my teaching and publications as the five core domains of visual art learning.
Home Art Lessons: What to Teach
Drawing
Drawing builds the foundation for all visual art. Children should explore a variety of drawing tools to make two-dimensional marks on paper. These experiences help develop hand control, observation skills, and visual planning.
Common drawing tools include:
- Graphite pencils
- Colored pencils
- Crayons
- Chalk pastels and oil pastels
Painting
Painting allows children to explore color, value, and expressive mark-making. Most children’s painting lessons focus on two-dimensional work, where they can gradually learn control, layering, and basic perspective.
Common painting mediums for home art lessons:
- Watercolor
- Acrylic paint (child-safe)
Through painting, children begin learning how color behaves and how images can become more detailed over time.
Color Theory
Color theory helps children understand how colors relate to one another. At home, this usually begins with mixing primary colors to create secondary colors. Over time, children can explore tints, shades, and value changes.
Color theory strengthens problem-solving and supports confidence when children want to create specific colors independently.
Modeling & Sculpture
Three-dimensional art gives children a completely different creative experience. Modeling and sculpture support spatial awareness, hand strength, and planning skills.
Age-appropriate materials include:
- Beeswax clay
- Air-dry clay
- Earth pottery clay
- Homemade play dough
- Non-hardening modeling compounds
Crafting & Building
Crafting introduces construction, planning, and design thinking. This area allows children to combine materials and ideas while learning how things fit together.
Crafting often includes:
- Paper construction
- Cutting, gluing, and assembling
- Cardboard building
- Simple textile or nature-based projects
Why These Areas Matter at Home
When children regularly experience all five areas, art lessons become easier to plan and more meaningful. Instead of asking “What project should we do today?” you can simply rotate through these domains and gradually build skills.
Once you understand what to teach, choosing art projects and creating lesson plans becomes far less overwhelming.
Helpful Resources for Home Art School
If you’d like deeper guidance, age-based recommendations, and step-by-step support, my books and art curriculums expand on these topics in detail. They are designed specifically for parents teaching art at home.
Art Teaching Books
- Art Guide – Early Childhood (preschool ages)
- Art Guide – Elementary and teen ages
- Nurturing Children in The Visual Arts Naturally
- Kids Painting
- Kids Color Theory
- Clay Play
- Drawing Curriculum For Elementary Grades
- Drawing Curriculum For 3-6 years
- (Early Childhood) Clay Modeling Curriculum For Children
- Painting Curriculum For Children
- Color Mixing Curriculum For Children
- DOWNLOAD FREE Color Mixing Art Lesson
These books are available in paperback or eBook formats and are highly beneficial for parents engaged in teaching home art projects. Once you grasp the essential topics to teach children, selecting art projects and constructing lesson plans will become more manageable.
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About the Author: Spramani Elaun is a professional artist, author of 10 books on early childhood and elementary art education, and founder of Nature of Art®. She holds degrees in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Digital Media, Print Media, and Business, and has spent over two decades developing the Science Art Method™. She trains Montessori schools and independent educators worldwide.
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