Art & Music Education

In her book The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Edith Schaeffer argues that everyone has a talent or skill ready to be discovered and put to use for the glory of God. Often, that talent lies dormant, and the individual is frustrated by the empty spot in their life it should fill. Finding your talent should be a priority, though it's no drudgery—discovering what God has made you good at is a joyful and exciting process.

Similarly, Olympic gold medalist Eric Liddell never put his running before his duty to Christ; instead, he used his talent as a sprinter to glorify God. As he expresses in the brilliant film Chariots of Fire, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." God gives us talents to use in His name, and our joy in them is really our joy in Him.

Eric Liddell's talent led him to compete internationally; the "hidden art" Schaeffer describes is a little more modest, though no less glorifying to God when pursued humbly and gratefully. For Schaeffer, one's hidden art can be something as simple as arranging flowers on the kitchen table, or as elaborate as writing a story or painting a landscape. Everyone has different strengths, and each should learn to cultivate their own.

Our goal in teaching our children art and music isn't to raise a bunch of Van Goghs and Mozarts. If your child is a creative genius that's wonderful, but even if she can barely stay in the lines when coloring, her gifts are just as valuable to the Lord, and her discovery of them is just as important for her growth and personal happiness.

There are a few books in this section designed to help kids appreciate great art of the past, to learn about composers, or to identify the work of different painters and architects. However, most of what we offer is intended to help students across the whole range of ages to acquire and develop whatever skills they may have in sketching, painting, composing, instrument-playing, sculpting, acting, etc.

It's important to remember that no one will ever do anything perfectly, and first attempts are generally met with complete or near-total failure. Failure is often seen as an enemy, or simply as a hurdle to be overcome. Real failure, however, is integral to eventual success and (more importantly) to learning and character development. If a child managed to get everything right the first time, there would be no room for improvement, no reason to work hard.

Exercising one's creativity is essential. Humans were created in God's image, which means in part that we are creative beings, and whenever we're creative in ways that honor God, we're imitating Him. To the extent we can train our kids to do this, we should. Encourage them to do the best they can, because in the end they're doing it for God, and He expects nothing less.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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98 Items found Print
Active Filters: 1st grade (Ages 6-7), New Books & Materials
ABC Book of Early Americana - Coloring Book
by Eric Sloane
2012 Dover from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Alphabet Coloring Books (Location: COL-ALPH)
$10.95
Animal Alphabet - Coloring Book
by Nina Barbaresi
from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Alphabet Coloring Books (Location: COL-ALPH)
$3.99
Art & the Bible for Children
by Joshua Olds & Barry Stebbing
from How Great Thou Art
for Preschool-3rd grade
in How Great Thou Art (Location: ELE-ARTHGTA)
$29.95
Art Smart: Spot the Details and Find Out the Facts
Act from Dover Publications
for 1st-7th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
ARTistic Pursuits Grades K-3 Book 1
by Brenda Ellis
3rd Edition Classic Series from Artistic Pursuits
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in ARTistic Pursuits (Location: ELE-ARTPUR)
$47.95
ARTistic Pursuits: The Way They SEE It
by Brenda Ellis
3rd Edition Classic Series from Artistic Pursuits
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in ARTistic Pursuits (Location: ELE-ARTPUR)
$47.95 $30.00 (1 in stock)
Beethoven's Heroic Symphony (Once Upon a Masterpiece)
from Charlesbridge
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$16.95
Birds Alphabet - Coloring Book
by Ruth Soffer
from Dover Publications
for 1st-6th grade
in Alphabet Coloring Books (Location: COL-ALPH)
$3.99
Butterfly Alphabet - Coloring Book
by Carol Schmidt
from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Alphabet Coloring Books (Location: COL-ALPH)
$3.99
Child's Introduction to Ballet
by Laura Lee
Revised from Black Dog & Leventhal
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Dance (Location: ELE-DANCE)
$19.99
Color Paddles (set of 6)
from Learning Resources
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Light & Sound (Location: SCI-PHY)
$5.00
Come Look With Me: Artist at Work
by R. Sarah Richardson
from Charlesbridge
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$16.95
Come Look with Me: Enjoying Art with Children
by Gladys S. Blizzard
from Charlesbridge
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$12.00
Come Look With Me: Exploring Landscape Art With Children
by Gladys S. Blizzard
from Charlesbridge
for 1st-3rd grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$16.95
Constellations of the Night Sky - Coloring Book
from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Space Coloring Books (Location: COL-SPACE)
$4.99
Dinosaurs - Coloring Book
by Spizzirri Publishing Company
from Spizzirri Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Reptile Coloring Books (Location: COL-REP)
$3.95
Discovering Great Artists
by MaryAnn F. Kohl & Kim Solga
2nd edition from Chicago Review Press
for Preschool-6th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$19.99
Doodling Dragons - Phonogram Coloring Book
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$6.99
Draw Africa
from ArtK12
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Draw the World (Location: ELE-ARTDW)
$16.96
Draw Asia I
from ArtK12
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Draw the World (Location: ELE-ARTDW)
$16.96
Draw Asia II
from ArtK12
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Draw the World (Location: ELE-ARTDW)
$16.96
Draw Canada and Greenland
from ArtK12
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Draw the World (Location: ELE-ARTDW)
$16.96
Draw Europe
from ArtK12
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Draw the World (Location: ELE-ARTDW)
$16.96
Draw Mexico, Central and South America
from ArtK12
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Draw the World (Location: ELE-ARTDW)
$16.96
Draw Oceania
from ArtK12
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Draw the World (Location: ELE-ARTDW)
$16.96
Draw the Natural Wonders of Europe
by Kristin Draeger and Glen Draeger
from ArtK12
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Draw the World (Location: ELE-ARTDW)
$16.96
Draw the Natural Wonders of the USA
by Kristin Draeger and Glen Draeger
from ArtK12
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Draw the World (Location: ELE-ARTDW)
$16.96
Draw the USA
from ArtK12
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Draw the World (Location: ELE-ARTDW)
$16.96
Draw the World
from ArtK12
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Draw the World (Location: ELE-ARTDW)
$16.96
Draw Write Now - Boxed Set (Books 1-8)
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Draw Write Now (Location: ELE-ARTDWN)
$149.99
Draw Write Now - Workbook
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Draw Write Now (Location: ELE-ARTDWN)
$5.49
Draw Write Now Book 1
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Draw Write Now (Location: ELE-ARTDWN)
$19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Draw Write Now Book 2
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Draw Write Now (Location: ELE-ARTDWN)
$19.99
Draw Write Now Book 3
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Draw Write Now (Location: ELE-ARTDWN)
$19.99
Draw Write Now Book 4
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
for 1st-5th grade
in Draw Write Now (Location: ELE-ARTDWN)
$19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Draw Write Now Book 5
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
for 1st-5th grade
in Draw Write Now (Location: ELE-ARTDWN)
$19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Draw Write Now Book 6
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
for 1st-5th grade
in Draw Write Now (Location: ELE-ARTDWN)
$19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Draw Write Now Book 7
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
for 1st-5th grade
in Draw Write Now (Location: ELE-ARTDWN)
$19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Draw Write Now Book 8
by Marie Hablitzel & Kim Stitzer
from In the Think of Things
for 1st-5th grade
in Draw Write Now (Location: ELE-ARTDWN)
$19.99
Edward MacDowell and His Cabin in the Pines
by Opal Wheeler and Sybil Deucher
from Zeezok Publishing
for 1st-6th grade
in Opal Wheeler Great Musicians Series (Location: BIO-OPAL)
$13.95
Elizabeth Fry
from Emerald Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$11.99
Firefighters - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Nina Barbaresi
from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Preschool Coloring Books (Location: COL-PRE)
$3.99
Firehouse - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Cathy Beylon
from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Preschool Coloring Books (Location: COL-PRE)
$3.99
Floral Alphabet - Coloring Book
by Leslie Tillett
from Dover Publications
for 1st-6th grade
in Alphabet Coloring Books (Location: COL-ALPH)
$3.99
Garden Fairy Alphabet - Coloring Book
by Darcy May
from Dover Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Alphabet Coloring Books (Location: COL-ALPH)
$3.99
Garden Flowers Alphabet - Coloring Book
by Ruth Soffer
from Dover Publications
for 1st-6th grade
in Alphabet Coloring Books (Location: COL-ALPH)
$3.99
Gargoyles and Medieval Monsters - Coloring Book
by A. G. Smith
from Dover Publications
for 1st-3rd grade
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$5.99
Happy New Year Around the World - Coloring Book
by Sylvia Walker
from Dover Publications
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Holiday Coloring Books (Location: COL-HOL)
$3.99
Hebrew Alphabet - Coloring Book
by Chaya Burstein
from Dover Publications
for 1st-6th grade
in Hebrew (Location: FL-HEB)
$3.99
History for Little Pilgrims - Coloring Book
from Christian Liberty Press
for 1st grade
in CLP History (Location: HISCUR-CLP)
$6.45
I Can Do All Things - Book and Paint & Marker Cards Set
by Barry Stebbing
2nd edition from My Father's World
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in How Great Thou Art (Location: ELE-ARTHGTA)
$29.95
Illuminated Alphabet
from Dover Publications
for 1st-5th grade
in Alphabet Coloring Books (Location: COL-ALPH)
$6.95
Knitting Knights - Phonogram Coloring Book
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$6.99
Lamb's Book of Art I & II - Teacher Manual
by Barry Stebbing
from How Great Thou Art
for 1st-5th grade
in How Great Thou Art (Location: ELE-ARTHGTA)
$9.95
Lamb's Book of Art I - DVD
by Barry Stebbing
2nd edition from How Great Thou Art
for 1st-5th grade
in How Great Thou Art (Location: ELE-ARTHGTA)
$39.95
Lamb's Book of Art II
by Barry Stebbing
from How Great Thou Art
for 1st-5th grade
in How Great Thou Art (Location: ELE-ARTHGTA)
$14.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Little Pilgrim's Progress - Illustrated Coloring and Activity Book
by Erik M. Peterson, illustrated by Joe Sutphin
from Moody Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$6.99
Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge
by Hildegarde H. Swift & Lynd Ward
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Make Way
by Angela Burke Kunkel, illustrated by Claire Keane
from Random House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$19.99
Manual of Clay Modeling
by Hermione Unwin
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-12th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$11.95
Mark Kistler's Imagination Station
by Mark Kistler
from Fireside Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$21.00
Medicinal Plants - Coloring Book
by Ilil Arbel
from Dover Publications
for 1st-9th grade
in Flowers & Plants Coloring Books (Location: COL-BOT)
$4.99
Meet the Orchestra
by Ann Hayes
from Harcourt
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$7.99
Memoria Press First Grade Art Cards
from Memoria Press
for 1st grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$11.50 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Mind Your Manners
by Roz Fulcher
from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Manners & Etiquette (Location: BIB-CHMAN)
$5.99
Monkeys and Apes Coloring Book
by John Green
from Dover Publications
for 1st-3rd grade
in Mammal Coloring Books (Location: COL-MAM)
$4.99
Monster Sea Creatures - Coloring Book
by Diana Zourelias
from Dover Publications
for 1st-4th grade
in Water Life Coloring Books (Location: COL-WAT)
$3.99
Music Appreciation 1 - Coloring Book
from Zeezok Publishing
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$7.99
Music Appreciation 1 - Lapbook Flashdrive
from Zeezok Publishing
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$29.99
Music Appreciation 1 - Music on USB Flash Drive
from Zeezok Publishing
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$29.99
Music Appreciation 2 - Coloring Book
from Zeezok Publishing
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$8.99
My Favorite Songs
by Maria Trapp
from Veritas Press
for Kindergarten-Adult
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$17.00
My First Spanish ABC Picture - Coloring Book
from Dover Publications
for 1st-4th grade
in Spanish Resources (Location: FL-SPARE)
$3.99
Plant and Animal Alphabet - Coloring Book
by Leslie Tillett
from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Alphabet Coloring Books (Location: COL-ALPH)
$4.99
Richard Doyle's Fairy Land - Coloring Book
by Marty Noble
Clr from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$3.99
Sea Life Alphabet - Coloring Book
by Leslie Tillett
from Dover Publications
for 1st-3rd grade
in Alphabet Coloring Books (Location: COL-ALPH)
$3.99
Sky Boys
by Deborah Hopkinson
from Dragonfly Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Spanish Alphabet - Coloring Book
by Nina Barbaresi
from Dover Publications
for 1st-2nd grade
in Spanish Resources (Location: FL-SPARE)
$3.99
Spanish Picture Word Book - Coloring Book
from Dover Publications
for 1st-4th grade
in Spanish Resources (Location: FL-SPARE)
$3.99
Spanish Search-a-Word Picture Puzzles
by Deb T. Bunnell, Kathy Casey
from Dover Publications
for 1st-2nd grade
in Spanish Resources (Location: FL-SPARE)
$4.99
Sparky & Spike
by Barbara Lowell, illustrated by Dan Andreasen
from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Picture Biography for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.95
Step-by-Step Drawing Book
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$8.99
Step-By-Step Drawing People
by Candice Whatmore
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$8.99
Stephen Foster and His Little Dog Tray
by Opal Wheeler
from Zeezok Publishing
for 1st-6th grade
in Opal Wheeler Great Musicians Series (Location: BIO-OPAL)
$13.95
Story of the Pilgrims - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Fran Newman-D'Amico
from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in History of America Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISA)
$3.99
Suzuki Violin School: Violin Part Volume 1 with CD
by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
Pap/Com Re from Alfred Publishing
for 1st-7th grade
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$12.00
Trivium Tables: Music
from Classical Conversations
for 1st-12th grade
in Classical Conversations (Location: CUR-CC)
$12.00
Trombone Shorty
by Troy Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier
from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
2016 Caldecott Honor Book, 2016 Coretta Scott King Award Winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.95
Unicorns - Coloring Book
from Dover Publications
for 1st-6th grade
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$3.99
Wee Sing Around the World
by Pamela Conn Beall, Susan Hagen Nipp
from Price Stern Sloan
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Wee Sing (Location: PRE-WEE)
$10.99 $7.00 (2 in stock)
Wee Sing Bible Songs - Book and CD
by Pamela Conn Beall and Susan Hagen Nipp
from Penguin Putnam
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Wee Sing (Location: PRE-WEE)
$10.99
Wee Sing Children's Songs and Fingerplays - Book & CD
by Pamela Conn Beall & Susan Hagen Nipp
from Price Stern Sloan
for Nursery-1st grade
in Wee Sing (Location: PRE-WEE)
$10.99
Wee Sing Fun 'n' Folk
by Pamela Conn Beall, Susan Hagen Nipp
from Price Stern Sloan
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Wee Sing (Location: PRE-WEE)
$10.99
Wee Sing Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies - Book & CD
by Pamela Conn Beall and Susan Hagen Nipp
2007 Edition from Penguin Putnam
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Wee Sing (Location: PRE-WEE)
$10.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
What to Doodle? Superheroes
by Ted Rechlin
Act Clr Cs from Dover Publications
for 1st-3rd grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$5.99
Whistling Whales - Phonogram Coloring Book
by Denise Eide, illustrated by Ingrid Hess
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$6.99
You Can Draw in 30 Days
by Mark Kistler
from Da Capo Press
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$19.00 $12.00 (1 in stock)
Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin
by Lloyd Moss
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
1996 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99