And boy, do they do these things!

Make the Most of your Art Gallery

Art Galleries, unlike years ago, are really child-friendly places to be. They make for a great day out, and usually are free of charge. Almost all activities are free too, trails, puppets, dressing up, crafts, and family fun days over the half terms and holidays. Sometimes, there will be talks about certain artists, for grown-ups to learn a little too :)

Each gallery will have its' own website, detailing its' collections, so you can learn a bit, or at least familiarise yourselves, before you visit. Each time you visit, it maybe worthwhile spending a few pence on a postcard to begin a 'Fine Art collection' at home.

Our Narrative Art Pinterest Board



Tile rubbings. The sign said 'Please Touch'

We go at least monthly to our local gallery, to join in with the crafts. Our children were recognising paintings and artists' work by a very early age, just by being exposed to the environment. Our eldest went off to art college to pursue his love of fine art. And now we have half finished canvases and jars of paintbrushes all over the place, and not just belonging to the smaller children :) Be warned what can happen...

My children had also studied about a dozen or so paintings from the National Gallery in London.  We made a special trip to visit the capital and see them.  It was a thrill to view them 'in the flesh', though some were a lot smaller than we had pictured in our minds' eye. Sadly though, we were stopped from taking photographs. The Louvre in Paris is on our 'Dream Field Trips' list.

The Walker Gallery Liverpool

I have listed some books and websites to help you get started with Art Appreciation.(see the tabs)  I will write a 'How to' page shortly.











Art History Questions

Art Detective

Kids at the Walker

Greatest Artists Jigsaw games

Art Appreciation Lessons

Gung Hey Fat Choi!

Mandarin Chinese class

At this time of year [Chinese New Year] there are lots to do at museums and galleries, especially those cities where there is a Chinese community.

We love to learn about other countries, have fun, and call it studying geography!

Make a trip to your local Chinese Supermarket or Deli, a field trip.  Take an interest in the goods there, ask the staff questions about their culture.  You will be surprised how much they love to talk about it. The man at our local shop teaches the girls to say thank you and goodbye, and only then will he give them the lollipop that he promised :) He chats away about his country's traditions and festivals, quite happily, or at least until the next customer comes in!  Have the children make a menu, go together and buy the ingredients, and cook a meal. Maybe decorate the house with home-made crafts [lots of ideas on the web] You can even learn to eat with chopsticks!
If you cant make it to China Town, take a look at the Dragon Dance, celebrations, and beautiful Fan, or Ribbon dances on You Tube.
 If the weather is too chilly to go outside, watch the movies Mulan or Kung Fu Panda, and share a bowl of prawn crackers,  [make them yourself, its fun], Or snuggle up with a book like The Magic Paintbrush or Sam and the Lucky Monkey.

Enjoy!

Combining Art, Science, and Nature

Explore and discover your world. It has God's signature all over it.

Free ID sheets, projects and surveys give such educational value, and the children will be having such fun getting fresh air and exercise, they wont even notice that they are learning.  

ART

 

Keep paints and drawing equipment in a backpack and whenever you feel the need to get out for the afternoon, or the sun comes out, just pick up the bag, and find some space.  We use water from the river or waterfall, to paint our pictures. Makes it extra special.

Keep a nature journal and sketch your specimens. Add details such as date, location and temperature.



Consider camping and really getting down to the grass roots :)

Beg or borrow a pocket ID book



 

Science: Begin by exploring your own backyard and hedgerows.

Sweeping the hedgerow for Opal insect survey

Try creating a 'butterfly border', or hedgerow or meadow habitat, and leave a few nettles around for moths and butterflies to lay their eggs on. Use a couple of terracotta pots for wasps and bees to make a home. Build a log pile for insects. The more insects that there is to feed on, the more birds and wildlife that will be attracted to your garden. If you wanted to ID moths, leave a white sheet out at night, the moths will be attracted to it. I have included a couple of websites and books that can help you make a start with these projects.

Feed your garden birds, (your children can even make their own fat balls) Also make the birds a shallow pool of water to have a bath.  On cold days, you can sit inside in the warm and let nature come to you.



IDing a caterpillar

Grow plants that will benefit wildlife in particular, and maybe you can also tack on to this, growing your own food. Peas, tomatoes, potatoes seem to be easy for beginners. Then the children can observe the whole life cycle of a plant. You could turn it into a Season or Plants unit study. I will add some pointers on the Unit Studies page for this.



We found a sleepy hedgehog

                                                       

Testing pH levels of the soil



Our group did the John Muir Award
for conservation

 Nature is all around us, and its free.

 Grab a couple of families and explore together. Take a picnic lunch, and make a day of it. In the cooler days, take a flask of soup or cocoa.
You own local nature groups may have organised walks, with experts on hand. Everyone is always welcome. They love to see youngsters take an interest. Or join a walking group and take a ramble in the local countryside. Local nature reserves usually also have family walks.

Meliden Mountain

Out in the hills of Shropshire

 

The Hittites are Coming!!

 I was invited by the Victoria Museum & Gallery to `brainstorm for a brand new exhibition that they were planning.  This was mega exciting for me, not least of all, to see God open doors of opportunity, and compose the string of events that lead to this point.  We know that the civilisation is mentioned numerous times in the Bible... how amazing, that of all the museums projects I should be asked to take part in, this one in particular came up! 

At that point, my children were studying the Hittites too! We had taken the family to the British Museum, London, and the Ashmoleon in Oxford was next on the ‘hit’ list to see various artifacts. 

Their Education Officer. was only too happy to take a look at our Biblical History books, and she patiently listened to the ideas we had explored in our HE thematic study.

 After a few months and a couple of meetings later, work was to finally begin! Everything was to be genuine, and a couple of curators went off to Turkey to buy props. One of the things that the museum was passionate about, was that the exhibition be ‘hands on’ for children, so our dc were asked what they would like to see and do at the new exhibition. And even what they would like to buy with their pocket money at the museum shop!

The museum very kindly invited me to the pre-opening night launch, which was attended by the very grand looking Ambassador of Turkey and his entourage. My eyes were on stalks when I saw the Bedouin Story Tent, and the ‘dig’, I had talked about with the curators all those months ago.  It was one of those moments when I wanted to soak up in one go, everything my eyes could possibly take in!

A Turkish boy passing round pastries at the  Pre-launch viewing

There has been a very exciting discovery : a letter written by King Tutankhamen's widow to the Hittite king Suppiluliuma  asking if she could marry one of his sons. The letter does not say how Tutankhamun died. In the message to the Hittite king, Ankhesenamun says that she was very afraid, but would not take one of her own people as husband. However, the son was killed before reaching his new wife. Possibly ambushed on the Egyptian border.

As a thank you, the Education Officer asked my group to pioneer the exhibition, and generously invited us to be one of the schools to take part in an animation workshop. They even invited me back to brainstorm ideas for the new web site. That was a very special opportunity too. Oh the perks of being a HE mum! Can’t wait for the next project...

The title says 'Even Experts can be Wrong' referring to the pooh-poohing of Bible accuracy

2 KINGS chap 7 verse 6: For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, [even] the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

Books and websites

Hittites at the British Museum - Web page

Bible Times colouring book

Bible in the British Museum - One for the grown ups

Mr Donn Ancient Civilisations - Lesson plans and activities

Ancient Civilisations Power points and games

Does Archaeology Support the Bible? Website

The Stones Still Shout Book for older children/teens

Amazing Discoveries in Bible Lands Plenty of photographs.  A book for older children

Then and Now Bible Maps Overlays show various boundaries

World History Made Simple Ancient Bible times in general.

Readers Digest Atlas of the Bible So much more than just an Atlas. Reference book inc Bible animals and peoples etc and a gazetteer.