Why Farm Based Art Classes Are Perfect For Kids!

This is not the typical classroom setting. Davey Farm offers kids art classes that encourage connecting with nature and getting outside! Kids get to walk in the gardens and woods to gather natural elements for their art. It's exciting to see them look at a leaf and say, "This is going to be part of the bird's nest", or moss and say "This is going to be a great for making the hair."

Being outside in nature inspires all ages. It let's the child's imagination run wild. I believe children don't spend enough time outside. I think children should be outside EVERY day of the year. It's stifling to be indoors all the time. It's simply not healthy to be inside all the time.  Besides kids gathering their supplies outside, they are running around and getting their wiggles  out.  After gathering all the natural art supplies, we go into the barn and create different art. In the barn, the kids sit in the breezeway, next to the stalls where the horses are watching them. The kids love that. There's always a horse head hanging out the stall, wanting to be pet.

The only thing the child needs, is her/his imagination. it's so fun to see what the kids can think up. I provide an example of the art project, but often times, kids do their own spin on it. I remember a teacher told my daughter that the barn she drew should be red and have a brown roof. That is not how I teach. Kids get to do whatever colors THEY want to do. I'm not a big believer in painting inside the lines. 

I don't think art supplies should be just the traditional paper and paint. I believe kids should experience every type of art. I provide pastels, oil pastels, charcoal, acrylic paint and watercolors. We also have done art with paper mache, air clay and wood. The messier the art is, the better.  I provide a safe place for kids to get messy, without worrying about paint spilled on the floor.