At the beginning of a new school year I always have these grand ideas of how we are going to incorporate art lessons into our week and get messy and dirty creating masterpieces. We do good for about 4-6 weeks then unfortunately; life gets in the way and before you know it I push off doing an art project one week; that quickly escalates into three to four weeks of no art lessons. Fortunately, I have come across a fascinating hands-on program that teaches art history; the Ancient Egypt Art History Course from Take Time for Art.

If you have you been looking for a comprehensive art program that ties in history and art, then look no further than the program Penny Mayes created, Ancient Egypt Art History Course. Her program is a video streaming art curriculum that brings to life history and art through stories, images, and music.  Currently, she offers courses on Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome. If you are studying Ancient Egypt, your kids will love making a mummy mask using similar materials as the Egyptians used. No need to fret when you get to the ancient gods and goddesses portion of your history program. Ancient Egypt Art History Course has you covered as Mrs. Mayes teaches from a Christian worldview and presents the gospel and stresses that only God is to be worshipped while appreciating the beauty of His creations.

Now, you’re probably thinking that a video streaming curriculum is going to cost you a pretty penny, right? For 16 weeks of video streamed lessons that integrate with your history studies you will pay just $40.00 and in turn you receive quality videos that expose your student to hundreds of images and art telling the story of the historical time period. This price also includes access for your entire family with multiple levels of difficulty. While the program is geared towards children aged 8-14, older and younger students have successfully used it with a few modifications especially for the younger child who may need more help to complete their projects.

Along with the step-by-step directions to show you just how to create your masterpiece from start to finish you can add on the art pack for each child for just $55.00. Now, if you are like me and don’t want to have to go hunting high and low in your city for art supplies you’ll want to invest in the art pack. I live in a smallish town, so trust me when I say it’s worth it to pay up front and save your sanity and stress of not having a certain supply on hand! Simple things like scissors, tape, and glue or not included but those are staples that you should have readily available in your home already.

If you have a high schooler like I do, you’ll be glad to know that you can use this curriculum to earn 0.5 high school art credit. Just have your student complete two separate courses including a few of the more challenging projects throughout the duration of the school year. And guess what?! You don’t have to be studying any of the historical time periods to take advantage of the knowledge gained from the Take Time for Art courses. This is a stand-alone art curriculum that is meant to be fun and engaging whether you are studying Ancient Egypt or Ancient Rome.

I was beyond thrilled when asked to review this program with my three daughters aged 14, 11, and 8! This program made it easy and possible for me to incorporate art into our busy day. I did not have to think of one more thing in order to incorporate art lessons into our week. The included day-by-day guide gives me all I need to do each lesson with my children. In fact, that is probably my favorite portion of this curriculum next to the supply kit. My 8-year-old did need help doing a few of the projects but that was no big deal for me because I like to get in on the action and it was fun. Not only do I not have to worry about not having something on hand for the lesson when you purchase the art kit, but I know each of my children are getting a world class art lesson when we Take Time for Art!

- Product review by Jacquelin Caffey, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, February, 2018