Question re: classes geared for homeschooled kids

[simple living mama]

Okay, I have a question for you folks. First I'll quickly say I've home schooled my kids although elementary while part time running an art studio at our local affordable housing. Well, I'm in the middle of switching jobs and now working at our local Community Art Center doing a Saturday open studio which allows kids to basically pick and choose art supplies and create to their hearts content under my direction, guidance and examples. Meaning, if they don't know what to do, I show them all the choices they have and do demonstrations. I show them how to use the materials and work along side to inspire.

Okay, saying all of this, I now have the opportunity to do something during the day for homeschoolers. Do you think you would bring your child to a studio such as this? I'm trying to gauge whether this will be something that would fill a niche with in the homeschool community. Now being an artist myself, I wouldn't pay for this because already do so much of this with my own two kids at home. But I'm not like all other homeschooling parents. So what do you think? As always, thanks fellow homeschooling friends.
Regina

[zebra15]

YES! My 10 yr old would LOVE this.... we may not be able to make it every week so if you had something like 'drop ins' or a weekly rate, or $xx for 5 session etc that would be even better.

However I do have to say my son tried this one time at a local art studio and the woman running it was less then friendly to the parents. Meaning I got a very quick and stern 'ok its time for YOU to leave now'. It was obvious to me that DS wanted me to stay and I did stay in the back reading my book for 90 mins. Granted that was not a HS class but just an open art class. So if you want repeat customers make sure you are 'parent friendly' LOL...

[simple living mama]

Thanks Zebra. This is encouraging. I've run children's art studios for the last 11 years and so far I haven't bit off any heads. I pretty much become friends of the parents along with the kids so I'm pretty confident that my mood is mostly positive. I couldn't agree with you more though. To me, that's a sure way to kill my enthusiasm when it comes to parting with my money. I better walk away feeling good about spending my hard earned cash. Besides, we all want good role models for our kids and grouchy adults don't fit that for me. Thanks again.

[stormborn]

Oh, yes! We would pay for that assuming the price was reasonable. Dd (9)does a lot of art projects at home but she likes the idea of doing it in a community type setting to get ideas and just for the company.

[lach]

I used to teach similar classes (out of my home) and they were very popular. I think that most families saw them as much as being about socialization and hanging out with other homeschooled kids as being about art. Certainly no talent was required! I did dropoff classes by age, and I never had a parent ask to stay. That would probably depend on the homeschooling culture in your area and the sorts of homeschoolers you attract.

[karemore]

It would depend on the cost for us as well, but we'd love an opportunity like that.

[dairy2dogs]

I would definately like something like this for my 12 yr old daughter. Can you move here?

[kristin0713]

I definitely would if it was reasonably priced. And I would prefer to invest in art materials myself and bring them as opposed to paying more for the class. I would LOVE more direction for my DD with art. She is so creative and I just don't know how to guide her.

[alegna]

Absolutely! I often joke that my dd would take classes in mudpie-making if they were available But a free-form art class sounds fantastic.

-Angela

[midnightwriter]

Absolutely! If it wasn't insanely early, like our local homeschooling art class (to which I still bring the kids, but every time I curse myself and swear that I will never ever do this again )

[deditus]

Definitely. I have a wide variety of art supplies at home, but I don't have room/$ to offer dd every.single. medium to dabble in. And ya know what, even though I love art sometimes classes are just a good break so I don't get burnt out.

[TEAK's Mom]

We would absolutely love an opportunity like you are offering.

[phathui5]

We would do it for at least 2-3 of the kids.

[tallulahma]

my dd1 would love something like this.

I am also an artist and have every possible art supply imaginable at home... but an opportunity to create in the environment you described- without me or her siblings? oh yes. she would LOVE it.

[briansmama]

We'd sign up for this too if it were offered in our area. Especially if the classes were offered in a session as opposed to an on-going monthly expense, like the art classes for homeschoolers we have in our area. The artist who offers the class here is amazing, I've heard, but she only offers it as an on-going option, with a large monthly bill. If you drop out, another child can take the place and you'd have to wait to get back in.

My dc would love something like this, but we've found that they like to try lots of different things, so it may be a 6-week art session followed by a different enrichment activity, followed by another art class session the next semester.

In other words, we wouldn't want a long-term committment but we would do a few sessions per year.

[AAK]

Absolutely! My dd loves art. I do provide a ton of materials, but ther are some that I just can't. Also, if she has questions about usage--I have limited knowledge. I think this would be an incredible homeschool opportunity. I would want to be able to drop her off though OR be able to enroll all my ages at the same time.

Oh, and cost would be a consideration but most importantly I would want "ART" supplies available with a knowledgeable person vs tons of "CRAFT" supplies. The craft supply thing would be great for the under 6 crowd but my older kids really want to use "real" stuff now and then. Pom poms, pipecleaners, etc can still be there but I would want both chalk and oil pastels, real watercolors, nicer brushes, charcoal pencils, watercolor pencils, maybe pen and ink stuff, and decent paper.

On the cost side of things, I know that some kids will just fly through paper and with the nice stuff it would get expensive. So, unless you have a great way for dealing with this already. . . I would be willing to either buy my kid a pad of watercolor paper for class OR be willing to let child know that they would be limited to x sheets per visit. That if they are wanting to just mess around, to use scraps or lesser quality until they know what they want to do.

amy

[bobandjess99]

I **DO** pay for something like this

We have an art open studio here, and it's dd's FAVORITE thing in the world right now.

We have some stuff at home, but with a human-cyclone of a toddler brother, we can't do a lot of art, and CERTAINLY can't leave the materials out for open use....so she gets to do very little art here at home.

One of the things we like the BEST about local open studio is that..it's open. You buy a punchcard, and you can go in during ANY session, which are held from 4:30-5:30 daily. (im not a huge fan of the time, but it's setup for schooled kids to be able to go, not just HSer's) The great thing is...not a cent of my money gets "wasted". With scheduled classes, it seems like we miss at LEAST one class per session, which stinks. Like, for example..dd just spent the entire week at grammas house...to do so, she had to miss a scheduled dance class, and that's just money and opportunity down the drain. BUT....even though she didn't go to art this week, we didn't LOSE anything!!! She still has the same amount of punches on her card as she did when she left Plus, with winter coming up, we are almost certain to be sick for a regularly scheduled class time, so it'll be great to be able to just stay home if she is sick, or the weather is crappy, instead of feeling like we need to GO just to get our moneys worth. Especially with the homeschooling community, who tends to use travel as a teaching tool, missing classes tends to be an issue.

Anyway..they get to use all sorts of materials, different types of paints, etc, plus the teacher does teach a little about color and technique, perspective, etc.

We pay $55 for a punchcard with 8 sessions on it, which if you go 1 time per week would be 2 months worth, so it's a reasonable price. We live in the midwest, COL is pretty low, and many people are making do on very tight budgets, so expensive classes are not the norm. The Art Museum offers art classes for kids as well, but at $150+ per session, that's way too steep for most families. The session is 1 hour long. Once the kids reach age 8, the price goes up to $100 per punchcard, but the studio is longer, an hour and a half.

Depending on the size of your local HS community, I'd possibly try to set it up so that schooled kids could attend some of the sessions?

To be honest, I am VERY grateful we have this opportunity..it's really brought my shy 6 yo out of her shell. She the type who will cry and literally hide behind my skirts, and insists I go with her to dance class, etc...has a lot of issues separating...but art class? She literally hops out of the car, by herself, running towards class, punchcard in hand, yelling behind her "don't come back too early mom, try to be LATE this time." LOL.

[deditus]

Originally Posted by bobandjess99

We pay $55 for a punchcard with 8 sessions on it, which if you go 1 time per week would be 2 months worth, so it's a reasonable price. We live in the midwest, COL is pretty low, and many people are making do on very tight budgets, so expensive classes are not the norm. The Art Museum offers art classes for kids as well, but at $150+ per session, that's way too steep for most families. The session is 1 hour long. Once the kids reach age 8, the price goes up to $100 per punchcard, but the studio is longer, an hour and a half.

Wow that is good deal. I feel like I am getting a bargain if I can find ANY class for under $10/session. Most are more like $15-20. Apparently metro areas in the midwest have a great deal higher COL, lol!

[zebra15]

I saw your other thread but since I started here last night I thought I would keep going here...
The studio DS went to was $30 for a 90 mins class. She has lots of things for the kids to do, Glass painting, mosasic stuff, silk painting, she can teach drawing (ds isnt interested in that) etc... It was interesting for Ds but honestly I'm hesitant to go back for fear she is going to boot me to the door again. LOL

[ancoda]

They had something similar to this in Portland when we were there and it was quite popular. So yes I would take my kids to it if it was offered around here.