Home Art Studio Setup for Kids

“An ideal Montessori environment looks and feels like a combination of a home, a library, a science laboratory, and an art studio.”

– Letty Rising

Are you interested in creating a home art studio setup for your preschool or kindergarten learning environment? I've shared a look at our pre-k & kindergarten curriculum resources as well as our preschool and kindergarten homeschool room. Today, I’d like to show you our home art studio setup for kids. 

This setup will nurture independence and creativity for the preschool through elementary years.

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What Materials Are Included in a Home Art Studio?

This home art studio setup includes art materials as well as some Montessori homeschool language materials that help to develop the hands in preparation for writing. It also includes a little bit of math and plenty of nature. This makes for a nice variety of topics to enjoy as kids practice their art and handwriting skills.

When starting out with toddlers or preschoolers, less is definitely more. We have found that slowly adding materials over time and rotating items such as printables keeps this area engaging without being overwhelming.

Wondering What To Do With Children's Artwork?

Our kids hang some of it using washi tape. They will tape it to the windows or doors. I like to hang some of it as well. Artwork tends to accumulate quickly around our art materials so I usually do a weekly collection and sort of what's not already hanging.

I keep pieces that showcase what they've been learning about or if it holds special meaning to them. The work I keep is stored alongside other homeschool materials.

Free Pre-K & Kindergarten Homeschool Course

Would you like to learn more about how to homeschool your preschooler or kindergartener the Montessori way?

This 8-week course will provide parents and caregivers with a no-nonsense approach to homeschooling. You will learn how to homeschool using hands-on, child-centered, and diverse learning experiences.

This course covers ALL the relevant subjects. You'll receive information and insight that will help you identify what is best for your child. You'll also be introduced to plenty of free resources along the way.

Most importantly, you will walk away with the tools and resources you need to confidently begin your own homeschooling journey.

Home Art Studio Setup for Kids

Our kids are doing most of their art and handwriting work in the living area. As a result, we provide a large work surface, along with materials and storage that are simple to use and then conveniently store for the next activity. You will find more on this leaf painting in the story of earth.

Work Table

We use a large Montessori work table from Sprout Kids now that we have four children participating in various ways.  Our oldest also engages in some bigger project-type work and she likes having a large workspace for that purpose. 

The table is beautiful and it grows with your kids.  We use it for much more than art and handwriting and have found that it comes in handy anytime we need a large work surface. I found out about this gem and the sweet discount that came with it at The Kavanaugh Report’s Elementary Must-Haves.

Art Cabinet

This Ikea Alex Drawer Unit houses the art and handwriting materials.  It’s really durable and our kids grab the individual trays (purchased separately) they want or push the entire cabinet around to wherever they’re working.  When they’re done they can push it back to the nook where it lives.

Our kids use their Art and Handwriting materials every single day.  Here’s a look at what’s inside now:

Drawer 1

• Washi tape, separated by pattern
• Safety Scissors
• Paintbrushes
• Stockmar Watercolor Paints
• Lyra Waldorf and Skin Tone Colored Pencils
• Stabilo 3-in-1 Crayons

I would highly recommend all of these items for multi-age environments.  They’re all perfect for small hands and the paints, pencils, and 3-in-1 crayons last a long time.  No broken crayons or pencils, peeled crayon paper mess, or lost crayons. 

The washi tape is great for decorating everything and they also use it to hang their completed work.

I keep a replacement pack of pencils and replace the colors as they’re used up.  Also, I keep a few duplicate colors of the crayons in the tray and an extra tray in the drawer in case anyone wants to work separately. 

When using the Stockmar watercolors, I don’t provide a separate paint set for each child.  Our kids each pick a few colors and they share the palette they’ve created.  That works well for us.

Drawer 2

• Watercolor paper
• Variety of construction paper
• Different Differenter
• Feelings and Dealings:  Color My Emotions
• Little Engineer Construction Trucks Coloring Book

We rotate these out based on the season and their interests.  Different Differenter is part of our Anti-Bias Multicultural Education Curriculum resources.  If you’re not familiar with it and would like to learn more about Anti-Bias Education, this course by ABAR teacher-educator Britt Hawthorne is also a great place to start.

Here our kids are using their art materials to complete the skin tones activity from Different Differenter.

Drawer 3

• Montessori Metal Insets

The Montessori metal insets help strengthen the child's hand in preparation for handwriting. The metal insets are typically traced using a pencil, paper, and the insets tracing tray, as seen in the next drawer.

Our kids love taking these all out, lining them up on top of the drawer unit, and making unique designs using a combination of the insets and frames.  Very cool!

Drawer 4

• Metal Insets Tracing Tray
• Metal Insets Paper
• Additional Pencil Holder
• Spare Tray for Completed or In-Progress Work

Drawer 5

• Eraser
• Chalk
• Waseca Biomes Lined Chalkboard
• Montessori Bead Stamps

Save $15 on your first Waseca Biomes purchase.

Still keeping the chalk for the chalkboard and the stamp pad for the bead stamps separate now that our youngest is using some of the drawers in this unit.

The bead stamps are an excellent way to connect math and art. Kids can create their own golden beads units, tens, and hundred squares, or their own colored bead bars using these stamps.

Drawer 6

• Teasures From Jennifer Wooden Craft Boards
• Air Dry Clay (not pictured)

We have three boards altogether now and we like having them for art projects and to protect the surfaces in our home.

We especially like the grooved perimeter of the board. It comes in handy for holding small items or preventing liquids from overflowing onto the surface underneath.

The air-dry clay is stored elsewhere and is perfect for creating sculptures and other DIY projects using the craft boards. Our kids especially enjoy making their own fossils and animal tracks with clay.

Drawing and Handwriting Course Materials

• Draw.Write.Now. Handwriting Course for Kids
• Erin Condren Kids Handwriting Story Notebook

 Save $10 off your first Erin Condren purchase

Draw.Write.Now. is a great way for our oldest 2 kids to extend their continent studies and art experiences at the same time.  It is Charlotte Mason-inspired and the self-correcting content makes them a great choice for us.

Our kids love these books and they love having their own uniquely designed story notebook with a compatible layout for Art followed by Handwriting.  We keep these items on a shelf near their work table and out of reach of our youngest.

These items, along with the Waseca Reading Program Blacklines that correlate with our kids' progression through the reading program, comprise our handwriting resources.  

Home Art Studio Art Appreciation

Our kids draw inspiration from a variety of sources when it comes to art appreciation. For example, these Mirus Toys Artist Studies Eggs each showcase a painting on one side with the title, artist, and year on the reverse. They make an excellent jumping-off point for elementary learners to research a variety of artists and paintings.

Books

Our kids also really enjoy using their books as inspiration for their artwork.  Here are some books that we recommend:

• Mesozoic Art: Dinosaurs and Other Ancient Animals in Art

Are your kids interested in paleontology, paleoart, or prehistoric worlds? We can't get enough of Mesozoic Art: Dinosaurs and Other Ancient Animals in Art.

Early Morning in Cretaceous Asia by Gabriel Ugueto is just one of the many breathtaking pieces you'll find in this collaborative collection of artwork.

Panty Cave by Joschua Knüppe is another stunning example of the paleoart found inside Mesozoic Art.

• Drawn Together

This is a heartwarming story about a boy, his grandfather, and the common ground they find that allows them to overcome a language barrier and bond over shared interests.

• A Garden in My Hands

A sweet story about family, memories, & the art of storytelling with henna. There are even designs for kids to practice on their own.

Lots of learning opportunities with this gorgeous picture book.

• Call Me Tree/Llámame Árbol

Call Me Tree/Llámame Árbol by Maya Christina Gonzalez is another source of art inspiration for our kids. Our youngest daughter especially loves the end of this book with the child standing in front of this tall 2-page tree, embracing strength and freedom.

This book and My Colors, My World: Mis Colores, Mi Mundo, another dual language book by Maya Christina Gonzalez, are excellent choices for inspiring creativity.

• Nature Anatomy

Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman is a must-have book for exploring art and nature. Kids can learn all about the features and anatomy of the natural world.

This book is one of four in a series, with each one diving into a different aspect of our world.

• Animalium: Welcome to the Museum

Animalium is one of many books in the Welcome to the Museum Series that contain gorgeous illustrations sure to inspire the young artist in your family.

This large book allows kids to explore the animal kingdom through the beautiful artwork of Katie Scott. The illustration on the page to the right accompanies a section about rainforest habitats.

We especially like Animalium and the other books in this series because they're big enough for us to sit around and enjoy together.

• The Arts:  A Visual Encyclopedia

The Arts: A Visual Encyclopedia is an excellent resource for learning about the history of art as well as various art forms such as painting, sculpture, photography, music, and dance.

This book is a comprehensive resource with more than 290 pages of text and images, as well as a glossary and index at the back. If you're looking for a resource that's visually engaging and will also support independent research, this is a good one to have on your kid's bookshelf.

This section of The Arts: A Visual Encyclopedia provides examples and descriptions of Early Islamic art.

In this section of The Arts, readers will learn about jazz music, from early influences to modern trends.

For more Art inspiration, check out the books in our shop’s Art collection.

Spielgaben Art

Our kids have been using the Spielgaben and included Nature Inspiration Cards a lot for creating.  Sometimes they imitate the cards and other times they make their own unique works of art.

If you're looking for opportunities to combine art with geometry, this is the resource for you.

Art and Practical Life

Would you like to combine art with practical life experiences such as cooking? Grab your free kid-friendly pork and shrimp shumai printable recipe above.

Children can gather ingredients using the ingredient list, gather equipment using the equipment list, and prepare the meal using the step-by-step recipe cards, with assistance as needed. The cards are easy to use, they include pictures, and they encourage confidence and independence in the kitchen.

Wall Art

These large paleoart prints on canvas by Gabriel Ugueto add beauty and art inspiration to this home art studio and practical life workspace. This is one of our favorite places to create.

Home Art Studio Setup Summary

We hope you've enjoyed seeing our art studio setup for kids.

A few additional art supplies are kept in the homeschool room, including an easel with chalk, sandpaper letters, and extra paper.

We hope you find this useful as you create a functional art studio setup for kids.

More Preschool Art

• Penguin Art
• Fall Leaf Painting

Thanks for stopping by!

- Kristin