Where art leads, learning follows.

The Art Makes Me Smart Membership is a resource library packed with art-first learning designed to bring science, history, math, geography, and more to life — through creativity, wonder, and the kind of moments your family will remember.

  • Kid sitting at dark wood table with a claude monet painting of water and lily pads on it. The kid is drawing a replica of this painting with a paint palette and paint tray and jar of water and art makes me smart claude monet artist study next to her. On a wooden stand is a claude monet art makes me smart spiral packet.
    Monet Artist Study
  • Kid drawing Statue of Liberty painting. The drawing is the statue of liberty from her chest up. She is painted in with light green watercolor with darker green for shading. The background is a blue color. The outline of the statue of liberty is black pastel. This is drawn on a dark wood table with watercolor palette, colored markers in a basket, containers full of colored pencils and colored markers, black sharpie pen, and paint palette.
    New York – Road Trip Around America
  • A child is painting an elephant on a red background. The elephant is a light grey color with traditional Thai decorations on the elephant's trunk, tusks, head, neck, and body. The decorations are pink, green, blue, yellow, purple, orange, colors. In the red background are little red suns. Next to this painting is a paint palette, a glue stick, various markers, a jar of water, and scissors.
    Thailand Elephant – Around the World
  • Child painting a blue whale on watercolor paper on a brown wood table. Also on the table is an outline of a whale, pencils, paintbrushes, rulers, books, pages with text and pictures, and a jar of water with a paintbrush in it.
    Whale Watercolor Unit Study
  • On a dark wood table is a boy drawing on a brown paper rectangle. On the rectangle is designs of Egyptian symbols of white birds, light green zig zags, and red swirls all inside of of a drawing of a blue oval shaped stand. Next to this is another brown paper rectangle. Drawn on this are symbols of a blue snake, two round green sticks, and two red fox looking animals. These are also surrounded by a drawn oval shaped stand that is yellow. Next to these is white school glue, a paint palette, a mini egyptian flag, scissors, a jar of water, and an Egypt packet.
    Egyptian Cartouche – Around the World
  • Boy drawing on painting of a rock surface with indigenous inspired symbols of turtles, birds, fish, deer, and other symbols. The rock surface is a grey and orange watercolor with texture on it. The pastel symbols are black and red. Next to this painting is pastel crayons, paintbrushes, watercolor paint palette, tape, a jar of water, and a Montana packet
    Montana – Road Trip Around America
  • Two boys wearing handmade South African style masks with one boy peeking out of mask and smiling. One mask with bright yellow, red, green, brown, pink, and white colors on a black background and the other mask of the boy peeking out with red, green, yellow, and orange bright colors on a brown background. Behind the boys is a banner of hand drawn international flags hung up on the wall.
    African Zulu Masks – Around the World
  • Dark wood table rainbow watercolor quilt star at the top saying by hadley that is also in rainbow colors. Also on the table is a tin of paintbrushes, a paper towel, more paintbrushes, a paper with color and watercolor technique information, a laptop, a dirty jar of paint water, and a watercolor palette. A child in a red shirt is copying the rainbow quilt star watercolor on another page
    Colors Course Project
  • Kid watercoloring natural arch with orange color. In the background is white, blue, and brown mountains. In the sky is teal blue watercolor. This is being painted on a wood table with a watercolor palette, a jar of water, a container of colored markers, a tray of markers and pencils and paintbrushes, and a utah packet
    Utah’s Delicate Arch – Road Trip Around America
  • On a dark wood table a girl is drawing on a design that has a blue paper background with a drawn on woman in an old french aristocratic dress wearing earrings. She is shown from her shoulders up taking over most of the paper. She also has lots of paper scrolls glued on for her wig. Next to her is a design that has an orange paper background with a drawn man in old french aristocratic clothing shown from his chest up also taking over most of the paper with glued on white paper scrolls for his wig. Next to the designs on the table are strips of white paper, scissors, a glue stick, a mini French flag, and a pastel crayon pallet.
    French Powdered Wig – Around the World

The Art Makes Me Smart Membership

When children create, something beautiful happens — they engage their hearts and their minds. That’s when learning truly takes root. At Lily & Thistle, that belief shapes everything we do.

The Art Makes Me Smart Membership is more than art lessons. It’s the thread that ties everything together.

Start with art, and watch what happens. Science comes alive. History gets personal. Math makes sense. Even the hard days start to feel like they matter.

join the membership now

What’s Inside?

Join 1,300 families who have made art-first learning part of their homeschool using the Art Makes Me Smart Membership. Enroll today to get your discount for 20% off any recurring membership, just for Gentle + Classical families.

Unit Studies

With over 50 unit studies covering subjects like Animals & Insects, Holidays, Plants and more, you’ll find something that everyone will enjoy. Each study includes a learning guide, STEM activities, recipes, a guided art tutorial, curated book lists and more!

  • Animals and Insects: Includes 21 studies on animals and insects like Flamingos, Rabbits, Frogs, Mice, Beetles, Butterflies, Crabs, and more!
  • Fruits and Vegetables: Includes 5 studies on subjects like Apples, Pumpkins, Watermelon and more!
  • Seasons and Holidays: Includes 18 studies on popular topics like Spring Equinox, Moon Phases, Easter and Christmas, Thanksgiving, Turkeys, and more!
  • Plants and Flowers: 21 studies on plants and flowers like Acorns, Cactus, Daffodils, Magnolias, Wildflowers and more!

Music Connection

Music becomes more than background noise. With simple, hands-on activities and guided listening, kids begin to notice rhythm, sound, and expression in a way that feels natural and fun. Children will create their own song, learn about instruments and more.

  • Timeline and Curriculum Guide
  • The History of Music
  • Active vs. Passive Listening
  • Parts of a Song
  • How Music Affects Emotion
  • Song Lab
  • Parts of an Orchestra
  • Classic and Modern Instruments

Math

Inside the Math and Art Connection we connect art with math, providing a visual and creative pathway into math. Through symmetry, patterns, and design, children engage with mathematical concepts in a way that deepens understanding.

  • 2D and 3D Shapes
  • Drawing Optical Illusions
  • Pythagorean Theorem (Triangles and Angles)
  • Perspective in Landscapes
  • Patterns and Euclid’s Hexagons
  • Grids & Graphing
  • Fibonacci Sequence
  • Ratios and Angles
  • Measuring Basics

Composer Studies

Music becomes more meaningful when kids know the stories behind it. Our composer studies help children explore famous composers through listening and simple, creative activities—making classical music feel approachable and enjoyable.

  • Hildegard von Bingen
  • Josquin des Prez
  • Antonio Vivaldi
  • Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchiakovsky
  • Frederic Chopin
  • Elizabeth Cotten
  • John Williams
  • Robert and Richard Sherman

Anatomy Adventures

Anatomy Adventures makes it simple to teach the human body in your homeschool. With open-and-go lessons and hands-on activities, kids can explore anatomy in a way that’s both meaningful and manageable. Includes all the human body systems!

  • Circulatory System
  • Digestive System
  • Endocrine System
  • Immune System
  • Integumentary System
  • Muscular System
  • Nervous System
  • Reproductive System
  • Respiratory System
  • Skeletal System
  • Urinary System

Sensory Adventures

Sensory Adventures invites kids to explore the world through their five senses. With hands-on activities and simple lessons, children discover how they experience the world in a way that feels playful and meaningful, and of course…with art!

  • The Sense of Hearing
  • The Sense of Taste
  • The Sense of Smell
  • The Sense of Sight
  • The Sense of Touch

Nature Studies

Nature Studies makes outdoor learning simple. With nature journaling, bird studies, crafts, and more, kids can explore, observe, and create—all in a way that fits naturally into your homeschool rhythm.

  • Backyard Birds (Study Guide and 12 watercolor tutorials)
  • Birding 101 (Including Introduction to Bird Identification, Birding By Ear, Sketching Birds in the Field)
  • Nature E-book
  • Printable Nature Journal
  • Creating a Sit Spot
  • Sound Maps and Spectrograms
  • Building Homes in Nature: Fairy House, Brush Pile, and Toad Adobe
  • Insect Hotel
  • Making a Birdfeeder
  • Animal Track Molds
  • Setting Up a Moth Sheet
  • How to Respect Nature
  • Simple Ways to Help the Environment
  • Snakes, Insects, and Spiders
  • What If I Find an Animal That Needs Help?

Imaginative Play

Imaginative Play makes it easy to add creativity to your day. With simple story scenes inspired by popular nursery rhymes, kids can engage in open-ended play that builds language, imagination, and confidence.

  • Paper Doll Camp – 7 days of creating your own paper dolls
  • Paper Dolls (hundreds of dolls and outfits including Girls Around the World, Girls in Literature, Boys in Literature, Century of Fashion, Girls in Sports, Boy Bundle, Seasons Bundle and the Paper Dolls Coloring Book)
  • Hey Diddle Diddle
  • Hickory, Dickory, Dock
  • Humpty Dumpty
  • I’m a Little Teapot
  • Itsy Bitsy Spider
  • Little Bo Peep
  • Little Jack Horner
  • Little Miss Muffett
  • Old Macdonald Had a Farm
  • Three Blind Mice
  • Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Around the World

Around the World helps kids explore different countries and cultures in a simple, engaging way. Through hands-on activities and creative learning, children discover how people live around the globe.

  • Egypt
  • Madagascar
  • South Africa
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • Thailand
  • Turkey
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • The Netherlands
  • Portugal
  • Russia
  • Scandinavia
  • Spain
  • United Kingdom
  • Argentina
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Mexico
  • Australia
  • Polynesia

Discover Artists

Discover Artist Studies introduces kids to well-known artists in a way that feels creative and approachable. Through simple activities and exploration, children learn about different styles while creating their own art.

  • Vincent van Gogh
  • Carl Larsson
  • Beatrix Potter
  • Leonardo da Vinci
  • Mary Cassatt
  • Currier and Ives
  • Henri Matisse
  • Claude Monet
  • William and May Morris
  • Pablo Picasso
  • Henri Rousseau
  • Johannes Vermeer

Art Classes

Our Art Classes bring structured creativity into your homeschool. With beginner-friendly watercolor lessons, a hands-on Colors Course, and more, kids can learn new skills while enjoying the process of creating.

  • Colors Course
  • Watercolor for Beginners
  • Introduction to Landscapes
  • Drawing Nature
  • Modern Watercolor Basics
  • Loose Florals
  • Christmas Cards and art projects
  • Additionally, Over 60 Watercolor Tutorials included in Unit Studies

United States Study

Take your homeschool on a journey across the United States. Roadtrip Around America invites kids to explore each state through creative, hands-on learning that makes geography feel meaningful and memorable.

  • Travel through all 50 states with meaningful art projects
  • Learn about famous landmarks and people from each state
  • Map work
  • Get a taste of each state with delicious recipes
  • Conduct experiments with STEM activities relative to the state
  • A bonus study on our nation’s capital, Washington D.C.

Some of the best homeschool days begin with something simple: pulling out the art supplies, gathering around the table, and creating together. That’s where connection grows and learning comes to life.

Hannah Stevenson, Founder of Lily and Thistle and Art Makes Me Smart

Join now for a special rate

As a Gentle + Classical Press family, you’ve been given an exclusive discount on the Art Makes Me Smart Membership. This is your invitation to step inside.

Monthly

$40 $32

Renews every month

Flexible access for your family, cancel anytime.

Enroll Monthly

Quarterly

$114 $92

Renews every 3 months

Save $2 per month and renew every quarter

ENroll Quarterly

yearly

$400 $320

Renews annually

Save the cost of 2 months with this deal!

Enroll yearly
All plans automatically renew. See terms and conditions at checkout.

What Our Current Members are Saying…

  • I’m so glad I introduced this!

    Art is not something I consider myself talented in, so it’s been one of those more intimidating subjects to approach as a teacher.

    But the way home education works is the parents don’t have to be experts in everything. We can bring the experts to our children.

    I’m so glad I didn’t let my insecurities get in the way of introducing this into the family.
    Girl sitting at table coloring in celtic knot that is shaped like a heart. She is coloring it blue and purple. At the bottom of the heart are the words eternal love. On the table is a pencil palettes, and colored markers
    Rachel
    AMMS Member

  • Great addition to Geography!

    One of my favorite parts of Geography that we have started incorporating this year is Art Makes Me Smart. The art projects are an amazing way to learn about the countries we are studying and the curriculum also includes videos, facts, book lists and recipes as well.
    A painting of a lemur facing forward with a background of orange and pink fruits as well as light green leaves. The overall background color behind these is dark green. The lemur is painted with black, white, and grey colors and bright yellow eyes. Its tail is curving over its head. THis painting is being painted by a child's hand on a dark wood table with a paint palette next to it. There are also paintbrushes, a jar of water, and a paint tube.
    Krystal
    AMMS Member

  • The push we needed!

    I am really loving our homeschool days lately. For the first time ever we have a weekly slot for art! While I myself am crafty, I am not really a crafty mama. This has been the push I needed to make sure it happens.
    Girl watercoloring sunflower on dark wood table. Next to her are real sunflowers, an art makes me smart sunflower watercolor packet, jar of yellow watercolor water, and various pages from the art makes me smart packet.
    Heather
    AMMS Member

Free Gift For You

10 Ways Art Leads to a Happier Home

Our founder, Hannah Stevenson, wrote this guide to help homeschooling moms feel confident bringing more art into their days—without overwhelm, guilt, or the pressure to be “good at art” themselves. It’s a gentle, encouraging read from someone who has walked this journey firsthand and discovered how creativity can transform learning, connection, and the homeschool rhythm as a whole.

  • In the middle of a graphic is a photo of five kids sitting at wood table doing anatomy art projects. There is a cup full of pencils, a glue stick, a box of pastels, watercolor palettes, paintbrushes, drawn anatomy reference pictures, Around the World packet, pictures of hand drawn anatomy pictures in front of the kids. On the outside of this photo is a white background with watercolor circles fading in from the sides. At the top is a bold all caps text saying art makes me smart in various colors. Under this in blue swirly text it says 10 ways art leads to a happier home with small yellow ray graphic over the 10. Under the original photo in black text it says a gentle reminder that creativity is the core of connection and the foundation of joy. At the very bottom of this graphic is light blue in all text words saying artmakesmesmart.com
  • A wooden table with a art makes me smart paper booklet that has a self portrait of vincent van gogh on the cover. Next to this booklet is a printed out image of a vincent van gogh painting of sunflowers in a glass vase on a wooden table. In front of both of these is a hand drawn replica of the sunflower painting on a small canvas with pastel chalk. Also on the table are various colors of pastel chalk
  • A boy is drawing with a black pastel marker on a horizontal piece of paper. In the middle of this paper is a black outlined turtle with a thick butterfly shape in the middle and triangles on the side. The shell is bordered with little squares. The shapes on the turtle stay white and the rest is filled in with an orange brown color. Around the turtle are black swirls with orange brown rays coming out of it. The border of this paper is triangles that are brown and orange color with black lines and dots. This paper is on a dark wood table with a pencil, a orange brown pastel, and light brown pastel next to it. There is also a Polynesia paper on the table.
  • A kid's hand is coloring a thick paper tube with blue background and green, red, and yellow shapes and patterns. On the end is more paper with various colors of thin stripes held in place by rubber bands. Next to it is another paper tube made of red paper with yellow, blue, red, and light green designs and shapes painted on it. The ends also have pieces of paper held on by rubber bands. These pieces of paper are green with red shapes colored on. Next to these paper tubes is a paint palette, a jar of water, a mini brazil flag, and a brazil packet.
  • Boy drawing redwood trees from the view of looking up from the bottom. The tree trunks start large and then become smaller. The background is a blue watercolor color and the trees are light brown and the leaves are green. The outline of the bark and the leaves is dark brown, red brown, light green, and dark green. This is done on a dark wood table with pastel crayons, paintbrushes, watercolor palette, jar of water, tape, and art makes me smart california packet next to it.
  • Art Makes Me Smart leonardo da vinci packet with picture of the Mona Lisa and a picture of da vinci's last supper and information page talking about Leonardo da Vinci next to it. These are sitting on dark wood table with watercolor palette next to it and a paintbrush.
  • Kid watercoloring presidents on mount rushmore that have the mountain as grey and the sky as light blue. with white clouds. The outline of the presidents is drawn with grey pastel. This is on a wood table with a watercolor palette, a sharpie pen, pastel crayons, a small paintbrush, a tray of markers and pencils and paintbrushes, and a container of colored pencils.
  • On a dark wood table there are two similar dot paintings of the eiffel tower one being worked on by a girl with a paintbrush. Both paintings have an outline of the eiffel tower drawn with dots closer together and then have the colors filled in with wider spread dots of various colors. Within the tower is dots of orange and yellow. Outside the sky has dots of light and dark blue colors with white clouds hovering over. The ground has dark green outlining the top and light green filling in the bottom. The second painting also has orange dots in the ground representing flowers in the grass. On the side of the paintings is a paint palette, a jar of water, a stack of papers, and a mini France flag.
  • On a dark wood table, a girl is drawing an underwater scene with pink coral, red coral, long flowy leaf like plant, yellow pineapple, yellow starfish, and blue jellyfish in watercolor. These watercolors are outlined with blue, orange, and green pastel as well as branch like plants and a pebble ground solely drawn from orange, dark red, and blue pastel. This is over a wash of blue and pink watercolor. Next to her is a paintbrush, a pastel palette, a watercolor palette, a jar of water, and a stack of papers

Stay up to date with all the latest NEWS FROM THE MEMBERSHIP and Get Your Free Gift: 10 Ways Art Makes a Happier Home