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We’re so glad you’re here!

We’re excited to travel to Ireland with you through this free preview from Around the World, one of our signature courses inside the Art Makes Me Smart Membership.

  • 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
  • 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.
  • Kid's hands drawing on watercolor painting of blue and purple blending colors. The kid is drawing a spiral. This is on a wood table with a watercolor palette, a jar of water with a paintbrush, multiple paintbrushes, a image of the galaxy with a spiral over it, art makes me smart fibonacci gold spiral bound packet and a pencil
  • A Turkish rug is being painted. The main color of the rug is red with swirlies, suns, cross shapes, and dots on the inside in colors of light yellow, light green, pink, light blue, dark blue, and white. In the center of the rug is a blue round diamond shape with a light sun in the middle and other dots and colors to decorate the inside and edges of the shape. The border has tiles with light blue, light gree, yellow, and dark green with dots in the middle of each tile. On the table is a paint palette, a pastel palette, markers, and a jar of water.
  • An anatomy of a butterfly watercolor image. The butterfly is black, yellow, blue, and red. The anatomy image is sitting at a dark wood table and next to the image on a clipboard is an image of a watercolor vase of flowers and a butterfly on it. Next to these are also a pastel palette, a pencil, scissors, a cup of colored pencils, a watercolor palette, a book with pictures of butterflies and information about butterflies and an Art makes me smart butterfly booklet.
  • 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.
  • A boy and a girl in front of a window. Taped on the window is two papers together. The paper on the right is of a drawing of a wooden old grandfather clock with with golden numbers on a wood floor with a wall that has swirls on it. The paper next to it is a extension of the background wood floor with the wall and swirlies on the wall. The two kids have mouse drawings cut out and taped onto pencils and are holding the mice over the grandfather clock paper
  • Dark wood table that has art makes me smart beatrix potter unit study cover with a photograph of beatrix potter on it. Next to this is an outline of a Beatrix Potter painting of two mice hiding behind a sugar cup on a shelf. One mouse is wearing a white dress with a white hat, the other has a small hat on it. Parts of it are colored in with pencil. Next to this is the same painting but with color. This one is the original. Also on the table is a tea cup with a orange drink in it, a cup with colored pencils, a book that has beatrix potter illustrations on the top, a glass vase with flowers in it, two tea pots with flower designs on them and another beatrix potter original illustration that has a mouse on a white and pink fabric with flowers on the fabric.
  • 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.
  • A girl sitting at a dark brown wood table drawing on a paper that has a watercolor thistle branch on it and she is writing on labels next to it. Also on the table is a booklet titled with rainbow bold art makes me smart text in all caps with the same watercolor thistle. Also on the table is a clipboard with a painting of thistles and butterflies, a jar of water, a watercolor palette, paint tubes, and tin cups filled with colored pencils and colored markers
  • 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.
  • A kid is watercoloring a light green and blue background for a pastel stain glass maple leaf design on a dark wood table. In the maple leaf is red and orange watercolor. On the table is a Canada packet, a mini Canada flag, and a watercolor palette.

The Art Makes Me Smart Membership

At Lily & Thistle, we believe creativity is one of the most powerful ways to help children connect to what they’re learning. When kids create, they engage their hearts as well as their minds, and that’s when learning truly takes root.

These studies offer a glimpse into our art-first approach, where painting, music, and meaningful exploration come together to support your homeschool rhythm. They pair beautifully with the curriculum you’re already using and create space for connection, reflection, and creativity around your table.

Included in this free preview is a full study from Around the World—one of the signature courses inside the Art Makes Me Smart Membership. Around the World features 25 country studies and 50 hands-on art projects designed to make geography come alive.

This free preview gives you access to the complete Ireland Unit Study, so you can experience art-first learning in action.

Ready to Get Started?

Download the Study

Download the full study guide to access step-by-step instructions, printable templates, Ireland’s rich history, curated book lists, recipes, and more. Then, when you’re ready to complete your projects, follow along with the videos below.

Download the study

Celtic Knots

In this project, children will explore the beautiful, intricate designs of traditional Celtic knots, symbols often representing eternity, connection, and unity. As they carefully trace and weave their lines, they’ll discover the mathematical rhythm and repeating patterns that make these designs so timeless.

This hands-on activity is a wonderful way to blend art, history, and design while strengthening focus and fine motor skills. Encourage your children to experiment with color patterns and symmetry as they bring their knot to life.

Supplies Needed:

  • Card stock paper
  • Colored pencils
  • Markers

Potato Stamps

This hands-on project connects students to an important chapter in Ireland’s history—the Great Potato Famine. As you create simple potato stamps together, take time to discuss how the potato shaped daily life and how the famine deeply impacted Irish families.

Children can carve basic designs into halved potatoes (with adult help), dip them in paint, and stamp patterns onto cardstock or blank tea towels—blending history, creativity, and meaningful reflection.

Supplies Needed:

  • Card stock paper
  • Blank tea towels
  • Potato
  • Large paper clips
  • Acrylic paint
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  • A boy sitting at a dark wood table drawing a red table in a room with part yellow walls. He is referencing a printed out carl larsson painting that has a boy in a striped blue shirt sitting at a red desk in a red chair. The room the boy is sitting in has yellow walls with a green dresser and white curtains with a mustard yellow floor. The curtains have a vase of flowers in front of them. On the wall is a self portrait of carl larsson. Also on the wall are two other paintings and a small cuckoo clock. Also on the dark wood table that this painting is on top of are scissors, erasure, ruler, watercolor palette, a white plastic container of chalk pastels, and a paper towel
  • 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
  • Boy painting on watercolor of the anatomy of an organ. He is doing this on a dark wood table. Next to the organ watercolor is a Anatomy of the Digestive system paper, a reference organ page for the organ that the boy is drawing, a art makes me smart anatomy adventures booklet, a pencil, a sharpie pen, a plastic container with chalk pastels in it, watercolor palette, a jar of red paint water with paintbrushes, a tin cup, a crumpled paper towel with paint on its edges.
  • 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.
  • A printed out vincent van gogh's starry night sky with a child's ahnds replicating it on a smaller canvas with chalk pastel. This is on a dark wood table with a watercolor palette and a white chalk pastel.
  • Girl sitting in front of green tall grass with a book that has a page with graphic outlines of various insects and another page with graphic outlines of butterflies. The girl is wearing a blue dress

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