Des Moines Art Center: A Free Homeschool Resource

Des Moines Art Center: A Free Homeschool Resource

The Des Moines Art Center is an amazing free resource for homeschooled families! There is so much to explore and so much to learn, way more than just art. Let me start by saying, that I’d known of the art center but was a little apprehensive to take my very loud, very active, very curious, and adventurous boys to an art museum. I had no idea how much they would enjoy it and how much we would LEARN! My 7-year-old is always moving and talking and waiting or being quiet is not a strength of his. However, what’s great about the art center is we could go at his pace, there was a lot to see and explore and the exhibits change often, so no two visits are exactly the same. 

Here are the highlights of the multidisciplinary topics we covered and questions to guide conversations with your child when you visit!

Self Control

The first thing we learned and practiced throughout our entire visit was self control. Each room of the art center has a security guard to make sure you don’t touch or get too close to the art exhibits. I was often reminding the kids to “take one step back”, “put your hands behind your back” and “the art is just for looking at, hands down”. By telling them exactly what to do, they were much more able to follow directions and give the art plenty of space. By our second visit, they needed very few reminders and knew exactly how to observe without getting too close.

Observational Skills and Reading

The art center is an excellent place to practice observational skills and reading to gather information. Each piece of art has a label that dictates the artist’s name, the name of the work, the artist’s birth year or lifespan, the materials used to create the art, the date the art was created, and the owner of the piece and year the art center added it to their collection. There were plenty of opportunities for my early reader to practice his skills because he was very curious about the names of the art and the materials used to create it. The best way to support observational skills is through guiding conversation with specific questions and dialogue such as:

• “What do you notice?”
• “What colors do you see?” 
• “I see…”
• “Look from the top all the way to the bottom”
• “The thing that catches my attention is…”
• “Are there any shapes or faces that stand out to you?”

Creative Thinking and Critical Thinking Skills

My favorite skills we practiced were our conversations that engaged creative thinking and critical thinking skills. I modeled and began with specific questions at the beginning of our visit and by the end, the children were engaging each other in conversation on their own! Here are some open-ended questions or conversation starters to get your child thinking creatively as they tour the art center.

• “What would you name it if you were the artist?”
• “How do you think this one was created?”
• “If you were to guess, what materials do you think this one is made out of?”
• “In this room, which piece stands out to you the most? Tell me why.”
• “How does this one make you feel?”
• “What does this remind you of?”
• “My favorite part of this piece is…”
• “I really like how the artist chose to…”
• “I wonder….”
• “If I were the artist, one thing I would do differently is…”
• “What message or feeling do you think the artist is trying to convey?”

Art History and Famous Artists

The more obvious topics that can be learned on a visit to the Des Moines Art Center are art history, names of famous artists and architects, common materials of art creation, and different types of art (paintings, sculptures, pottery, murals, photographs, film, etc.). My children were familiar with only a few famous artists before we went to the museum so we set out on a scavenger hunt to find a piece by Picasso. They were so excited when they finally found what they were looking for and in doing so also learned of many more artists. We even had a few geography conversations that I wasn’t expecting because each art label also includes the artist’s nationality or birth country. 

The Des Moines Art Center website has art listed by category, virtual tours, and activity guides and is filled with helpful information if you want to extend your learning at home before or after your visit. They have Entirely Kids Day events twice a year, the next one is March 15, 2025, and they have ongoing art creation classes for your aspiring artist! 

Free Learning Opportunity

Once again, this is a free learning opportunity available in our community. Since it is such a low-cost experience, you can go at your child’s pace, go often, or leave if your child is having a hard time (without feeling like you’ve invested so much that you have to push through). The art center is also located right on the beautiful Greenwood Park so there is plenty of space to run around and get fresh air before, during or after your visit!