Working With Clay

“Sculpture is the art of the intelligence. ”

— Pablo Picasso

Engaging young children in fine motor activities is essential to their development and school readiness.  It can, however, be difficult to get kids excited about typical paper and pen(cil) activities, especially when it is a challenge for the child.  Therefore, finding alternative ways to strengthen these muscles becomes imperative. Working with clay is a great activity to build these core skills.  Sculpting develops the small muscles in the hand which are used for pencil control.  Clay is the perfect way to secretly work on skills while also getting the creative juices flowing and letting the fun and sparkles fly at the same time. 

Below are 2 activities that my sister, a kindergarten teacher, completed with Maelle:

What You Need:

1. Air Dry Clay 
2. Paint - We used watercolour but you can also use tempera or acrylic paint 
3. Paint Brush
4. Mod Podge 
5. Play Dough Cutters/Tools 
6. Toothpick/Skewer - Any item to score the clay will work 
7. Rolling Pin 
8. Knife
9. Water
10. Glitter - This is optional but is always a fun addition that adds an extra dimension to the final product

Pinch Pots

Learning how to make a pinch pot leads to many possibilities for other projects.  Follow the steps below to create your very own pinch pot: 

How To:

1. Prepare your workspace
   • We worked on wax paper to ensure that the clay did not stick to any surfaces and made clean up hassle-free.
2. Tear off a piece of clay and roll it into a ball. 
   • For a pinch pot roughly the same size as ours, use a 5cm diameter ball. 
3. Press your thumb into the centre of the ball. 
4. Use your fingers to squeeze the sides of the pot together to form the edges of your dish.
   • Encourage pinching from the bottom upwards so that you don't end up with a thick base and thin top.
   • Do not let the sides become too thin or the pot won't hold its shape and break. 
   • Depending on the child's age, they may need support to ensure that the sides are even.  
   • Rotate the pot as necessary so they can get to all sides equally. 
5. Dip your finger in water and rub along the pot to smooth out creases. 
   • Do not use too much water; a wet finger is more than enough. 
6. Turn over the pot and tap it gently to level the top off.
7. Smooth all areas with a wet finger. 
   • Although we chose not to, you can use tools to add texture and design and then smooth out any rough spots.  
8. Let it dry until it is no longer cool to the touch. 
   • The drying time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your pot but do not rush the drying process.  Our pinch pots took 2 full days. 
   • Flip the pots over to make sure they dry thoroughly. 
9. Paint your creation.
   • For a softer effect use watercolours. 
   • You may need to use several coats of paint to achieve a deeper colour.
10. Let the paint dry. 
11. Add a top coat.
    • We used Mod Podge, but any glossy top coat will work.
    • If you would like to add glitter shake it onto the desired area over top of the mod podge and then complete another layer of top coat.
    • If using acrylic paint, you will not need a top coat as it dries with a shiny finish. 
12. Store unused clay in an airtight container. 

Slab Birds

How To:

1. Prepare your workspace
   • We worked on wax paper to ensure that the clay did not stick to any surfaces and made clean up hassle-free.
2. Tear off a piece of clay big enough for your bird. 
3. Roll the piece into a ball. 
4. Using a rolling pin, flatten the clay until it is roughly 5-10mm thick. 
5. Score the outline of a bird into your slab.
6. Cut the bird out using a knife.
7. Use small cookie cutters or playdough cutters to cut out shapes to use for wings.
8. Score the bird and the wing to "scratch attach" them together.
   • Use a toothpick to scratch the body of the bird and the wing where they will join.
   • Dip your finger in water to wet both of those surfaces and gently press them together. 
   • This technique will ensure that the wing is firmly attached once dry. 
9. Use a variety of tools to create textures and designs.
   • We used stamps to get the textured effect.
10. Poke a hole if you want to hang the bird as a decoration. 
11. Let it dry until it is no longer cool to the touch. 
    • The drying time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your bird but do not rush the drying process.  Our birds took 2 full days to dry.
    • Flip the birds over to make sure they dry thoroughly. 
12. Paint your creation.
    • For a softer effect use watercolours. 
    • You may need to use several coats of paint to achieve a deeper colour.
13. Let the paint dry. 
14. Add a top coat.
    • We used Mod Podge but any glossy top coat will work.
    • If you would like to add glitter, shake it onto the desired area over top of the mod podge and then complete another layer of top coat.
    • If using acrylic paint, you will not need a top coat as it dries with a shiny finish. 
15. Store unused clay in an airtight container.