Making clay things

Core Skills Analysis

Art

• Through the activity of making clay things, the 7-year-old student learns about different textures and colors as they experiment with shaping the clay.
• The process of shaping and molding clay helps in developing the child's fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
• Creating clay objects allows the child to express their creativity and imagination through art, which is essential for their artistic development.
• Working with clay can also help the student understand the concepts of volume and spatial awareness as they manipulate the material to create shapes.

Tips

To further enhance the child's creativity and skills in making clay things, encourage them to explore different types of clay such as air-dry clay or polymer clay. Provide them with tools like clay cutters, rolling pins, and molds to experiment with various techniques. Additionally, introduce the concept of painting or decorating the clay objects after they dry to add another dimension to their creations.

Book Recommendations

• Clay Lab for Kids: 52 Projects to Make, Model, and Mold with Air-Dry, Polymer, and Homemade Clay by Cassie Stephens: Clay Lab for Kids features 52 hands-on projects made from air-dry clay, polymer clay, and homemade clay recipes.
• Clay Play! 24 Whimsical Projects by TERRY TAYLOR: Written specifically for the kid crafter, Clay Play! features easy clay projects with step-by-step instructions.
• Little Book of Sculpting for Children by Suzi Lewis: An interactive book for children to learn sculpting with clay, from beginner to advanced techniques.