Clay Play

 

 

Squeezing, rolling, twisting, cutting, sculpting...

I try to make the most of each day with my children but every stay-at-home parent is guilty of occasionally hoping the day goes by quickly (sadly). I find our days are best spent when I invest time in my kids - play with them- the washing can wait!

If we are not out and about I like to think up little projects to do with my toddler while my baby has her morning sleep. He loves making things be it a painting, a sculpture (thank you Mister Maker), a cake, a meal, a herb garden. He even just likes watching me sometimes like when I sew.

Last week at the mall I remembered that I'd had a thought about buying some clay and so I ducked in to Riot Art & Craft (which I discovered has another good website when I arrived home). For about $13 I brought home a big 1kg block.

I particularly wanted to use it reinforce our son's fine motor skills but also for his own exploration.

From my years of teaching Kindergarten I know how important (essential) it is to have a plan (even when there's only one child!) So I had a little hunt around and found this fantastic and simple article by about clay play for toddlers and Pre-schoolers. 

I like the idea of fairly open-ended activities. You can see that my son used a bunch of 'things' to manipulate the clay. I only wished that I had given him more 'natural' things  (not just the usual play dough tools). There's always next time!

I do believe in 'skilling up' children. By teaching children to use tools safely (under your supervision) for example, a butter knife, you are teaching the skills necessary for life thus empowering independent little beings.  It could be easy to make these everyday objects scary but I would suggest that children can learn from you not to fear them but to use them confidently and responsibly.

For the record he dressed himself. Who am I to tell him he's not wearing his top properly? As far as he's concerned he is (and he's only been dressing himself a week or so)

I was pleased that my son's final product did include the few seedpods I'd given him to use. He told me they were "eyes." I might have had some clay play of my own.