April 24, 2012
by Megan Schiller
Messy Clay Discoveries and Pinch Pots
For our clay week, the 1s and 2s classes explored the qualities of clay with a variety of objects. They used tools such as rolling pins, clay hammers, plastic pizza cutters, garlic presses, and modeling tools to cut and shape their clay. You can try this activity at home with our Make+Believe Create With Clay! Supply Kit.
Other objects like toys, old CDs and necklaces, were used to add texture to the clay.
The children squished and molded bits of clay with their hands- a good work out for those tiny muscles!
After a while, the teachers introduced water to investigate what happens when the clay gets wet.
A little water made the clay softer…
A lot of water made a big, fun mess!
The classes with 3 yr olds took the exploration a step further and worked on making pinch pots out of clay, then decorated them with tempera paint, sequins, and jewels. Some kids also made “elbow pots” by pressing their elbow into a ball of clay. This creates a slightly shallower bowl than a pinch pot.
What a keepsake!
