A new medium

Our 3-D art experience now takes us into the world of clay! Clay is a challenging medium. It is very dense and hard to manipulate with young hands, but once a child becomes familiar with clay, it is very intriguing! Clay comes from the earth- it is cold and smooth and can quickly change consistency by adding water or letting it dry. For such a young group of children, I have found that they are more willing to experiment with the clay if they have interesting tools to use. I gave each child a slab of clay and offered them a range of tools- popsicle sticks, combs, necklaces, rolling pins, plastic horses and cars.
Grace first pokes her clay with popsicle sticks.
Kate's grandmother, Sylvia, shows Kate and Kirsten how the tool can cut the clay.
Soon I brought each child a sponge, spoon, and a small bowl of water to use on their clay. Kirsten put a piece of clay directly into the bowl of water, making it very slippery. She seems to be squeezing the sponge with great force!
Karuna uses the spoon to try to scoop the clay.
After the children had some time to work with the clay, I brought out the collage materials. The shells, macaroni, and beans are great for pressing into the clay for decoration.
Soon the kids were moving around looking to find some paint to get into.

During class, Grace left to get a diaper change. The other girls watched out the window, very concerned about where their friend had gone.
Back to the table for more exploration!
Painting will never get old!