Activities for Children With Self-Hardening Clay

Cookie Cutter Shapes

• Roll out self-hardening clay to about 1/8 inch thick and let kids use cookie cutters to create cutouts. Cookie cutters can be used to create well-defined shapes that are ready to decorate and paint. Kids can press small beads, googly eyes or yarn gently into the soft clay. If you'll be using clay shapes as ornaments, poke a hole about 1/4 inch from the top so that when it's dry a child can put a hook or loop a ribbon through it. Alternatively, glue the dry shapes to a magnet so he can put them on the refrigerator or magnetic bulletin boards. Once the shapes are dry, he can add more decorative elements with acrylic craft paints, markers, glue, rhinestones, glitter or feathers.

Etchings

• Dry clay tiles provide a blank canvas for etchings. Start with prepared, dried clay tiles and let one of the kids use a pencil and carbon paper to trace the desired designs. Any hard implement will etch clay, such as a metal skewer or butter knife. Finer, more detailed results can be attained with ceramic carving tools, nails or pins used under adult supervision. After etching, she can leave her clay tile as is for display, or she can dry-brush a very light coating of craft paint over it. Dry brushing involves using very little paint, and blotting most of it off the brush. When she lightly and quickly brushes it over the etching surface, all but the crevices will be colored. This makes the etched designs stand out.

Coil and Pinch

• One of the oldest techniques for working with clay is the coil-and-pinch method. Children can learn how ancient people made pottery using this method, and they also learn the basic technique that can be applied to many other types of sculpting. The method involves taking balls of clay, and rolling them into long, wormlike pieces that you then use to coil into a basic form. Kids then pinch and smooth the layers of coil until they form a solid form. Start with easy forms, such as cup and bowl shapes. As the child's technique improves he can make more intricate hollow shapes, such as vases or animals.

Jewelry Making

• Self-hardening clay makes beautiful beads and charms that kids can use to make jewelry. There are lots of methods for making clay beads. Roll the clay into small spheres, flatten them slightly into oval or tubular shapes, or roll them into thin clay cylinders and 'slice' them for flat, circular beads. Before the clay dries, an adult should push a thick sewing needle or skewer through the beads to create the hole through which the child can string them. Flatten clay balls so a kid can create round shapes for necklace charms and earrings. Poke a hole in them so she can add jewelry links or earring loops later. Push textured items, such as the teeth of a comb or a dry sponge, into the surface to make interesting designs. Give the child acrylic paints to personalize her clay jewelry before wearing it.