Here’s Why You Should Let Your Kids Work With Clay

Do you know that letting kids play with clay can actually be really beneficial to their development? 

Aside from its obvious tactile appeal, working with clay can at once stimulate and relax young minds. This creative and therapeutic process can greatly affect their holistic growth. 

In this article, let’s explore some of the positive aspects of allowing kids to play with clay. We talk about how the multi-sensory activity can help them focus, boost their sensory development, promote cognitive skills, inspire creativity, and more.

The Cool Things You Can Make

Clay is a shape-shifting medium. It can become anything kids imagine it to be. With how soft and workable they are, the possibilities are endless, from simple shapes to complex sculptures. Let your child unleash their creativity by getting into some textural and experimental fun! 

Super Feelings with Clay

Kids enjoy getting their hands on anything squishy. This is perfect since clay provides them with a one-of-a-kind tactile experience that enhances their sense of touch. 

When kids play with clay, their sense of touch gets a big workout. They’re not just shaping clay, they’re also sending their brain important signals through their fingers. 

Working with clay can also gradually help children improve their fine motor skills. Feeling the coolness of the clay between their fingers, children are motivated to learn and exercise control and coordination, manipulating the clay to build their art pieces.

A study suggests that developing fine motor skills in pre-school can result in greater achievements in reading and math down the road.

Think and Solve Like a Pro

Playing with clay isn’t just play – it’s also a little puzzle adventure for the kids’ brains. When children shape clay, they’re thinking about how things fit together, like building blocks. This thrusts their brain into problem solving mode,  improving their critical thinking skills. At the same time, the activity also familiarises them with the concepts of shapes and sizes. This makes clay modeling a sneaky way to introduce geometry to your little ones. By manipulating clay, they can slowly start to explore shapes, angles, and spatial relationships. Gradually, this process helps them relate to broader concepts like symmetry, depth, and volume in a hands-on and visually engaging way. 

Let Their Imagination Run Wild

Clay is like a blank canvas for a kid’s imagination. They can create a whole world armed with just clay and their ideas. It’s like telling stories with shapes! 

Furthermore, clay is  an artistic medium with a potent means of expressing emotions. 

Children can use clay to communicate their thoughts and feelings in a non-verbal manner. Whether they’re feeling happy or tired, clay can help children showcase their feelings without saying a single word. This can lend a hand in boosting emotional intelligence and greater self-awareness. 

Playing Together, Team Style

You can easily switch out solitary play with social play with clay.  Your child and their buddies can team up and create amazing clay projects together. It’s like being in a superhero squad, where everyone has special clay powers. 

By handling clay, children can discover the value of good communication and work together as they explore ideas, share clay materials, and solve problems collectively. It’s also an opportunity for them to create extraordinary clay masterpieces and turn ideas into reality with team effort.

They’ll pick up essential skills such as teamwork, sharing, and how to have a blast while making clay art!

Focus is the Name of the Game

Imagine a world where children can fully focus on the present and be there, in the moment, amidst the hustle and bustle of the universe. 

It seems as though they are donning their super-focus goggles and entering a realm of creativity and imagination when immersed in clay work. It’s like setting foot into a beautiful and peaceful garden, but instead of rocks, they are using clay to create their serenity.

During the times when their artwork takes a tumble, kids learn how to bounce back, come up with new ideas, and shake hands with setbacks. They acquaint themselves with the idea of overcoming challenges and building up resilience.

Getting Super Strong Hands

Did you know that playing with clay is like exercising your fingers? It’s like a whole hand strengthening workout. 

When children shape, press, and roll clay, their fingers get stronger and gain more dexterity. It’s similar to playing sports, but with clay as the main gym equipment.

Indeed, playing with clay isn’t just about having irresistible fun. It’s also about making the kids’ brains sharper, fingers stronger, and hearts fuller. 

Clay Forms To Try

Here are some simple ideas kids can try to form using clay.

1. Common Shapes

2. Astronauts

3. Sun and Clouds

Embracing the Value of Clay Work for Children

Children that work with clay directly obtain significant experiences that contribute to their growth and well-being. From social and emotional, creative, to basic fine motor skills, fostering a connection with clay can not only add on to their sensorial and cognitive development, but also help them become resourceful, expressive and socially adept individuals in the future. 

Feel the effects and learn more about how you can harness unrestrained creativity at Terra & Ember, where we teach artists how to channel their imagination for beautiful works of art. Find out more from us by contacting us here today.