Clay Project

Ms. Jen’s class took inspiration from the book, Poking, Pinching, & Pretending: Documenting Toddlers’ Explorations with Clay by Lella Gandini, which provided plenty of ideas for exploring clay. “Sensory activities like this open up a whole new world for children in this phase of development. We had so much fun!” says Ms. Jen.

Before introducing the children to clay, Ms. Jen gave them opportunities to experience using other media including markers, paint, blocks and playdough.

“Watching the children explore the physical properties of clay through mouthing, smelling, scraping, patting and banging was unforgettable! We started with a big block. As you can see in the photos, the children were scraping it with their fingers and then exploring the pieces they’d scraped away. They also explored the weight of the clay,” says Ms. Jen.

“Heavy!” Bodie said with excitement.