Clay
Have fun with clay! Create and make relief and 3D clay projects with a clay turtle, starry night mobile and sheep to create. Learn how to make an animal relief clay plaque and an enchanting bobble head dragon. To really refine those clay skills, there is also a layered terrarium to make with textured plant details to inspire your class.
Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2
Kids love making things with clay and it is so good for their gross motor development. Kinder to year 2 can begin by making a simple turtle for their first clay project. Flatten a clay ball and shape the turtle with fingers. Add pattern on the shell with clay tools and then allow to dry. Paint the air dry clay for vibrant colour or glaze and fire for a more natural look. The clay sheep is another easy project for beginners working with clay. The artwork focuses on texture and pattern using wooden skewers and patterned rollers. Basic joining techniques are also required.
Create a wonderful clay mobile with stars for a celestial vibe in the final K-2 project. There are several pieces to make and then assemble. We chose a fun starry night theme but the project could easily be adapted to any theme of your choice.
Grade 3 and Grade 4
Run a whole 4 week clay project with your class and make a clay animal plaque. We used a pelican for the subject matter. You could adapt this project to any animal and there are several to choose from in the reference images.
Draw the animal onto a clay tile and then add lots of textures in a scene to create interest and depth. Learn about antiquing to add another aspect to the clay plaque. Paint in vibrant colours if using air dry clay, or glaze the tile to complete the artwork. The sample artwork and instructions are provided for air dry clay.
Grade 5 and Grade 6
In the 5-6 grade category, students will have fun creating a clay terrarium and a bobblehead dragon. Our classes loved both these projects! Create a pinch pot for the head and body of the dragon and then press it into the elongated body shape required. Add a snout for the dragon’s head and learn the simple mechanism kids can create to have the head bob up and down.
Kids will learn about layering with clay and take their joining skills to a whole new level with the clay terrarium project. Choose which plants to use from the reference images and be inspired. We have painted air dry clay with acrylics so kids will have fun creating a wide range of vibrant green for their terrarium.
See our blog post for Tips on Working with Clay in the Classroom
Related Art Lessons
Create with Fibre and Textiles! Make a gorgeous painted strawberry bag or a colourful woven basket. Learn how to sew a sweet teddy bear, weave a God's Eye for protection and design a T-shirt in these fibre and textiles lesson plans. Develop fine motor skills and design sensibilities while creating some gorgeous wearable and decorative artworks.
