Environments: Basics and Beyond The Stage of Clay Clay is a fine mixture of decomposed igneous rock materials and organic matter. Clay is continuously being formed. What is CLAY? • Clay is natural and can be left outside • Clay has a natural appeal. • A line with a crayon is unchangeable, however a long coil of clay can become a snake, then a bowl, then a snow person. • The possibilities are endless and children enjoy the freedom to transform their creations. Stage 1: At about age two, children enjoy playing and experimenting with clay. They do not try to create specific objects, but rather are trying to understand what clay is and what they can do with it. They are picking up on all of the sensory experiences they are having and enjoy clay as a processing experience. Stage 2: Around three years, children become more deliberate in their clay experimentations. “As scientists, they put clay to a series of tests by rolling, pinching, tearing, pulling, and poking it. By physically acting on clay they discover its properties. Clay can roll, but it cannot bounce or pour” (Schirrmacher, 2006, p. 260). Children will learn how to make simple coils, balls, and “flattened cakes,” and use these shapes repeatedly. Green and Kashin 2018 WHY CLAY?
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Environments: Basics and Beyond The Stage of Clay
Clayisafinemixtureofdecomposedigneousrockmaterialsandorganicmatter.Clayiscontinuouslybeingformed.
WhatisCLAY?
• Clayisnaturalandcanbeleftoutside
• Clayhasanaturalappeal.
• Alinewithacrayonisunchangeable,howeveralongcoilofclaycanbecomeasnake,thenabowl,thenasnowperson.
• Thepossibilitiesareendlessandchildrenenjoythefreedomtotransformtheircreations.
Stage1:Ataboutagetwo,childrenenjoyplayingandexperimentingwithclay.Theydonottrytocreatespecificobjects,butratheraretryingtounderstandwhatclayisandwhattheycandowithit.Theyarepickinguponallofthesensoryexperiencestheyarehavingandenjoyclayasaprocessingexperience.Stage2:Aroundthreeyears,childrenbecomemoredeliberateintheirclayexperimentations.“Asscientists,theyputclaytoaseriesoftestsbyrolling,pinching,tearing,pulling,andpokingit.Byphysicallyactingonclaytheydiscoveritsproperties.Claycanroll,butitcannotbounceorpour”(Schirrmacher,2006,p.260).Childrenwilllearnhowtomakesimplecoils,balls,and“flattenedcakes,”andusetheseshapesrepeatedly.
GreenandKashin2018
WHYCLAY?
Stage3:Aroundagefouryearoldsbegintotaketheirscientificstudiestothenextstepbybringingtheirclayformstolife.Rolledballscanbecomesnowmenwithfeelingsandthoughtsoftheirown.Whiletheyarenowmakingrealobjectsandcreatures,itishappeningmorebychancethanactualplanning.Stage4:Ataboutfiveyearschildrennowhavetheconfidenceandabilitytocometotheclaytablewithanideaofwhatitistheywanttomake.Forthem,theirchallengeistofindtherightprocessesandstrategiestofulfilltheirideas.Thishelpschildrenlearntoproblemsolveandtocomeupwithcreativesolutionstotheirownideas.
Wholebody:largeandfinemotordevelopment.• Childrenpound,pinch,roll,flatten,poke,tear,
squeeze,coil,stretch,squash,twist,andbendtheirclayintoallsortsofshapesandsizes.
• Whenchildrenstandtodothesetasks,theyengagetheirwholebodies.
Multi-sensoryactivity.
• Claycanfeelslimyandwetoritcanbehard,powderyanddry.
• Differentclayshavedifferentsmellsandcolors.• Childrenheartwouniquesoundswhenthey
squeezewetclaythoughtheirfingersandwhentheypoundtheclayontothetable.
• Evidenceshowsthetherapeuticandself-regulatoryeffectsofworkingwithclay.
Likemanyotherartforms,clayprovidesameansforchildrentoexpresstheirthoughtsandfeelingsinanappropriateway.Whileitmaynotbeokaytopunchafriendwhenachildisupset,itisokaytopoundtheclayintowhateverheorshewouldlike.“Sincechildrenliveinathree-dimensionalworld,itmaybeeasierforthemtouseclaytorepresenttheirworld”(Schirrmacher2006,p.261).Theyareabletocreateclayfamiliesandfriendswhocaninteract.Thiskindofcreationandplayhelpschildrenworkthroughtheiremotionsandfeelings.
BenefitsofClay
GreenandKashin2018
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