Clay: Working with the Earth

Clay comes from the Earth: Ancient, Organic, Substantial.

It is cool and has smooth moistness. Clay requires muscle. We engage clay with our hands (and even our feet) and we feel it on our skin. There is an intuitive aspect to working with clay; through many encounters, we develop a sense of its fluidity and substance.

This week, the children were invited to experience clay through exuberant physical play with Christine and I in the Atelier. I did this whole body exploration with the children last year, but since we have new friends with us, I pulled out another 25 lb block of clay, and we did it again. The floor was empty, except for a big tarp in the middle, and a block of red clay. The children were invited to climb on to the block of clay, to dig into it with their toes, fingers, and elbows. We focused on building a physical and experiential knowledge of clay with small groups of children and we will continue next week for those who didn't get a chance this week.



The common initial response was hesitation and skepticism, however, as soon as the children were encouraged to stand on top with their bare feet, all doubts were out the door!

Sophia: “Look at that!”

Jalie: “I want to try!” ... “Oooh, It’s squishy.”

Eddie: “Squishy!”

Jalie pulled off a piece and made a snake.

Lucca remained standing on the clay, vigorously tearing off pieces and relishing in the whole body experience.

Damon: "I’m making a big rock! Look it, I’m making a WHOLE rock!"

Sophia: “I’m making a mommy one. There’s two. A baby one too. And my JJ and my Dominique...and my Grandpa, and my Memaw."

Eddie noticed the clay got "bigger"as he stomped on it.

Jalie: "Look what it made! I want to get more clay...I’m making a pancake...It’s a castle now."

Damon: "It's a Sleeping Triceratops."

Ava: "I’m smooshing mine."

Gwen: [rolling clay] "This is a snake"

Anika: "Can I do it now?" [jumped on clay for a good amount of time noticing it became flatter and wider]

Damon: “It’s a worm now.”

Ava [began gathering popsicle sticks from the atelier] “I’m making a castle, with a garden,” then proceeded to gather bottle caps and acorns to add to her creation.  “Look Ms Andrea, each acorn goes in the garden."

Gwen discovered she could use a CD to cut her clay in pieces.

Jason: [When invited to explore with the clay] “No, I clean! I clean! My feet CLEEEAN!”

Allie: "Well, how 'bout I jump on it?"

Atticus: “How about a birthday cake? ...Ta da! It’s now a birthday cake. I blow out candle.”

Allie: “Remember, don’t eat the clay, it’s just a pretend birthday cake.”

Ryland: "It’s brown. It feels like soft sidewalk."

Allie: “With my cake, I'm making a cupcake...and also a piñata."

Jason: [after some gentle nudging, became completely absorbed in the exploration], “I made hot dog!” Two hot dog!"

Ryland: "This dinosaur, is it enormous? "It has eyebrows"

Jason: “A transformer!”

Corbin: “Wow! Vrroooom! "I’m strong!” [continues making car noises]

Mia S. “It looks like Poo!”

Alaira: [While standing on the clay] “It’s moving! I want to keep two feet on it.”

McKenna: “It’s gooey”

Natalie: I love clay! I want to explore too.”

Mia S. “I make shallow holes”

McKenna: "Heavy"!

Allie: "Look it’s a taco…and now I smashed it into a tamale. [Minutes later] Now it’s a tortilla!"

The children did many different things with clay. Pounded it, jumped on it, stomped on it, flattened it, tore off pieces, rolled it. They noticed how to make different marks; using the whole hand, scratching with fingers, poking holes...

























As children brought their whole bodies to their encounters with clay, they were able to experience the responsiveness of the clay. This relationship between the children and clay, will deepen over the months ahead as the children continue to encounter this medium. This truly begins the dialogue between children and clay, and an invitation into the centuries-old tradition of working with the earth.