Molding of clay for children

Does your baby mold well from plasticine and he likes to create different figures from plasticine? So, it's time for the child to move on to the next stage - this is molding from clay. Molding of clay - for children with nothing comparable pleasure. This lesson has two notable pluses: you do not need big financial costs and clay figurines are stored for many years.

Where to get clay for modeling?

Naturally, the question immediately arises: where to get or get clay for your child? There are several simple ways with which you can find clay.

Buy in store

You can buy clay in the store. Often clay is found in the stationery department. Buy ordinary gray clay can be very cheap - it does not cost more than a hundred rubles. Clay, ready for molding, is sold in small bundles. This clay is very soft in work, has a smooth consistency and is most suitable for babies who did not previously make clay modeling.

Blue clay

If your baby is no longer a beginner and sculpts well enough, then it's worth thinking about buying soluble blue clay. Clay is sold in packages of three and ten kilograms. Blue clay is quite plastic and children can easily work with it, but it has several drawbacks.

1) The clay contains a large number of small pebbles and before use it must be sifted through a fine sieve.

2) To dilute blue clay with water not every child is able to, and he will need help from his parents.

Natural clay

You can also use natural clay for modeling. In nature, this clay can be found on the bank of a river or water body. But know, not every clay is ideal for molding figures. On the clay figure should not be formed cracks after drying. Therefore, smash a piece of clay found in your hands and notice whether the clay is plastic. However, it is better for children not to work with such clay. There are a lot of impurities in it that will interfere with the work. Kids better sculpt figures from polymer clay.

If you still decide to use natural clay, then you need to get rid of unnecessary, foreign impurities. In order to clean the clay, dissolve it in water and stir until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Give the clay solution to stand for about an hour, and then, without shaking, pour into another bowl. In the first tank will remain settled on the bottom of the pebbles, and in the second pure, normal clay. Dry it in the sun and you can start work.

Modeling for children: we start to work with clay.

You can choose several options for working with clay, but it will depend on the imagination and age of your child. One of the options: from a single piece of clay, we begin to sculpt the base of the figure. With the help of our fingers, we form the intended form. Then your child with some tricks (pinching and pressing) creates a conceived figure from the base.

When working with clay, you can use special sticks (stacks). With the help of chopsticks, the child will be comfortable and easy to work with clay, but in this case the clay should be quite dense or a little hard.

During molding, you can also use special plaster molds. We make a solution of clay, pour it into a mold and wait for it to solidify. A clay solution can be obtained by mixing clay with water until a uniform, thick mass is obtained.

If your child already has experience with clay, then you can let him try to blind a more serious thing than a simple bunny. Let him try to make a vase. To your baby could make a vase, you need soft clay and cellophane film. Choose a vase and wrap it with a cellophane film, and the young sculptor will clay on top. Allow the clay to dry. After that, carefully remove the vase and remove the cellophane film from it. When the clay is completely dry, the child will be able to make sure that he has a real vase.

You can also interest children with another interesting kind of modeling - this is a relief molding. Embossed modeling is when different patterns and small details are applied to a layer of clay.

Little secrets of molding from clay.

To your kid had fun when working with clay, you need to know the features and ways of storing clay. Clay at work is as soft as plasticine, but requires in relation to itself more attention and accuracy. There are several simple rules for successful work with clay.

  1. The clay, which is necessary for work (molding), must always be moist. Therefore, after the end of work, you need to wrap the remaining clay, or cover with a damp rag. This is to ensure that the clay does not dry up.
  2. When using natural clay (and not only natural), cracks appear on the products quite often. Your baby should learn how to smooth these cracks using liquid clay or water. If he does not learn how to do this, then the clay object will look messy.
  3. When working with clay, first create large parts of the product (crafts), and then the details are smaller. If your child is still young, do not ignore him. Working with clay is a rather complicated process - help him.

Processing of products from clay.

Finally, the clay product is ready. How to keep your child's artwork for a long time?

First of all, the product must be dried well.

Place the object from the clay into a transparent cellophane bag and wait at least three days. If the clay product becomes lighter than before drying, and changes the color to a lighter one, then it is ready.

After a few days, the clay toy can be dried in a microwave oven. To achieve a good result, put the child's hand-crafted article in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. For drying, you can also use a gas oven. Preheat it to 300 degrees Celsius, place the dried clay objects in the oven and wait for about 20 minutes. The main rule when drying - never dry in the oven just made a thing of clay. It can be deformed.

After drying, that is, when the clay is completely dry, you can paint our toys.

For coloring clay, it is best to use gouache. Gouache perfectly lays on the clay and emphasizes the beauty of the toy, giving a very beautiful colors. There is another important plus in the use of gouache - it is completely harmless to the health of the child.

If the toy was made by an older child, then you can help him with her painting. Apply a thin layer of enamel on the clay product, after the enamel dries, it will create the perfect base for the paint. But if the author of the craft is a small child, the use of enamel is not advised. Evaporation of enamel during drying is harmful for the baby.

The final stage.

When the painting is finished and the paint has dried, you can apply a varnish for gloss, or an ordinary PVA glue. This will add a clay toy of strength. Pay attention to the fact that the paint on the product is really dried, otherwise when applying a varnish or glue the picture is smeared.

Clay modeling for children and their parents is a great way to spend time together. These classes are not only very interesting, but also useful for the development of your baby.