Clay could be claimed to be the original malleable material. It is a natural resource that has been used creatively by humans for thousands of years, but can be overlooked in early years settings in favour of manmade substances such as playdough, sand and slime.
Practitioners often think of clay as a medium that is messy and requires complex knowledge, but – once a few basics are understood – there is enormous potential and benefit to be gained from introducing clay to children, including:
‘Clay has an earthy smell and it is like reconnecting with the ground,’ says Alexandra Chiorando, managing director of Marmalade Early Years Consultancy. ‘There are lots of synthetic malleable materials, like slime, which have their place, but there is nothing better than the coolness of clay, the texture and how you can move and change it, but also make something permanent, which is powerful.
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