Materials
cottage cheese
small paper cups
plastic spoons
milk
drinking cups
cheese slices (any variety)
child-size yogurt cups
Instructions
1. Turn your Art Station into a pottery studio. Encourage the children to make
colorful signs for the area. Display pictures of pottery items, such as bowls,
cups, and jewelry.
2. Prepare a small table where the children can work on the clay. Let them take
turns being the "potter." Encourage the children to shape the clay any way
they please using whatever sculpting tools are available. Some playdough
tools will work, but don't use cookie cutters. The process should be free form.
3. Put the finished sculptures on a tray and place it in an "oven." Explain that
pottery is put in an oven called a kiln. Older preschoolers can use clay that
can be baked in a real oven. If the sculptures are not baked, allow them to
dry so that they are firm enough to paint.
4. After the clay is dry, invite the children to paint the pottery and display it in
the "studio." Place it on shelves as in a museum or a pottery store. If desired,
set up a cash register, pretend money, shopping bags, and gift wrap in the
center. The "shoppers" will enjoy seeing each other's work!
More to do Blocks:When setting up the pottery studio, the children can incorporate
blocks from the Construction Zone as a way of displaying the pottery.
