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Hello lovelies!
Today I wanted to share a fun and easy art technique for toddlers and preschoolers that was suggested to us by the fabulous MaryAnn Kohl.
It really couldn’t be easier- begin by grabbing some plasticine clay (available at Amazon HERE
or at craft stores in a rainbow of colors).
Then find a suitable canvas- really anything that is reasonably sturdy will do. Paper plates, thick paper, or cardboard are good choices. It has to be something that can tolerate pressure and movement (no delicate tissue paper). I cut some large freehand alphabet letters from scrap cardboard for the twins to work with, given their current alphabet fascination.
The process is simple- take small pinches of clay from your colorful blocks, press them down on your canvas, and then take your index finger (or thumb, or palm of hand, whatever), press down on your pinch of clay, and drag your finger across the canvas. This will smear or “smoosh” your clay into vibrant streaks of color.
There are no rules or predetermined outcomes with this technique- it’s all about the process. Both of the twins really enjoy this activity and we have repeated it several times. Another great thing about the plasticine clay is that it never dries, so you can come back and work on your masterpieces whenever the urge strikes. Plus, you can press small items like buttons or beads into your “smooshes,” adding another layer of media to your work.
I love how the streaks of color layer on top of each other and convey such texture and movement. You can also carve or scratch into areas that you have covered with “smooshes” to make designs.
This activity was very engaging for the twins because it capitalized on their natural instincts to poke and smash and smear. They displayed very intense concentration and focus and got a great little fine motor workout! I’ve read several articles suggesting that everyday play dough is not firm enough to really work those little muscles during play- this clay takes a bit more muscle to pinch and spread.
And they got SO much satisfaction from their “work!”
This is one of their masterpieces after being displayed on a shelf in the dining room for over a month- still bright and vibrant and the clay remains pliable. You can see that the cardboard has wicked some of the moisture out of the clay, which makes some oily spots, but other than that nothing has changed and we could still work on it if we wanted. This probably won’t be something I keep long-term, but it’s still pretty good for process art, which more often than not does not have a “keepable” product. It’s all about the experience!
Interested in how to use art to stimulate language in toddlers? Read this post: Building Language with Art
For more toddler art ideas, check out MaryAnn’s book First Art for Toddlers and Twos - it’s one of our favorites!
My son would be all over this one! It’s really interesting to know that playdough isn’t firm enough to give them the full benefit of playing with clay. The Little Engineer will thank you for that bit of knowledge…we bought some soft Fimo so he could make Angry Birds models (like his YouTube hero does with his dad), and now I have more motivation to help him with that.
Oooh, I’m excited to see those, Jessica! Tell The Little Engineer that he is very welcome!
Love it! I really like that you can start it, set it aside, and keep working on it later. Do you think it would work to set this up as an invitation to create over the course of a week or so…maybe set out one color per day and add them in gradually? I could see Tinker loving this!
I think so, Shaunna! Just follow her interests, and you could even set out some fun collage materials, too!
So many practical applications for this one. Thanks for sharing.
You are very welcome, Mali!
This looks so fun!
Thanks, Lindsay! It was super fun!
Wow! so much fun. We have created clay art on canvas with my preschooler but smooshing seems to be PERFECT for my toddler. Wonderful post Stephanie..
As they get older they can use the clay to fill in for pictures they want to make either instead of or with a drawing…real mixed media
Wow, this looks like so much fun! I bet we could do it with regular playdough, too. I can’t wait to try this with my kiddos. I love how much finger strength they’ll develop.
Thank you for the inspiration. This project was a bit hit and engaged both my 3.5yo and 18mo. I’ve been struggling to find fine motor skill tasks that hold my 3.5yo’s interest and this was great. She often gets frustrated and quits. Here, she worked for 20 minutes, and would have gone longer if other scheduling demands didn’t interfere. We’ll do it again tomorrow to build confidence and those muscles!