How to Teach Children How to Make a Clay Bowl

Teach your children simple clay bowl techniques.

Making a clay bowl is a simple way to introduce pottery to children. Clay bowls are not difficult and all children can do it. Let your children get creative with their bowls. Show your children the basics of bowl-making and then let them personalize bowls they make with their own artistic touches.

Things You'll Need

• Sculpting clay or art clay

Instructions

1. Teach the children a little about the history of bowl-making. Tell the children that you want to teach them how to make a bowl using methods that were used a long time ago and are still used today. Teaching children about the history of bowl-making gives more depth to the lesson.

2. Hand each child a lump of clay. Take your own lump of clay and roll it into a ball. Demonstrate in front of the children the “pinch pot” method of making a bowl. Stick your thumbs in the middle of the ball. Gently pull your thumbs out of the ball. Place your index fingers inside the hole. Pinch the sides of the clay. The pinching motion makes the hole bigger and creates the bowl. Gently press down so the bottom of the bowl flattens.

3. Take another lump of clay and cut it in half. Flatten one half out and shape it into a circle. Make a long coil out of the other lump of clay. Show the children how to wrap the coil around the outer edge of the flattened piece of clay. Continue wrapping the clay around the circle until you create a coiled bowl. Gently press the bottom of the coil into the flattened piece of clay. Explain to your children that is the "coil" method used to make a bowl.

4. Encourage the children to try both methods of making a bowl. Tell the children to practice for a while and then choose a method to make their final bowls.

Tips & Warnings

• Use regular-colored clay so the children can paint their bowls any color they want.

• Teach the children how to create designs on their bowls by drawing on the soft clay with a toothpick.

• Add more to your lesson by helping the children make their own clay.

• Avoid putting dye or food coloring in the clay. Food coloring in the clay can stain hands if it is not mixed well.

References

• DLTK Teach: Make a Clay Bowl