Clay, moist and gray or brown in colour, is a natural material from the earth. Soft and malleable, it has in it all the characteristics for a free manipulative experience involving all of the senses.
Manipulating clay plays a fundamental role in our workshop: what child does not enjoy letting his or her imagination run wild, creating new and bizarre shapes?
Flexible manipulation for children is a basic necessity, an almost indispensable game. It meets many needs: it improves fine motor skills, preparing for writing and other precision skills that require motor control; it stimulates creativity and imagination; and it encourages interaction and sharing amongst children. In the atelier we have set up a special space, placed in the centre of a table where there is an opportunity to explore the potential of clay.
On the cabinet there are then different working supports: wooden tablets of various sizes and mirrored tops, as well as various tools such as splints, knives, spatulas and awls; digital supports such as lenses and microscopes, connected to the computer, allow the children to see into the most intimate structure of the material.
To make it more magical, colours are also available that can be mixed with the primary material, creating a kind of “coloured paste” called slip. Working with clay gives children the opportunity to feel like the main characters in shaping reality, leaving an imprint which is an expression of themselves.
All that is left to do is push up our sleeves and have fun!
