Extended day students had loads of fun exploring with clay. In the first class of this sequence students made pinch pots. Pinch pots are the oldest form of ceramics dated back thousands of years. Students created “Tea Bowls” which are a very old ceramic form from Asia. Students learned that clay comes from the earth and that it has to be baked, actually fired, in a really hot oven called a kiln. The kiln is heated to over a thousand degrees Fahrenheit. Before the tea bowl is fired it must be air dried for a few days until it’s “leather hard”

The next art class students got their tea bowls back from out of the kiln. The bowls had cooled down and were ready to glaze. Students glazed their bowls choosing one color for the inside and another for the outside. Then the bowls went back in the kiln to be fired.Everyone was really happy with their finished pieces. Now it’s time for tea…or lemonade..or milk….or whatever!