The Art Studio has been buzzing lately with lots of wonderful clay work from kindergarten through middle school students! Students have been exploring a range of clay processes and techniques, such as coil building, slab rolling, pinching, and throwing on the pottery wheel.

Working with clay has many benefits for children of all ages. It is a complex sensory experience that encourages self-expression, helps promote self-confidence, and develops problem-solving and motor skills. Because clay is highly responsive to touch, children become engrossed in their work: they are able to express and articulate their ideas through shaping clay and learning to repair mistakes. Clay is different from other art mediums in that it requires an understanding of the three-dimensional world. While working on their projects, students must move around to see their creations from all sides. From this, they begin to understand shape, form, and perspective and gain knowledge of planning methods and problem-solving as they map out their creation.