CLAY PLAY - family

More magic for YOU to do for your beginner... when you do the building you are modeling  fine motor skills and creativity. For a young beginner this is the best way to learn and a really enjoyable way to spend time with you. She will think you are very cool! And you may notice that she is more peaceful after this rich experience.

This game will remain a favorite until she least 6 yrs. old.

Of course, by then she will be making the magic and you'll be playing her game.

On this day we got out our big multicolor mix of clay. 

This clay sticks together very well which can be either good or bad. The mixed clay is great for pulling and pounding and squeezing...all wonderful for developing the muscles in her hands and wrists. Also good for rolling into balls or bracelets. 

After five minutes of free play she gave me our signal - let's play...
 "What's in this ball of clay?" 
First she held the clay to one ear then both, in stereo! I got the hint. 
Since she has a brand new brother (happily asleep) I thought that we should make her family in clay. Of course, I was prepared for my creations to be squished immediately.

 I made a mommy, a daddy, a baby and the big sister (of course they all had hats.) She made a cradle, and she didn't squash any of them. We played family for twenty minutes. The sections of the highchair tray became beds and who was sleeping with mommy was the focus of our play. She seemed very understanding of her sibling's need for Mommy.

With all the clay people needing hats and hugging and sleeping in cradles, the clay was stuck here and there, so we added it to the big clay ball, ready for our next adventure.

Storing this kind of clay:  While we still have balls of separate colors, I lay them in the zip lock bag somewhere out of reach and not touching each other. This will preserve individual colors a bit longer.

So, as we played, I saw new signs of maturity in my beginner...she initiated our game and she played constructively with all the clay figures until they were put away.

  

These little steps in a beginner's growth are important and a joy to experience for a Gran, a teacher, a caregiver or a parent. Of course, Grans have the luxury of  time...

beginnerswork.com