Clay might not have the instant wow factor of other art materials. It’s not brightly coloured and it doesn’t have the range of textures possible with paint and fabric, but young children love to explore it, manipulate it, get messy with it and make transient creations and 3D constructions.
Ammie Flexen, ceramic and early years artist, says, ‘It can appear to be a pile of mud, but there might be a myriad of ideas and thoughts that are being processed and imagined while the children explore the clay.
‘It has so many endless possibilities and can be a really helpful indicator of children’s level of develop­ment in manipulative skills, confidence, vocabulary, concentration and imagination.’
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