Sign-up for newsletter, new books coming out and free kids art advice reports!
Clay playing for kids can relieve stress | Modeling | Sensory
By Spramani ELaun
Many children today suffer from stress and anxiety.
I would like to suggest playing with clay as an alternative to helping a child with stress.
Scheduling time to play with clay at least once a week can lead to beneficial stress relief.
As parent or caregiver you can provide lots of other helpful aids in managing stress; better nutrition, adequate sleep, less anxiety-provoking situations, positive assuring words and more simple time to relax and just be a kid.
In my art classes I’ve witnessed positive results from children exploring clay in a playful manner which always leads to relaxation.
Most of my art activities like clay play is multi-sensory engaging and helps children relax and play calmly.
It’s common knowledge unstructured simple play is healthy for young children developing.
Why is playing with clay a calming or relaxing activity?
Book Excerpts from Clay Play© 2015 All rights reserved.
Why is playing with clay a calming or relaxing activity? Because touching clay induces stimulating neural input from most of our sensory senses. When a young child starts touching, forming, or modeling, it’s considered active learning. Playing with clay stimulates tactile input, visual pathways communicate with both left and right hemispheres of the brain, and auditory and smell sensory systems are also collecting information. Playing with clay causes a high visual-auditory connectivity in the brain. Strong connectivity occurs and the child becomes intensely focused on his handwork. Children using their hands can be so engaged that other stress related thoughts clear their minds. The electrical activity stimulated in the brain becomes a different type of action, firing connections and allowing children to focus on their handwork only. A calming effect takes place because cognitive processing is occurring while forming or manipulating clay. It’s good for children during their sensitive periods to develop good habits and activities that can help early in life to regulate relaxation by creative handwork. Playing with Clay can relieve stress for kids.
Order the book Clay Play©2015 Now!
“A child playing with clay can be transformed into a relaxed meditative state!”
Any type of clay can work!
Many types of clay are available for this type of exploring.
Only use non-toxic child grade products.
You can use any type of clay, in fact you should allow children to try all different types of clay at some point in time.
You can also make quick easy modeling dough from simple kitchen ingredients.
Clay can be non-hardening, air-hardening or baked to harden.
Natural modeling beeswax can also be used for clay play forming.
You can order these types of clay online or find them in most craft and art supply store.
What should children make with clay?
Visit our blog archives or Pinterest pages for clay play ideas.
Order Clay Play a new book by Spramani Elaun for clay playing ideas and materials list.
Read other articles: Sensory Tactile Art For Kids:
Spramani Elaun is an American earth-friendly art teacher and the author of: “Nurturing Children in The Visual Arts Naturally” ©
All rights reserved ©, Nature of Art For Kids®
No part of this blog may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
