Need help buying clay please

[boysrus]

My boys love working with clay, and we go through a lot of it. I am about to start an arts and crafts class for our homeschool group,so will be using clay there as well. So, I am thinking of investing in a lot ofclay. I came across this site, and was wondering if this clay is okay for kids to use (these kids are 5 and up, no one will be putting it in their mouths!), and which kind would be the best to get. We want clay that can be stored in a closed container for a long time, but could also dry okay without a kiln if they had a piece they wanted to save

[Montessori Mommy]

i don't know about clay, but it is really easy and inexpensive to make your own "play dough." It is non toxic and can be eaten (although it would taste pretty bad). You can also add food coloring to make different colors, or natural dyes like beet juice to color it as well. It stores great and air dries hard, very easy to work with.

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 cups water
4 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup cream of tartar

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan. Cook and stir over low/medium heat until play dough forms a large ball and is no longer sticky. Let cool & store in airtight container or ziplock bag.

[boysrus]

every time I have madeplay dough, it has gone moldy really quickly.
but also, my boys are really into clay

[SleeplessMommy]

There are some particulate issues with dried clay ... so there may be health effects for people working in factories with a lot of sanding going on. But I would be more concerned about mess, and how to contain it!

[4evermom]

The issue with dry clay is breathing the dust which has silica in it and causes lung damage. I don't think one needs to be paranoid about it, just aware so you remember to clean up with damp methods, rather than sweeping dry dust into the air. Have the kids wear smocks and launder them separately so they aren't playing in clothes with the dust on them.

[boysrus]

SOrry! I had a link, because I was asking about specific clays, but I see I didn't post it!
http://www.maxfieldceramics.com/shop...idCategory=526

[Leilalu]

The only clay you could use on that site without firing is the self-hardening clay. I have never worked with that. It seems good for small children, but for older-you would want the actual, traditional experience of clay that needs to be fired. It's part of the beauty of the process.
I would suggest making playdough. Or, finding a nearby studio that wil fire a kiln's worth of pottery for you. I would say, maybe even go with the self-hardening stuff for now.
As the kids get older, firing will be a must but then you will need to do your research a bit. Cleanliness in storage and maintenance of a clay studio space is very imortant. You want to make sure there isn't any dust laying around. everything has to be wiped down thoroughly. So a big part of the process will be teaching clean up skills. But alot of it you will end up doing while they are younger. Clay dust can get in the lungs and builds up over time if you aren't too careful with cleanup.

I say, go for it!have fun, do your reasearch, make sure you clean up well. even just playing with the clay may satisfy youngsters

[4evermom]

I would avoid red/brown clay because it is high in iron oxide which is harmless but it stains. I would also avoid porcelain because it is rather like silly putty, soft and harder to form. Well, it might be fun to have a little because it FEELS nice Clay with grog will feel rougher. I'm used to working with stoneware.

Much of the clay options revolve around how high of a temperature they need to be fired, so it doesn't really matter if the kids are just building for fun with no intention of firing them. If you might get the things fired through a local place, find out what cone they fire to and get the same stuff.

If the clay gets stiff, you can remoisten it by wrapping it in wet burlap. You can throw scraps (wet or dry) in a bucket with a little water, let it soak up, squish it around and spread it on a plaster slab or wood board to dry, turning and kneading occasionally until it is a good consistancy.

If you got a low temperature clay, you could attempt to pit fire it. I once put something that I made from found clay in the ashes of my fireplace, then kept a fire going for 8 hours. It got hard enough that it didn't disolve in water though it was still pretty fragile.

[Leilalu]

Yeah, but pit firing can be difficult.
i would suggest getting a book about it all if you are serious. There is a pottery bible or something out there I've heard about. I plan on getting it one day when we start up again.

I would actually suggest a porcelain clay for little kids.Def. not something with a lot of grog. too hard for little hands.

[boysrus]

heh heh, never mind. I just went to order some through there. Some of the red was on sale: $12 for 50 lbs. Good deal. Except that shipping was going to be at least $100!!!! My community college book store has 25 lbs for $9.99, I will be going that route instead!

[melissa17s]

Have you ever tried crayola model magic? It looks kind of like marshmellows, but is not sticky. I have no ideawhat it is made of unfortunately. We used it with k-3 grade art students and it was great in a PS setting. It dries in the shape its modeled into with out shrinkage. You can use markers or watercoloer paints on it after it has dried. You can glue parts together with elmers. You can get it in larger quantities and store as long as it is air tight and has minimal exposure to air when opened.

Dick Blick also sells air dry clays, too, that look like terra cotta or porcelain. You may also see if you can find paper clay, which can be modeled similar to clay, but does not require a kiln... not sure where to find it, though, maybe Michaels.

[boysrus]

We have used the Crayola stuff before.
I think it is an enviro nightmare though?? I recently read that, I think

[Leilalu]

Originally Posted by boysrus

heh heh, never mind. I just went to order some through there. Some of the red was on sale: $12 for 50 lbs. Good deal. Except that shipping was going to be at least $100!!!! My community college book store has 25 lbs for $9.99, I will be going that route instead!

that's good

Do you have a place to fire everything? Did you find a good book to start off with? Don't forget the supplies. You will probably find most everything you need in the college book store, in the art section