When was the last time you held a ball of modeling clay in your hands? When was the last time you shaped something recognizable from it?
Personally, the last time I had the chance to hold one was just a few weeks ago, when I had this short kiddie-ish assignment for one of my elective classes. At first I was a bit surprised because it was a class about social development through technology but I eventually realized the purpose of the homework.
Well, that is aside from the fact that it was a very good modelling experience. I've never been that good when it comes to modelling anything using a block of clay. I was never meant to be a sculptor, but there's really something good you can take out of the experience. Rolling the mass between my hands, rolling the mass on a surface, pinching and flattening parts of the dough to make some design--it's a good therapeutic activity, in my opinion.
What can you do with a clay dough? Practically anthing that you could think of, as long as they are feasible, engineering-wise. Let's be realistic here and not aspire for a two-storey structure, shall we? Among children, popular products to make are imitations of food items. Companies such as Play Doh do make a lot of tools that can aid you and your children with making models.
You can take this to the next level, though. Why settle for a manufactured product like Clay Doh when you can actually make your own? It's a childhood product invented way before the store variety was introduced. This means you can actually make your own using scratch--using materials that can often be seen at home. Here's one clay dough recipe that I saw online. All that is needed are flour, warm water, some salt, and cream of tartar.
Well, whatever option you choose, I hope you have fun with modelling and playing with the clay.
