Make clay while the sun shines
This month the Snapdragons Forest leaders have been travelling around the nurseries delivering wild clubs for parents and children to get learn more about what we do in our sessions and for us to demonstrate some simple activities that anyone can do with materials around their homes.
A few of these activities centred around mud and particularly clay. All soil contains clay but we use a very simple method to extract the pure clay for us to use. Have a read below and have a go yourself!
Sieving out the larger stones from the mud
To make your clay you will need some mud, a bucket, water and a pillow case or sheet of fabric (that you don’t mind getting messy). If you want you can also use a garden sieve to get the big stones out first.
Get mixing! Skim off any leaves or sticks that float to the top
First fill the bucket half way up with the mud and then top it up with water. Next it’s time to get your hands in and start to mix the two together. Keep swirling and squeezing the mud until it mixes fully with the water. Any sticks and leaves that float to the top can be skimmed off and thrown away. As you mix the clay particles will start to be released and float in the water, each time you pull out your hands they should stick to your skin so it’s easy to tell when you’ve mixed enough!
Leave the muddy mixture for a couple of minutes to allow the stones and sand to fall to the bottom and skim off the last few bits of leaf. The clay will carry on swirling in the water for a little while (if you leave it too long it will settle and you’ll have to stir it all up again)
It’s ready to strain when your hands are covered in clay!
Either line a crate with the pillow case or cloth, or get a willing volunteer to hold it while you gently pour the clay filled water in. The stones and sand should stay in the bucket. It’s now time to tie the top of the cloth shut and hang it up to drain. The water should start to filter through the clay and drip out of the bottom (you can even use it to clean your muddy hands!) once the water has all drained away you will be left with your finished clay! This can take a few days so keep checking on it and when it feels good, have a play.
Clay play in action
Keep you clay in a damp cloth when you’re not using it to stop it drying out. Any models you make will dry out naturally and if you’re feeling really bold you can try firing it on a campfire! If you have a go at making your own clay send your pictures to us, we’d love to see what you make!