Why air-drying clay is the best starting point for young makers

Air-drying clay — often labelled self-hardening clay — is the ideal material for children. It is soft straight from the bag, it holds a shape without needing a kiln, and it hardens on a windowsill in a day or two. There is no firing stage, no oven, and no risk of a favourite model exploding in the heat.

Polymer clay is lovely for teenagers, but it needs baking and it will not forgive a heavy hand. Air-drying clay can be pinched back into a ball if a model goes wrong, which matters enormously when you are five years old and the ears keep falling off.

Buy it in 1kg or 2kg blocks from any craft shop or online art supplier. It keeps for months in an airtight bag with a slightly damp cloth tucked inside. If it firms up, a few drops of water and a good knead will bring it back.

Set up a workspace that is easy to clean

Most clay mess comes from clay escaping the work surface. Contain it and the whole activity becomes calm.

• Cover the table with a wipe-clean cloth, an old shower curtain or a plastic sheet.
• Give each child a board to work on — a wooden chopping board or a piece of thick card. Clay stays put and can be lifted away in one go.
• Put down a shallow dish of water and a damp cloth for wiping hands. Keep a dry cloth nearby too.
• Aprons on, sleeves rolled up, long hair tied back.
• Clean dried clay with a damp cloth rather than sweeping, which only lifts dust into the air.

Keep sessions to twenty to thirty minutes. Young children tire long before the clay does, and a short session that ends happily is worth more than an hour that ends in tears.

Tools worth having, and the ones to leave in the drawer

You need very little. A wooden rolling pin, a couple of plastic clay tools, cocktail sticks, a small sponge, and a set of metal cookie cutters will cover almost everything.

Plastic cutlery is surprisingly useful — a teaspoon for hollowing, a knife for trimming a base. An old toothbrush is excellent for scratching surfaces before joining. Skip anything sharp, and skip wire clay cutters, which are fiddly and easily bent.

For decorating, washable acrylic paint and a few cheap brushes are ideal. Watercolour will not cover properly, and gloss enamel is best saved for older children.

Four simple animal projects to try first

Animals work well because children already know the shape they are aiming for, and every one of these can be built from balls and coils.

• Snail. Roll a long coil, then wind it into a spiral on the board. Add a small ball for the head and two tiny coils for eyestalks.
• Hedgehog. Shape a ball, then pinch one end to make a pointed snout. Press two tiny eyes with a cocktail stick, and add spines by pushing in short cocktail sticks at an angle. An adult should handle the sticks.
• Cat. One ball for the body, a smaller one for the head, two flattened triangles for ears, and a thin coil for the tail. Press each piece on firmly and smooth the join with a fingertip.
• Fish. Flatten an oval with the palm of the hand, add a triangle for the tail and a small flattened circle for the fin. Draw scales with a cocktail stick.

Let them choose. A child who has picked the animal will persevere far longer than one who has been assigned it.

Joining pieces so they survive the drying stage

Falling-off heads are the single biggest cause of clay frustration. Teach the scratch and press method early.

Scratch both surfaces with a cocktail stick or old toothbrush, dab on a tiny amount of water, press the pieces together firmly, then smooth the join with a damp finger. This is the child-friendly version of the score-and-slip technique potters use, and it works just as well on a kitchen table.

If a head is heavy, prop it up with a small ball of scrunched paper while the model dries, then remove the paper once the clay has firmed.

Drying, decorating and keeping frustration low

Air-drying clay needs time, not heat. Leave models on their board in a cool room for 24 to 48 hours, turning once after the first twelve. Thicker pieces take longer. Keep them away from radiators and sunny windowsills, because drying too quickly is what causes cracking.

Small cracks can be filled with a dab of soft clay or a little PVA glue once dry. If a limb drops off, glue it back with PVA and leave it overnight.

Paint only when the clay is completely hard and feels cool to the touch. Seal the finished piece with a coat of PVA diluted half and half with water, or a matt craft varnish, so it survives being handled.

Finally, keep a couple of rules in your pocket. Let children squash anything they dislike — restarting is part of the process, not a failure. Praise the effort rather than the accuracy, because a wobbly cat with one ear is a genuine achievement at six years old. And always finish by putting the leftover clay back in its bag together, so the next session starts with soft, workable material and a child who wants to begin again.