Sculpey Clay Makes A Ten Out Of Ten Day

Boy child amazes me. Today we tackled arts and crafts. As my partner left this morning, he gave me a kiss and wished me all the best for what we predicted would be a disastrous day. Boy says he despises arts and crafts, that it is stupid to make things and couldn’t he just play World of Warcraft.

When I told Boy our home school hours would include a trip to our local Spotlight store to decide on an art project and purchase the required supplies, I wished I was in partners place: leaving for the day! Did Boy carry on! Boy HATES going out and particularly HATES Spotlight.

After some serious bribing with offers of MacDonald’s for lunch, we managed to get to the store without meltdown. I spent the short drive time wondering aloud about the projects we could tackle. I put the obviously unacceptable one’s first: knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, candle making, wood craft, clay. “Clay?’ he said. “Can we do some clay work as part of home school? Cool!”

What a pleasure the day turned into. I had hit upon Boy’s preferred medium of artistic expression and turned something stupid into something enjoyable for both of us. Boy chose some brightly coloured clays that cure in a home oven in a very short time span. He decided he wanted to make Rainforest frogs in a variety of colours. His first one is magnificent (pictured).

I was so impressed with the clay that I looked up their website. Oh my gosh! It is as wonderful as their product. Sculpey.com has hundreds of lesson plans, tips for teachers, tutorials and a section on using Sculpey clay with children who have special needs. I have book marked the site and it will be one of those that we visit every art and craft day.

When I worked as a child therapist, my first session would be assessment only. I would observe the child as they delved into my fully laid out therapy room: a treasure island of every therapeutic resource and art based beckoner that you could imagine. I would note the resource that they were naturally drawn to again and again, and I would then mould my therapeutic interventions around whatever their learning medium appeared to be. Duh!!!! Of course I’ve never thought to do that with my own child (How I worry myself sometimes!)

Boy made a painted clay Dragon prior to Christmas that everyone has congratulated him on. He is very proud of it and it has taken up residence in a prime location in our home. Clay is obviously his medium of expression. It is acceptable to him as an artsy type project and he talks, talks, talks as he rolls, shapes and gives life to his masterpieces. How have I missed this!!!!!!!!!!

And….to top the day off. Boy got nine out of nine for his spelling words today. What a great end to a constipated start to the day.

Megan’s highlight of the day: Boy learnt how to turn the fan forced oven and timer on. Hehe, guess what I’m now planning?