Exploring colorful clay cutters…without clay
With just a few colorful clay cutters, you can foster children’s motor and cognitive skills.
You will need:
- Clay cutters (different sizes and colors)
- Construction paper
- Markers
- Paper (8 ½ in x 14 in)
- Scissors
- A large plastic bin
Let’s begin with a simple activity. Set the clay cutters in your large plastic bin, keeping the largest cutter from each set.
Arrange the large clay cutters on the table. Name the shape and color of each clay cutter with your group.
Children take turns taking a clay cutter out of your bin and setting it inside the corresponding shape. Keep going until your plastic bin is empty.
Cut several pieces of construction paper in half to create oversized playing cards. On each one, trace two clay cutters, one inside the other as shown. Create several cards for optimal and prolonged exploration. Laminate the cards for durable, eco-friendly use.
Children take turns picking a card and finding the corresponding clay cutters. They can set them on the cards.
Arrange three cards in a row. Invite children to find the corresponding clay cutters and use them to draw the series on a piece of white paper, placed horizontally in front of them.
You could ask a child to use the cards to create a series and invite one of his peers to draw it to foster communication among the children in your group.
Of course, you could also have children use the clay cutters to reproduce series using modeling dough for a different challenge.
These are all ways you can use clay cutters to put little hands to work while providing children with the opportunity to practise shape and color recognition.
Have fun!
Patricia-Ann Morrison