Activity:
Clay Beads
What child doesn't love wearable art? Help your child get ready for the holidays in style by having her create her very own beads for garlands, gift-wrapping and jewelry gifts. Your preschooler will enjoy the hands-on fun of shaping homemade clay. When she's done, she'll have a beautiful, hand-painted necklace to wear or give to someone special!
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What You Need:
- Toothpicks
- Polymer baking clay, such as Sculpey, Kato or Fimo
- Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
What You Do:
- Help your child condition the polymer clay by kneading and squeezing it to make it malleable and easier for little fingers to stretch.
- Have your child warm the clay between her fingers so it'll be easier to mold.
- She can now pinch off a piece of clay and roll it between a flat surface and the palm of her hand, or between both of her hands to create a bead about 1/4" in diameter.
- Have her push a toothpick through the bead to create a hole for stringing it later.
- Encourage her to mix and blend colors, alter the shapes by making them longer, or even twisting them as she continues creating her customized beads.
- Place the beads on the pan and follow the baking instructions.
- Once they cool down, she can string them however she likes!
Helpful Tip: Pushing the toothpick in halfway, then removing it and pushing it halfway from the other side, will help to give an even hole through the entire bead.
