Clay Pinch Pots

Students were introduced to CLAY!!!!! I LOVE teaching clay to kinders. We discussed how clay comes from the ground and how it is different from play-doh. I told them many things can be made from clay including items at home. I showed pictures of clay pots, bowls and vases from a Native American pottery book for inspiration and that this type of art is 3 dimensional. I explained to the children that a long time ago, Native American people used clay to make their bowls, cups, plates and vases because they didn't have stores like Target or Macy's to buy those things. I went on adding that they were going to make a little bowl called a PINCH POT, that they too could eat and drink from when finished.


We discussed how the clay felt: cold, hard, soft, bumpy.


To make a pinch pot, students:
    1. rolled their clay into a smooth ball
    2. stuck their thumb into the middle of the ball
    3. checked their thumb hole to make sure it didn't go all the way through the bottom
    4. put their thumb back in the hole and used their fingers to pinch the clay creating a larger hole/opening.
    5. continued pinching around in a circle until the clay turned into a bowl.
    6. checked their clay piece with me so I could make sure it wasn't too thick or thin. (if too thick, I had students continue pinching)
    7. smooth out the cracks/bumps.
    8. bring pinch pot to me so I could write their name on the bottom.




After Winter Break, students will glaze their pinch pots.