📖

Squish and Squeeze

Playing with Clay

Day 31of 180
Week 7of 36
20Minutes
← Day 30Day 31 of 180Day 32 →
🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Explore different ways to manipulate clay using hands

2

Develop fine motor skills through clay manipulation

3

Practice following simple two-step instructions

📖 Scripture Connection

Genesis 2:7

“Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

— Genesis 2:7 (WEB)

Just as God carefully formed humans from clay, children will explore shaping and forming clay with their own hands

📦 Materials Needed

  • Modeling clay or play dough
  • Clean work surface or mat
  • Optional: clay tools
  • BibleMouse Resource Guide: Grade PK4 Art
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (3 min)

Welcome to today's BibleMouse art adventure! Remember how we played with tissue paper and magazine pictures last week? Today we're exploring clay!

💭 Review Question: What fun things did we create last week?
2Teaching (7 min)

Today we'll learn how clay can be squished, rolled, and flattened. Our hands are amazing tools for creating art!

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • Clay is soft and can change shape when we touch it
  • We can make clay flat like a pancake
  • We can roll clay into long snake shapes
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • What does the clay feel like?
  • Can you make the clay look different?
3Activity: Clay Exploration Station (8 min)
hands-on

Children will explore clay using different hand movements

📝 Instructions:
  1. Sit at your work surface
  2. Take a piece of clay
  3. Try squishing the clay with your whole hand
  4. Roll the clay into a ball
  5. Press the clay flat like a pancake
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Parent helps child manipulate clay

Challenge: Create a simple shape like a heart or star

4Closing (3 min)

Let's talk about what we learned today!

📝 Review Questions:
  • What did you do with the clay?
  • Was the clay soft or hard?

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn how to make clay snakes!

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Clay manipulation helps develop hand strength and fine motor skills

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Use washable clay for easy cleanup
  • Supervise young children to prevent clay eating
  • Praise effort over perfect results
🤔 Common Struggles:

Children might get frustrated if clay doesn't do exactly what they want

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Enjoyment of texture, willingness to experiment

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Use BibleMouse Printables Library clay-themed coloring pages
  • Listen to BibleMouse Song Collection while creating

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 32 →Back to Art