Arjan, three, had been playing with clay using a garlic press. As he pushed the soft clay through the press, the clay came out in a heap of glorious thin strands. Arjan looked at the clay, exclaiming ‘it looks like hair!’ This connection then led him to use the clay to make a portrait of his dad, who had lots of hair.
Clay invites children to touch it, to press their index finger into it, or to place their palms against it and lean onto it to change its shape. Charcoal encourages us to pick it up and draw crumbly lines against paper. Soft blue fabric might remind a child of a holiday to the beach and swimming in the sea, while a pile of small pebbles might evoke ideas about food or be interpreted as the elements of a face.
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