Art therapy and not only: the useful modeling clay for children and adults

Kids love to sculpt. Give your child a piece of clay, dough for sculpting or clay, and he will feel the Creator. Working with clay can already after a year - a fumble, but somewhere in the 3 years the child already may well create their first masterpieces.

"Dance of the fingers' gives matter form specified by our imagination, and the name of this" dance "- Modeling. Even if the baby is simply smearing clay on the board, or crumples it without specific purpose - it is still very useful, and there is a certain sense, even if not always clear adult.

Of all the materials for sculpting clay, perhaps the most surprising. Clay is a unique natural material. Supple, warm, pleasant to the touch - in the right hands it can become like a simple child's toy, and in an elegant vase or sculpture.

Clay can be purchased in stores of products for creativity or directly from the artists. Also, you can prepare the material on their own - if you find clay deposits in the ground anywhere in the country - the clay needed to soak in water and cleaned of sand, fine litter. The main store it in a vacuum plastic bag, because it dries very quickly and loses its plastic properties.

In addition, if it is free from artificial additives and colorings - it is absolutely harmless material and even if the child wants it to taste, nothing terrible will happen.

Working with clay

Traditionally, the best material for molding is clay. Objects fashioned from it, dry quickly, ready-made products can be tempered to a certain degree of hardness, and then paint, cover the painting. Baked clay work becomes a real toy, sculpture or jewelry that your child can use in real life, or play, and very proud of it.

The main thing is that the single-colored clay and working with it, the child focus aims at creating an image, proleplivanie form the subject as a whole, while at the work with children's colored plasticine, painted in the active color, children are often only approximately pass form content with bright color scheme, the color expressiveness.

Clay mold children with greater consistency and to closely monitor the transformations of a piece of plastic material in the finished object. One of the advantages of clay is that it falls into the hands of a child in a state that allows you to immediately start to mold.

Skills obtained during molding of the clay, can then be easily transferred to the clay. And so necessary when working with clay receptions - primazyvanie when connecting parts, sealing of cracks - is almost not needed when working with clay.

Modeling clay - is not only exciting activity that allows you to create your own hands the original product.

Modeling as an art therapy

Child, for that matter, and adult modeling enables the safest way to relieve stress, to show their feelings, to realize the value of his personality. This is the easiest and most effective way to identify and develop hidden talents and skills to realize their uniqueness, their creativity.

For many children, modeling becomes a bridge between the world of reality and fantasy. Thanks to this bridge many of the young visionaries are able to move from the world of their dreams in the present world, come to terms with its imperfections.

Psychologists are actively using molding as one of the areas of art therapy, because this method expression is most accessible to children of all ages, ranging from two to three-year-old children and ending child 8-10 years.

Modeling favors the expression of feelings and emotions, transference of inner feelings on environmental objects, the search for new forms of non-verbal interaction with the objects of the surrounding world.

Also modeling exercises help active children become calmer. If a lack of concentration is observed in the child, anxiety, sleep problems, irritability and caprices - sculpting perfect will.

The use of modeling for the overall development

Since every object has a volume, it is perceived by the child from all sides. On the basis of the perception of the object in the mind of the baby image is formed. Modeling, as an activity to a greater extent than painting or applique, brings children to the ability to navigate in space, the absorption of a number of mathematical concepts.

Children directly correlate parts of objects between themselves, determine their size (length, thickness), which in the figure is only visual means.

Trying to convey as accurately as possible form the baby is actively working with your fingers, and most often by ten, and this, It is known to contribute to the development of speech, as well as help him to quickly master the skills of drawing and writing in future.

Also note that in the process of modeling clay children develop a sense of rhythm, coordination, consistent strokes. Experience in creating masterpieces of conventional materials are gradually teach your baby to look at things from a different angle, finding original solutions, even in desperate situations.

Another specific feature of modeling - its close connection with the game. Ambience made figurines stimulates children to the gaming action with it.

Modeling is also useful not only for children but also for adults

Especially the work on the potter's wheel. During molding you abstract from reality in the mind ceases inner monologue, go intrusive thoughts, anxiety. Consciousness is fully concentrated on the rotation of a circle and a piece of clay that you have to transform. Working with clay gives a sense of renewal and quiet joy.

Create - the process is very exciting, able to awaken in us new hidden abilities. And if suddenly you will find yourself through art, it will never want to stop your creativity. Try it! Lepite for health and pleasure!

Also you will be interested to know that Why painting finger paints incredibly helpful to baby