The story Many Shapes of Clay: A Story of Healing Kenesha Sneed is about a young girl who goes through the ups and downs of the creative process. Her mother is a cermaic artist who helps her make a special shape that makes her feel connected to different aspects of her life. Through the bold colors and imagery of the story we see the young girl overcome by healing when creating.
To extend this story providing a child to create with clay is a wonderful opportunity to make the book come to life. You will need clay, tools, water, rag, and tray. You can cut out and laminate similar shapes from the story to provoke the child to mold just like they did in the book.
Clay is one medium that promotes creativity. The importance of using clay in early childhood is deeply rooted in the endless benefits. While the child is manipulating the clay it helps develop the child’s large and small muscles, fosters eye-hand coordisntion, and their ability to focus/build attention span. The tactial experience of exploring the texture while creating can build their vocabulary and understanding of math. Clay is such an interesting and compelling tool to ignite a child’s creative process.
