Most children, when given a piece of ordinary soft pottery clay, are instinctively motivated to explore its inviting soft and responsive sensory qualities.

They poke it, squeeze it, hit it, pick it up and pound it down, and so on. Each time they act on the clay, the clay adjusts and responds. These changes mean very little to us as adults, but for a child these changes in the clay are magical. The child is naturally fascinated, motivated, and empowered to keep experimenting.

There is no better moment than to witnessing a child's joy as they sit at the potter's wheel for the first time and place their wet hands on slowly spinning clay ! Clay has a uniquely therapeutic quality to settle and calm children; it retains their attention for hours.

The sensory experiences they encounter while working with clay are numerous and as they experience the texture and feel of the clay, children develop both fine and major motor skills .

All forms of art are important for children to experience, yet it does seem that the long-lasting nature of the children's finished clay piece adds a special value for them.