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Project ideas for the younger set


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It's still winter hereabouts but nonetheless its that time of year again- time to start planning my summer ceramics program for about 150 elementary age kids. We have about eight 45 minute sessions- 4 for handbuilding and 4 for glazing. Basically I need 4 easy projects (I've got large groups so I can't give much individual attention) and I feel like I've exhausted all the tried and trues already and I have a lot of returning kids. Parents are paying big bucks so I need to produce projects that are either cute or functional (or both).

Just to give you a feel, we've already made pinch pot bowls and pinch pot animals. Coil bowls and coil mugs. Slices of "pizza" and name plaques. Spoon rests and flower tiles. Cookie cutter shapes and snail coil bowls.

Anybody out there have any new ideas for me? We've all heard of writer's block- I think I have ceramic teacher block! Help!

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I know you have done the cookie cutter shapes, but have you thought of a XMass in July theme making xmass ornaments, they can be patted out, rolled, coiled or cookie cutter shapes and put a hole for a string. I did this with my son's class and it was a big hit with the kids and the parents came up to me and told me how much they would cherish them. My son went to a private school and these people were really into material things. My son had speech problems and didn't fit well in public school, so we bit the bullet. Denice

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It's still winter hereabouts but nonetheless its that time of year again- time to start planning my summer ceramics program for about 150 elementary age kids. We have about eight 45 minute sessions- 4 for handbuilding and 4 for glazing. Basically I need 4 easy projects (I've got large groups so I can't give much individual attention) and I feel like I've exhausted all the tried and trues already and I have a lot of returning kids. Parents are paying big bucks so I need to produce projects that are either cute or functional (or both).

Just to give you a feel, we've already made pinch pot bowls and pinch pot animals. Coil bowls and coil mugs. Slices of "pizza" and name plaques. Spoon rests and flower tiles. Cookie cutter shapes and snail coil bowls.

Anybody out there have any new ideas for me? We've all heard of writer's block- I think I have ceramic teacher block! Help!

 

 

Slab constructions are pretty easy at that age. I used to do a few projects with slabs that involved the slump mold and a highly decorated slab for a cool corn on the cob platter, or sushi type dish. I also did a project where I had a bunch of template cut from mat board that would all fit together, the kids would choose 2 for the four walls, and then add a bottom. These were often made with smaller edge at one side to make a candle box, cut across a corner for the candle door after assembled on a slab and pierce areas in patterns for light to come through. These kids seem to love doing texture, so the first thing I had them do was a small clay stamp to use on their pots, if you have a good sized group, these can be fired in summer force drying and be used on day 2 or 3.

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It's still winter hereabouts but nonetheless its that time of year again- time to start planning my summer ceramics program for about 150 elementary age kids. We have about eight 45 minute sessions- 4 for handbuilding and 4 for glazing. Basically I need 4 easy projects (I've got large groups so I can't give much individual attention) and I feel like I've exhausted all the tried and trues already and I have a lot of returning kids. Parents are paying big bucks so I need to produce projects that are either cute or functional (or both).

Just to give you a feel, we've already made pinch pot bowls and pinch pot animals. Coil bowls and coil mugs. Slices of "pizza" and name plaques. Spoon rests and flower tiles. Cookie cutter shapes and snail coil bowls.

Anybody out there have any new ideas for me? We've all heard of writer's block- I think I have ceramic teacher block! Help!

 

 

Slab constructions are pretty easy at that age. I used to do a few projects with slabs that involved the slump mold and a highly decorated slab for a cool corn on the cob platter, or sushi type dish. I also did a project where I had a bunch of template cut from mat board that would all fit together, the kids would choose 2 for the four walls, and then add a bottom. These were often made with smaller edge at one side to make a candle box, cut across a corner for the candle door after assembled on a slab and pierce areas in patterns for light to come through. These kids seem to love doing texture, so the first thing I had them do was a small clay stamp to use on their pots, if you have a good sized group, these can be fired in summer force drying and be used on day 2 or 3.

 

 

Dear All,

 

One of the children I worked with in the summer came to my house with a project already in mind and I did the best to help her reach her goal. She wanted to make a holder for her fathers optical glasses. She had seen one in some store and felt we could do it in clay. We made a slab cylinder and then attached a bunch of triangle nose shapes around the tube and put a bottom on the pot. Thus, it became both a vase and an eye glass holder that he could use. The noses were made in such a way that he could just rest his glasses gently on one of the protruding nose triangles. She was most proud of her finished project. It wasn't anything fancy but it was useful and meaningful to her in knowing her father depended on his glasses to see.

 

Nelly

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Guest scott312

Send them home with Sponge Bog Square Pants tea pots. Well it's early and just getting coffee in me. And A tea pot would be a bit much and copyright problems of course :)

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Hey, I'm on my second cup of coffee so I'm O.K.

1. Cut 6 inch square templates out of scrap matt board. Roll out slabs using lath strips for thickness. Create a self portrait by adding clay onto the slab.[two classes]

2.See above.

3. The anthropomorphic mug. Mug that is an animal shape. E.g. an elephant head with the trunk for a handle.Made as a slab cylinder.

4.Hanging weed pot with juniper leaves sticking out. Roll out a random slab shape-not too big-4 inches wide by 6 inches long. Ball up newspaper. Make a pouch by forming another slab on top of newspaper. Remove paper before firing.

Good luck.

TJR.

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It's still winter hereabouts but nonetheless its that time of year again- time to start planning my summer ceramics program for about 150 elementary age kids. We have about eight 45 minute sessions- 4 for handbuilding and 4 for glazing. Basically I need 4 easy projects (I've got large groups so I can't give much individual attention) and I feel like I've exhausted all the tried and trues already and I have a lot of returning kids. Parents are paying big bucks so I need to produce projects that are either cute or functional (or both).

Just to give you a feel, we've already made pinch pot bowls and pinch pot animals. Coil bowls and coil mugs. Slices of "pizza" and name plaques. Spoon rests and flower tiles. Cookie cutter shapes and snail coil bowls.

Anybody out there have any new ideas for me? We've all heard of writer's block- I think I have ceramic teacher block! Help!

 

 

Slab constructions are pretty easy at that age. I used to do a few projects with slabs that involved the slump mold and a highly decorated slab for a cool corn on the cob platter, or sushi type dish. I also did a project where I had a bunch of template cut from mat board that would all fit together, the kids would choose 2 for the four walls, and then add a bottom. These were often made with smaller edge at one side to make a candle box, cut across a corner for the candle door after assembled on a slab and pierce areas in patterns for light to come through. These kids seem to love doing texture, so the first thing I had them do was a small clay stamp to use on their pots, if you have a good sized group, these can be fired in summer force drying and be used on day 2 or 3.

 

 

When you say candle box do you mean a box to hold a lit candle (I'm assuming a tea candle type)? I'm using low fire earthenware for the kids- would it be safe to put a lit candle in it (obviously with adult supervision)? The last thing I want is some irate parent calling me to tell me I set their house on fire!!

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