Cloud Clay - Air Dry Modeling Clay for Kids, Children and Adults

Most of us remember the fun we had growing up playing with Play-Doh as kids. Play-Doh was, and still is, a fun medium for children to create with, but newer modeling clay options have been introduced in the last several years. This last summer while teaching art camp, I was introduced to another clay for children - air dry Cloud Clay manufactured by Amaco (introduced in 2009)

Cloud Clay was an absolute hit with all the kids - and one of their favorite crafts to do this summer. It's not only affordable, but fun, easy to clean up and comes in a wide variety of colors.

Another one of my favorite things about Cloud Clay is the variety of colors it comes in. Cloud Clay can be purchased at some arts and crafts retailers and also online through Amazon. Colors can be mixed and don't become muddy like Play-Doh, so colors like red and white can be used to make different shades of pink and other colors when combined. Cloud Clay comes in 10 colors:

• White
• Red
• Orange
• Blue
• Purple
• Brown
• Black
• Green
• Yellow
• Terra Cotta

One of my favorite things, and the childrens too, is the fact that Cloud Clay is an "air-dry" clay. Although this is a big plus because it does not have to be baked in an oven, it also makes it a medium that has to be worked with rather quickly. I have found that Cloud Clay starts losing some of it's mold-ability within a half-hour, so it's best to take small pieces out at a time with kids. It's also important to wrap up the remaining Cloud Clay back in it's package or put it in a zip lock bag so it doesn't dry out.

Cloud Clay is:

• non-toxic
• not messy (5 stars for just that!)
• great for ages 3 to 99 years
• extremely pliable
• has more stretch than other modeling clays
• more fibrous so the clay does not break apart like some other clays
• is great for making detailed projects
• paint-able
• fun for little hands because of it's squeezablity
• can be used over and over again if sealed properly
• very durable once dry
• shatterproof

I have found that if you give children some leeway with their creativity, and allow them to come up with some of their own ideas with art mediums, they can discover and make some amazing things. With a little guidance, Cloud Clay became the catalyst for some really creative and inventive projects this summer at art camp. Besides making cute little creatures out of Cloud Clay, we also ended up doing a wide variety of projects including:

• Painted wood projects. We attached cute little critters and other shapes like islands and palm trees to wood projects with Elmers glue. For some of the projects I used a hot glue gun to attach the Cloud Clay. And if you first paint and dry your wood project, Cloud Clay can be molded over the wood without the use of any glue. We used the Cloud Clay with wood picture frames, pencil boxes, and birdhouses. The kids really enjoyed these projects.
• Magnets. We made a bunch of magnets for kids to take home to use on their fridge. This was another one of their favorite projects. We made lady-bugs, giraffes, moose, angry birds, teddy bears, turtles, deer, and other cute little critters. A hot glue gun was used to attach small magnets on the back.
• Cloud Clay "still-life's". A cute project we did was to make a basket out of clay. Then we made and added a small bottle of wine, cheese, bread and fruit and positioned them in their little baskets. The kids really had a blast making these little miniature items out of clay, and Cloud Clay is great for making small detailed things. We used a Chinese marker or Sharpie afterwards to write on names or little details to the items.
• Wood treasure and jewelry boxes. Every kid loves making something to hide and keep their little treasures in. We used paint and added Cloud Clay overlays with grass, critters and others fun things like hearts, birds and polka dots to make one-of-a-kind creations. A huge hit!

One of the reasons these projects were so successful is because of the 3-D aspect of them. Children love making things look "real", and by adding the dimensions of some clay to a flat wood project, it took the project from being fun to "awesome fun!"

Air-dry modeling Cloud Clay can be purchased in 4 oz. bags or larger bags for classroom projects. If you are looking for a fun project to do with your children, this one will be a sure hit!