Playdough is considered one of the most versatile play toys on the market today. Reason being, it’s a fun fidget toy that also promotes an active imagination and fine motor skill development. When played with correctly, it’s not messy and is ideal for kids and even adults! So, is playdough a fidget toy?

Let’s talk about this and more on why you should purchase some of this squishy putty for your kiddos!

What is a Fidget Toy?

Fidget toys are tactile toys that allow kids (and adults) to play with it in a variety of ways. The purpose of fidget toys is to help kids who have excess energy to get that energy out in a safe and productive way. They’re also great for relieving tension or stress that a child may be experiencing. Fidget toys comes in a variety of forms, but they should have at least one of the following traits:

• Multiple parts
• Moving parts (spinning, pulling, popping, etc.)
• An ability to be changed and shaped
• Multiple textures
• Palm size or smaller

Is Playdough a Fidget Toy?

Playdough has been around since 1955 and has been the favorite fidget toy of families for decades. Although the formula has changed over the years, the purpose has only expanded!

Today, Playdough is considered a fidget toy amongst experts! This is because playdough is one of the most tactile toys on the market. It has the ability to be squished, pulled, shaped, molded, and more. Additionally, the company itself offers a wide variety of play set options such as kitchen sets, ice-cream molds, shape molds, etc. The ability to use their hands to mold, squish, push, pull, shape, spin, clasp, and more provides kids with a variety of fidgeting release options!

Who Would Benefit from Using Playdough as a Fidget Toy?

Every child can benefit from playing with Playdough products. The ability to use their hands to create something aids in fidget reduction and even stress and anxiety relief. Playdough is ideal for any child, but in particular, kids with any of the following traits:

• ADHD/ADD
• Excess energy
• Kids who are known to fidget with their hands (tapping, hitting, snapping, etc.)
• Children with anxiety
• Kids who like to play with their hands
• Children who are unsure of how to express their emotions

Playdough is not just for kids who need to fidget with something, but it’s a great option for them! Playdough offers a wide variety of benefits not only for fidgeters, but for all kids and parents looking to enhance various developmental skillsets.

What Developmental Benefits Does Playdough Offer?

Playdough is not only a phenomenal fidget toy, but it’s also ideal for child development. In particular, this squishy dough is ideal for enhancing fine motor skills in kids. In simple terms, fine motor skills are the skills needed to use your finger and sometimes hands in a detailed manner. The most common fine motor skills you’ve probably heard of include:

• Writing
• Using scissor
• Coloring inside the lines
• Pincer grasps (using pincher finger and thumb)

There are various others, but these are the most common. If you notice your child is struggling in this area, don’t worry. There are various ways to enhance these skills and using Playdough is one of them! On top of being used as a fidget toy, your kids will be reaping the rewards of fine motor development as they manipulate the dough!

What Age is Playdough Best For?

Playdough is best for kids ages two and up! Introducing it sooner could be dangerous as playdough is not edible and kids younger than two are known for putting things into their mouth.

Even at two years old though, you should be monitoring your child to ensure they aren’t trying to eat it. Two years old is also when fine motor skills start to develop as well as energy levels start rising. Since playdough is an excellent fidget toy, implementing it at a young age can help control fidgeting from the start.

You can introduce playdough at really any age though. If your child is in kindergarten and just showing signs of fidgeting, you can always bring Playdough into the home and see if it helps!

What can Kids Make Out of Playdough for Fidget Toys?

What’s especially unique about Playdough is that it’s not only good as a stand-alone fidget toy. Of course, your kiddo can play with Playdough as it is and get the benefits of reduced fidgeting. However, Playdough is also a versatile substance that can be manipulated into various kinds of more-permanent fidget toys!

For example, Playdough can be turned into a hard substance when you bake it low and slow in an oven (200 degrees). You can make fidget spinners using Playdough that are rock solid and can be used as a permanent fidget toy for your kiddo!

Additionally, making stress balls using Playdough is a great fidget toy option! All you need is Playdough and a balloon. You simply fill the balloon with some playdough until it’s the desired size, tie it off, and you’re done! It’s a squishy and safe option for fidgeting kiddos! The best part? If it breaks, it doesn’t make a mess because Playdough is a solid substance.

 Does Playdough Help Relieve Stress?

Playdough can help relieve stress and enhance focus in kids. It can also help you as the parent learn when your child is feeling stressed or anxious. Playdough helps relieve stress by providing a healthy way to release some of their energy. Additionally, it gives them something else to focus on. It’s especially helpful if you can play with your kiddo, such as playing restaurant and give them specific foods to make at a time. It forces focus and can help relieve stress.

Final Thoughts on Playdough Being a Fidget Toy

Playdough is in fact one of the most beneficial fidget toys you’ll come across! It’s ideal for kids of at least 2 years of age. Playdough provides kids with the ability to reduce stress, get out their excess energy, and even enhance fine motor skills and imagination! It’s an all-in-one fidget toy that can be used alone or turned into other objects like stress balls and fidget spinners!

If you have a fidgeter, give Playdough a try!

 

Many parents or teachers (likely you, reading this article!) have children that are either in preschool or on their way to preschool. They all think about what games, or activities are best for their child’s learning. Blocks are often a popular choice, rightfully so, for a wide variety of reasons! What are the best types of blocks for preschoolers though?

Why are Building Blocks a Good Toy for Preschoolers?

Building blocks are one of the best toys to have in your home and in your play area. These simple yet multi-functional toys are great for expanding language, communication and sharing with others. Additionally, their ideal for fine motor development, counting and problem solving! Let’s talk about why different types of building blocks are good for preschoolers!

Fine Motor Development

When kids are playing with blocks whether they are big or small, hard or squishy, they are engaging their fine motor skills. This occurs when they grab the blocks, stack them on top of each other, next to one another, etc.

Some popular ways to enhance fine motor development would be to create race tracks or stack a tall tower!

Counting

When stacking blocks up to make a tower or even to build a street to push a toy car on, this can lead to some counting lessons! For example, asking your preschooler how many rectangle blocks do they need? How many red squares? Playing with blocks can even lead to peer-play development! For example, responding to friends asking for a specific number of blocks, then that preschooler responding and learning how many three actually means.

Problem Solving

Problem solving is a natural key component to any play, but with building blocks this occurs when they are stuck on what to do next. They may need to consider what blocks they need that will fit the creation they are making or even how to ask for help form their teachers or friends.

What are the Different Types of Blocks for Preschoolers?

The different types of blocks that are available to play with seems almost never ending; Duplos and Legos, wooden blocks, magnetic blocks, foam blocks, are just a few, and the list goes on! What are the different type sof blocks for preschoolers and what makes them all so unique?

Legos and Duplos

Legos are those blocks that have the circles on top and the open bottoms that allow for them to be stuck together, they can come in the tiniest pieces to attach to a large flat “plate” and stack until you have a village of Legos!

Duplos are the larger blocks that have the same idea of stacking on top of each other, but are more aimed for tower building and shape making with all the different shapes they come in.

Wooden Blocks

The most standard building block that comes from way back when, in all different shapes and sizes, are wooden blocks. They are great for building fortresses and allow for great imaginative play.

Magnet Blocks

Magnets in these plastic blocks keep them from falling apart easily and make the coolest towers. They are even some magnet blocks that are built with wheels to make cars to drive the blocks around!

Foam Blocks

These are squishy and soft blocks that can also stack up like wooden or hard blocks. They come in all different shapes and sizes. They are a little squishy and soft, so that helps with fine motor with preschoolers, making it easier to grab the building blocks.  

What Should be in a Preschool Block Play Area?

The most important pieces are the blocks, all different shapes, sizes, colors and textures. For example, Legos and Duplos, foam blocks, magnet blocks, etc. You will also need some cubbies or boxes to place the blocks in when they are not in use. Make sure each kind of block has its own storage area so nothing gets mixed up! It can also be beneficial to have a carpet area for designating where preschoolers can build. This keeps things organized and the blocks in one specific area.

Consider having a few bins of “extras” for kids to incorporate into their block play. For example, some farm animals, dinosaurs, toy cars, even toy people area great!

What are the Stages of Block Play?

There are roughly seven stages of Block Play that build on the previous stage and are important for development among preschoolers.

Stage 1: Carrying and Exploring

You’ll see in this stage an infant or toddler is holding their blocks and transferring them from one area or even container to the next, over and over again.

Stage 2: Stacking Rows or Towers

The beginning of stacking towers up high or across the floor in a line is around 2 to 3 years old. This is when they start learning how to use those fine motor skills.

Stage 3: Bridges and Passageways

Between the ages of 3 and 4, preschoolers start stacking their blocks and learning how to balance them between 2 other blocks to make a bridge or tower.

Stage 4: Enclosure

In this stage their imagination starts to take off, their towers become houses or buildings by enclosing them and taking up more space in their learning area.

Stage 5: Symmetry and Patterns

Children will realize all the different “accessories” they can add to their building and begin to incorporate them into their play.

Stage 6: Functional and Naming of Structures

Between the ages of 4 and 5, preschoolers will now begin to label their buildings, towers, bridges, etc. and even pretend play begins as well, racing cars down the track, helicopter flying through the city, etc.

Stage 7: Complex and Symbolic

Age 5 and up, preschoolers starting to recreate buildings or places they have seen around or making their building more complex and intricate.

How Do You Encourage Playing with Blocks?

Encourage kiddos to play with blocks can be challenging is its just not a toy they love. There are however ways to help encourage this play. Having the blocks in front of you and having your preschooler knock them over is always a great method. Kids love to watch things fall down and then help you stack them back up.

Final Thoughts

We hope this post on types of blocks for preschoolers was a help!  Building blocks for preschoolers are essential toys that help establish so many crucial learning developments. Kids play while enhancing fine motor, matching, problem solving and creativity skills! They encourage sharing with friends on top of it and of course language and communication starts to grow as well!

Kinetic sand is all the rave these days, and for good reason! It sticks together without water, it holds its shape, and kids love it! However, with the name “sand” in it, parents are hesitant to make the purchase out of fear of finding sand in every nook and cranny in the house! So, the question is, does kinetic sand make a mess?

What is Kinetic Sand?

Kinetic sand is kind of play-sand that gets harder under pressure. Unlike traditional sand, it doesn’t need water to be formed into various shapes and objects. It has the consistency of wet sand that isn’t actually wet and is designed for indoor sand-play.

Kinetic sand found in stores is made from two primary ingredients: fine grain sand and dimethicone. You can however make kinetic sand at home at your own convenience and often for less expensive! To do so you need the following ingredients:

• Cornstarch
• Sand
• Cooking oil

Once you have your ingredients, you can mix them all together in your bowl (recipe will vary based on amount of sand desired). Then play!

Does Kinetic Sand Make a Mess?

Kinetic sand does make a mess but not a huge one. The size of the mess will depend on how your kids play with it. If they’re sitting nicely at a table and forming their sand into castles or shapes, then the mess won’t be bad! However, if they’re wiping it off the table onto the carpet or throwing it at each other…slightly different story.

Keep in mind though, kinetic sand doesn’t stick to anything other than itself. So, it won’t get caught to your kids’ skin, clothes, or hair. It falls right off and only sticks to other kinetic sand particles! Additionally, since kinetic sand sticks to itself, you can form a large clump into a ball and kind of roll it around other areas with the sand, and it’ll pick it all up for you!

There are a variety of tactics you can use to ensure your kinetic sand stays in one place and is easy to clean!

Is it Easy to Clean Up?

Depending on the way the kinetic sand was used and what it was made from, it is often easy to clean up! Kinetic sand is made from materials that are not sticky, so the sand usually falls right off any area it touches. It only sticks to itself.

Since it isn’t sticky, you can clean it up by using your hand to wipe it off of a table into a container. If it’s on a hard floor, you can sweep it with no problem! If it’s on the carpet, a quick vacuum will usually get it right up. Kinetic sand doesn’t stick to carpet unless there’s something else mixed into it that’s causing it to do so.

If your kiddo got the sand in their hair, they can shake their head outside so the sand falls out. Then, they should take a quick shower just to be sure it all came out! If you really want to play it safe, incorporate some easy methods to ensure your kids don’t make a mess with their kinetic sand.

Tips for Playing with Kinetic Sand Without Making a Mess?

There are so many ways for your kids to play with kinetic sand without making a mess! Try the following methods next time your kid acts for this moldable substance.

 Place the kinetic sand in a clear container: having your kiddo play with the sand in a large clear container is a great way to keep kinetic sand mess free. It’s also a fantastic way to teach your kiddo spatial awareness (bonus!).

Make it fun: Kids don’t often love boundaries, so this can be difficult. Try making it fun by burying a bunch of small items in the kinetic sand and sending them on a treasure hunt! This keeps the sand in the box, but they still feel engaged and playful.

 Play with the sand outdoors: Give your kids free range to do what they want with the sand, but outside the house! This keeps the mess outdoors.

Make it fun: Set up sort of an obstacle course with the kinetic sand. Set up small stations where they can play with the sand outside. Set a goal for each station that they need to complete before moving on (such as “make a starfish out of the sand”).

Give them small amounts at a time: If your kiddo wants to mold shapes or animals out of the kinetic sand, give them small amounts at a time. They can always ask for more and you can reevaluate the situation when they do!

Make it fun: “Small amounts” are just not words kids like to hear. So, be engaged with them to make it fun! Have them make small things for you! For example, you could pretend to be at a restaurant and order food from them. Order one item at a time and have them ask for more kinetic sand when they need it!

Does Kinetic Sand Leave a Residue?

Depending on if the sand was bought at the store or made from home, it may leave a residue. If the kinetic sand was made using vegetable oil (or any oil really), it is possible your kids (and the area) will have a slimy residue. However it can be easily washed off!

Kinetic sand from the store however does not leave a residue as it’s made with shelf-sustainable materials.

Final Thoughts

Kinetic sand does not often leave a mess. This is because it doesn’t stick to anything other than itself. Additionally, kinetic sand is easy to wipe off of hard surfaces and vacuum up off of carpeting. It does occasionally leave a residue if it’s made using an oil, but for the most part, it’s a fun sensory activity that leaves little to no mess behind!

Magna Tiles have been around since 1997 and are a favorite in many households. They are a great introduction to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning. The recommended age starts at three, and that is the perfect age to begin incorporating STEM learning and laying a solid foundation for your child’s future. Magna tiles are shaped tiles that have magnets around their outer edge and are great for building and being creative.  Let talk about cool things to build with magna tiles.

Magna tiles are a great addition to any child’s toy collection, and learning to build different things with the tiles is an adventure itself.

Our List of Cool Things to Build with Magna Tiles

Here are some ways to help your child get creative with their Magna tiles.

• Learn the alphabet and numbers. You can buy Magna tile sets with the alphabet and numbers, and you can also build the actual letter and numbers with your child out of the tiles. This is a great opportunity to show the upper- and lower-case letters and pair up numbers to make bigger numbers.
• Build animals. You can use Magna tiles to build animals, insects, and dinosaurs. Creating a favorite animal is a fun and creative use of magnetic tiles and a great way to learn some design skills.
• Educational. You can use Magna tile as an educational tool, and it can help your child learn counting, sorting, patterns, and matching skills. They can be drawn on with dry-erase markers, and they are also great to take with you travelling.
• With other toys. Magna tiles can be used alongside other toys. They can build a house for dolls and furniture to go in the house, a barn for toy animals, cars, and so much more. Magna tiles are a toy that will grow with your child.
• Playing dominoes with magnetic tiles will keep your kids engaged for hours and have them coming back for more. There is something so satisfying to watch them fall one by one. Start by laying down a row of tiles on the floor, almost like a track. Then stand another tile on top where the two squares that are laying down meet. Keep doing this until you have a nice row of tiles set up, then knock them over like dominoes. Your kids can get creative with this, build several rows, and race to see which falls fastest. They can add twists and turns; there is no limit.
• Create a maze. There really are no limits to how many mazes your kids can design using Magna tiles. To amp up the fun, you could take turns blowing a ping pong ball through the maze and see who gets the ping pong ball to the end the fastest, without knocking it down, of course.
• Sensory play. Magna tiles are a great addition to a sensory bin. Throw them in will some rice, kinetic sand, or whatever you like into a bin and let your child’s imagination go wild. They can build little cups, scopes, or whatever they can think up with the tiles.
• Create colors. Magna tiles are an excellent way to teach your child primary and secondary colors. Since they are translucent, you can place two colors together and make a third color. This might not be so fun for older kids who have already learned about the color wheel, but it’s a great learning opportunity for younger kids.
• Use on metal surfaces. You can use cookie sheets, table legs, even your garage door. Magna tiles will stick to anything metal and will provide hours of entertainment and creativity to your child.
• Create a marble run. This is another great way to get the creative juices flowing. You can have your kids create a marble run, and you can hold competitions and have everyone build one and see whose marble goes the fastest, or you can make them on various surfaces.
• Knock them over. This is a super basic game, but so fun. Get your child to build up the tiles into a tower as high as they can, and then knock it over. You can even make it a game and let them throw a softball or a bean bag at the tower to knock it over. Kids love to be destructive, and this is a great way to let them be as destructive as they want.
• Build shapes. Magna tiles are an excellent way to teach your toddler about shapes. The tiles themselves come in the shapes of triangles and squares. You can have your kids build shapes out of the tiles like a 3D square, triangle, pyramid, or hexagon. Magna tiles are great for making learning fun and effortless.
• Build vehicles. Kids love to use Magna tiles to build vehicles, and you can buy Magna tile kits that actually come with wheels and instructions on how to create certain vehicles. You don’t have to make it complicated and stick to building cars, trucks, or even school buses, and your kids will still have a great time.

How many Magna tiles does my child need?

It would be a good idea to splurge and get one of the bigger sets of Magna tiles. That will give your child lots of freedom when it comes to building. You can buy 100-piece sets. You can also buy cars and bases to use with your Magna tiles, these aren’t necessary, but they will add to the fun of your Magna tile set. If you have a couple of kids, you may need to buy more so they can make their own creations, and you don’t have fights break out over there not being enough tiles.

Conclusion

Magna tiles are a great toy to engage your child in open-ended play and an excellent introduction to STEM toys. I hope you leave this article with some good ideas of cool things to build with magna tiles with your kids. Magna tiles will bring hours of play and will last for years in your child’s toy rotation.

Do you enjoy crafting, but you don’t have that much patience waiting for the paint or glue to dry? Then check out our list of what to make out of air dry clay and craft ideas.

 

This material is a highly customizable and fun crafting item that you can use to make a variety of projects. Air-dry clay is an excellent crafting medium for both kids and adults!

With this medium, you can create anything from jewelry to figurines and masks, making this clay an excellent choice for both young and old.

 

The best thing about air-dry clay is that it can be dried without the need of baking in an oven, as traditional clays do. As a result, no special equipment is required.

 

It is ideal for after-school activities and rainy-day with children. It is also a customizable and an enjoyable crafting medium to work with. Let’s take a look at some things you can do with air dry clay!

 

What Is Air-dry Clay?

Air dry clay is a popular and reasonably priced option for both large and small art projects. It can be an excellent way for budding artists or craftsperson’s to develop their skills, and even experienced artists appreciate the ease of use of air-drying clay. It can be used to create ornaments, jewelry, and other crafts. Best of all, with this type of clay you don’t need an oven or furnace to produce a beautiful, one-of-a-kind product. After 24 hours, the clay is usually dry. The thicker the clay, the longer it will take to dry completely. It can take up to 72 hours.

What to look for in your air-dry clay

 

There are a lot of air-dry clay brands on the market. The best one for your little projects is one that is capable of holding its shape after drying. This is important as some brands will meld down by the weight of the project or have a difficult time molding to a desired shape.

 

Polymer is an excellent choice for these crafts if you intend to do some sculpting. Polymer air-dry clays, in particular, have a better hold on their shape, making them a wiser option for adult projects.

 

Are These Projects Easy for Amateurs?

 

Air-dry clay crafts are an amazing option because they are easy to make and don’t require any kind of training or buying of different tools. Honestly, it’s kind of like playdough but permanent! You get to play with your hands, get a little messy, and make something that is unique to you. Anyone can make something out of clay, even kids!

 

In fact, since the majority of these clay brands are free of harsh chemicals and additives, it’s often preferred by families in comparison to other clay products.

Can Kids Create Air-Dry Clay Crafts?

 

Children can absolutely engage in an afternoon of molding out of clay.  This allows the kids a chance to use their imagination and enhance their fine motor skills. On top of this, air dry clay is great for kids for the following reasons:

 

• Craft ideas do not require the purchase of additional equipment and you can buy and use non-toxic materials.
• Clay crafts are an excellent last-minute screen-free activity. Most clay craft ideas necessitate only minimal adult supervision.
• Clay craft projects can be done at home, at a park, at a friend’s house, anywhere!

 

What to Make Out of Air Dry Clay – Crafts and Projects

Seeing as there are dozens of crafts you could make with clay, it felt necessary to break all of your options down you. This way, you can see all of the options!

Air-dry Clay Ideas:

 Planters & Pots

 

• Succulent Planters
• Petal Planter
• Clay Succulent Pots
• Terrazzo Clay Planter

 

Bracelets Earrings, & Necklaces

 

• Terracotta Earrings
• Clay Beads
• Feather Earrings
• Botanical Clay Necklaces
• Geometric Clay Pendant

 

Desk Items

 

• Rainbow Crayon Holder
• DIY Embossed Clay Paper Weights
• Cell Phone Stand Project
• Clay Photo Holder

 

Decorative Ornaments

 

• Sloth Planter
• DIY Garden Gnomes
• Clay Cones

Plates

 

• Clay Ring Dish
• Mosaic Pinch Pots Drawer Organizing Trays and Bowls
• DIY Clay Bowls

 

Keychains

 

• Clay Leaf Stamped Key Chains
• Keychains
• Gold Dipped Clay Heart Keychain
• Essential Oil Necklace

 

Air-dry Crafts: Frequently Asked Questions

What Kinds of Things Can I Create with Air-Dry Clay?

 

By using shaping tools or your hands, you can shape the clay into a variety of sizes and shapes. Put your imagination to work and the sky is the limit.

You can use air-dry clay for:

• Statues
• Keychains
• Magnets
• Figurines
• Plates
• Statues
• Jewelry
• Ornaments
• Sculptures
• Cups
• Vases
• Beads
• Gems
• Bowls
• Planters

 

After completely air-drying, you can paint these clay ideas with acrylic paints to give your crafts a stunning appearance that really pops!

Air-drying clay can also be pressed into silicone formworks to create custom mold crafts such as clay magnets.

Since there are no boundaries to what you want to create with air-drying clays, they are used in different ways.

 

Is It Possible to Put Water in Air-Dry Clay?

 

Water can be added to this type of clay, but it should not be done frequently. Due to the porous nature of this type of clay, adding water will almost certainly cause it to crumble. As a result, water should be used with caution.

 

When using air-dry clays for your little projects, adding a few drops of water can be beneficial because water helps the clay to keep its shape. However, this should be done sparingly and should not be done one the clay has fully dried.

You can get the best results for your clay projects and ideas by following these air-drying clay tips.

 

Is Air-dry Clay Sturdy?

 

Air-dry clays are extremely long-lasting. Just as clay would dry in an oven, this clay will achieve the same, sturdy results. You’ll want to be sure your project is drying on a flat, elevated surface where it won’t be disturbed as it dries.

 

Is It Possible to Paint Air-Dry Clay Before It Has Dried?

 

Allow your air-dry clay ideas to completely dry before painting to achieve a more professional-looking finished product. Whereas you can paint them while the clay is wet, it’s possible that you’ll end up with a warped product at the end of the drying period.

 

What Paint Can I Get to Decorate My Clay Crafts?

 

When you want to paint air-dry clays, use water-based acrylics rather than oil-based paints. Oil based paints have a tendency to not stick to these clay materials. Acrylic paint will do the trick and still provide a glass-like finish!

 

Does Air-Dry Clay Need to be Sealed?

 

You can seal your air-dry clay project with acrylic sealing spray after it has hardened and dried.

Doing this will increase the durability of the finished pieces if they are exposed to water. Using a sealant will also secure any paint job you’ve done, allowing your final results to last longer!

 

How Do You Prevent Air-Dry Clay from Cracking?

 

Dry your work on a very clean and flat surface, designed for this kind of clay in order to avoid the warp. Keep your clay at normal temperature and away from hot lights, as heat can damage your work. You’ll also want to avoid using water if you can as water leads to cracking as it evaporates while the product is drying.

 

Is It Possible to Rehydrate Air Dry Clay?

 

If you’ve created something that has been set out to dry for 24 hours, no you cannot rehydrate the clay. The clay at this point has fully hardened.

 

However, if you’ve just let your clay sit out a little too long while you cooked dinner, then yes!

The simplest way to rehydrate dried-out clay is to manipulate it in your hands. The moisture and warmth of your own hands can sometimes aid in softening and improving the texture of the clay.

If this does not work, you can try rehydrating your air-dry clay by bringing back moisture to your dried-out clays using a spray bottle and a plastic bag.

 

Put 1-2 sprays of water on your dried-out air-dry clay in a sealed bag.  After sealing the bag, set it aside for 30 minutes. In your hands, feel the texture of the clay.

 

How Do You Repair Cracks in Air-Dried Clay?

 

Don’t be upset if you notice some flaws in your work. This is normal and occurs with a lot of clay projects because it shrinks as it dries. You can correct this by performing the following steps:

1. Let the clay completely dry.
2. Once dry, make a wet clay mixture (using the same one you’re working with) and fill in the cracks.
3. After you’ve filled all of the openings, allow the clay to get dry again.

 

Can You Use Air-Dry Clay with Candles?

 

We recommend using a battery-operated tea light for any projects that call for a candle because the heat from candles can cause this clay to become prone to cracking. There are even fake candles with a flickering setting to make them look more realistic!

 

Can Air-Dry Clay Be Used Outside?

 

No, it cannot be used for outdoor clay items because it is not waterproof. Using acrylic paint or applying a sealer to the clay may make it more suitable for outdoor clay pieces, but it isn’t recommended.

 

Tips

• To avoid deformation, keep your clay creations and ideas drying in well-ventilated areas.
• When using wet/dry products for art projects, add a bit of water, as too much water will cause twisting.
• Because oil-based paint can harm porous materials, acrylic paints should always be used instead of oil-based paints.
• Allow your clay creations to dry entirely before removing them from their molds.

Conclusion

 

So, if you want a long-lasting sculpting piece made of the best and non-toxic materials, this clay is the way to go. The quality and durability of the clay can vary depending on the brand you choose. However, it is generally recommended that you read and follow the instructions included in the packet. Not all air-dry clay is manufactured in the most efficient manner.

Reading customer reviews is the most effective way to find a dependable product. Furthermore, you must be sure that the brand that you’re going to choose is toxin-free and safe for children to use!

 

Hope our post helped you with some ideas on what to make out of air dry clay.  Have fun sculpting!