Children and Polymer Clay

With its bright colors, tactile appeal, and ease of use, polymer clay is a natural choice for children's crafts. (And if your kids see you working with the clay, you can be sure they'll want to join you!) Consider the following tips to ensure that a fun-- and safe-- time is had by all.

Safety First

Children need supervision when working with polymer clay. The younger they are, the more supervision they'll need, and if they're too young to understand that they must not eat the polymer clay, then they really ought to wait a couple more years.

The three main reasons you need to supervise children when they play with polymer clay are detailed in the following list:

Children shouldn't eat polymer clay. We've all known kids who eat the Play-Doh. If there's any chance that your children might eat the polymer clay, too, it's best for you to put it out of reach and find something else for them to play with. While polymer clay is certified to be non-toxic, it's still important to keep it away from children or pets who might be tempted to eat it. Oh, and don't forget to have the children wash their hands thoroughly after handling the clay!

Many projects require the use of sharp blades. Tissue blades and craft knives are frequently used in polymer clay techniques and projects. If young children are doing a project that requires these tools, an adult should probably do the cutting for them. Blunt cutting tools, such as butter knives or plastic cutlery, can sometimes be substituted, if the children prefer to do their own cutting. (On a related note, remember to store dangerously sharp tools out of children's reach.)

You'll need to use an oven to cure polymer clay. The clay must be baked in order for it to harden. Younger children will need help getting their work in and out of the oven. You'll also want to keep an eye on the oven during baking, because burning clay releases unhealthy gases. (Visit our page on safety issues to read more about this.)

Other Helpful Hints

Choose a soft brand of clay.
Not all brands of polymer clay are created equal. Some are softer than others. Children will find it easier to condition and manipulate a softer polymer clay. A few soft brands of clay are Sculpey III, Fimo Soft, and Premo. Of those three, Premo is the strongest after baking. Sculpey III, especially, is known to be brittle and prone to breaking. This isn't so much of an issue with compact shapes, like beads, but thin extensions of clay may snap rather easily.

Locate the best place for a work station.
Make sure you have a clay-friendly work surface. (You wouldn't want to ruin your nice dining room table.) If possible, set up your work space in a room that isn't carpeted. Little bits of clay can make a mess if they're ground into a good rug. If you do find clay embedded into the carpet, visit this page of the Glass Attic to learn about different possible ways of removing the clay.

Mix your own colors.
If you're trying to cut down on costs, consider mixing some of your own colors. Polymer clay colors can be mixed like paint. (For some people, playing around with mixing their own colors is a big part of the fun, not to mention a valuable artistic learning experience for kids.) Blue and yellow make green (different shades, depending on the proportions mixed). Yellow and (a very little) red make orange, and so on. With just a handful of blocks of clay, you can create an almost limitless range of colors. Read our section on mixing colors to learn more.