Taken from the book Preschool Art,
by Mary Ann Kohl

Appropriate for ages: Two and up

Time needed: 20-25 minutes (plus baking time)

What you'll need:

* 4 cups flour
* bowl
* wooden spoon
* cutting board
* foil or wax paper

* 1 cup salt
* 1? cups warm water
* baking sheet
* plastic wrap
* oven

What to do:

1. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in one cup of warm water.
3. Mix the dough.
You can start off with a spoon, but after a bit it pays to use your hands.
4. Add the rest of the water and continue mixing. The dough should not be crumbly or sticky, but should form a ball.
5. Take out as much "clay" as your child needs for the first object she wants to make.
6. Wrap the remainder of the clay in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
7. Let your child mold the clay into whatever shape they want.

Some suggested projects: picture frames, napkin rings, play jewelry, pretend food, animals, or holiday decorations.

8. When an object is ready, place it on a foil covered baking sheet.
9. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour or until hard. Dough should not "give" when tapped with a knife.
10. Once the objects dry, you and your child can paint the objects.

This project is taken from Preschool Art "It's the Process Not the Product" copyright 1994, by MaryAnn Kohl. Price $19.95/$3.00 shipping. Available from Gryphon House, Box 207, Beltsville MD 20704-0207, 1-800-638-0928.