Kits for modeling from plasticine

The crumb learns quickly, no matter what you undertake to teach him. Plasticine is one of the means of developing various abilities of the baby. Plasticine modeling develops fine motor skills of hands, contributes to the development of imagination and intelligence. This lesson will allow the child to realize their fantasies in a variety of crafts, to make a gift to their parents by giving one of them.

Requirements for plasticine for children

For the child's comfortable work, it is necessary that the clay meets several parameters, otherwise the lesson will only bring disappointment.

Plasticine should be, first of all, soft. The baby will not be able to crush the hard mass and give it any shape. As a result, he will get upset and may never want to sculpt again.

Good quality plasticine should not leave marks on clothes, hands, or furniture... If this moment is not respected, of course, this will not interfere with the child's work, but you will have more worries.

When sculpting, individual pieces should be well fastened, not separated from each other. Good plasticine does not exfoliate while working with it.

The material must be plastic. The kid should have no difficulty with this during the creative process.

Types of plasticine

Today, the choice of plasticine is quite large. You can select based on age and specific goals.

Plain plasticine. Consists of crushed clay powder, animal fats, wax and substances that prevent drying, loss of softness and plasticity. In a set of such plasticine there are blocks of different bright colors, but the more clay there is in the material, the dimmer the shades will be.

Wax. Great for little kids' hands. It is very soft, pliable, pliable. The pieces are securely held together without disappointing the baby. There are a variety of colors, and foreign manufacturers have richer shades.

Ball. Consists of small balls, fastened together with an adhesive, which makes it possible to easily connect individual elements of the craft, but at the same time does not stick to your hands. The structure of this plasticine allows you to hide minor flaws in children's crafts. Ball plasticine gives a huge scope for creativity. It is convenient and pleasant to work with him. It comes in plastic containers and can be of different colors: classic, fluorescent, glitter. The balls in the composition can be small or larger. Finished crafts dry up within a few hours, and they can be put on a shelf or given to someone from a relative.

Sculptural. Such plasticine is used in the classroom at art schools. It is well suited for teaching. It differs from the usual in greater plasticity, it can be used several times. It has a meager color scheme, but the finished product can be easily painted.

Hardening. Plastic, easy to use. The color palette is varied, the shades are bright. It cannot be used several times, since the finished figurine freezes within a day and does not lose its shape for up to a year, or even more. Great for kids who want to delight their loved ones with crafts as gifts.

Floating. This plasticine, unlike the previous one, does not dry out, wrinkles well, does not stick to hands. Its peculiarity is that products made of it float in the water. The child can play in the bathroom with toys of his own production.

However, it is recommended to make the figurines with a flat and wide base so that they float in the water.

How to choose?

For beginner "craftsmen" it is better to purchase soft, pliable plasticine, which will be easy to crush. Since little children often put everything in their mouths, it is desirable that the substances are natural, including dyes. Try not to skimp on quality and do not trust unknown manufacturers that can use toxic substances in the composition. But popular brands will not spoil their reputation by abusing it.

Also, the price of plasticine will determine whether it leaves traces behind. If you do not want to scrub it off the carpet, curtains, clothes, you better do not skimp.

Sculptural plasticine is also convenient for teaching, training in modeling. In addition to the sculpting process itself, fine motor skills can be developed by coloring the finished figures in different colors. Plus, it's reusable.

Ball plasticine is very bright, interesting, attractive and easy to use. It will make wonderful mementos. It will not work to train on it, therefore it is better to acquire such plasticine for a child who is more or less efficient in sculpting.

Required tools

The plasticine sculpting kit includes several required items:

Board. To work with plasticine, it is better to use a special board than a table surface. This will protect the table from possible dirt and will help to shape the individual parts of the figurine. For example, a flat, smooth surface.
Stacks. These are special knives made of wood or plastic. They can cut off the required amount of material from the block, make cuts, and press. Alternatively, you can use a regular disposable plastic knife with a serrated side. With this tool you can not be afraid to ruin the surface of the board or get hurt.
Small rolling pin. She can roll out plasticine like dough if necessary. It can be plastic or wood. It is sold in kits for modeling, as well as in children's culinary kits. Any other small device of the same shape will do.

Molds. The subject is not required, but it can be great for the guys who make, for example, a picture from plasticine. You can make the necessary figures with ready-made molds and place them on the "canvas".
Matches or toothpicks. They may be needed to fasten individual parts. Toothpicks can also be used to sharpen small fragments when you need to, for example, draw eyes, a smile, veins on leaves and other little things.
Decorative items. As them, you can use different beads, beads, cardboard, twigs, wire, matchboxes, rowan berries, foil.
Napkins. During work, you need to periodically wipe the stacks and the board, as well as at the end of the process. These can be paper napkins or cloth. You can take old unnecessary clothes for these purposes.

Alternative to plasticine

In addition to plasticine in modeling, you can also use clay, modeling mass, dough. You will need all the same tools.

Clay is less plastic than plasticine; it gets your hands dirty during use. The dough is softer than plasticine, suitable for the smallest. The finished figurines dry out and harden. They can be painted.

The modeling mass is very easy to use, pleasant to the touch, and soft. By its plastic properties, it resembles chewing gum, but does not stick to hands and clothes; the material is not cheap.