There are many considerations when deciding on what type of clay to provide for your young artist to explore. First, you'll need to decide if you want hardening or non-hardening clay. Hardening clay comes in two forms--earthenware or stoneware that you fire in the kiln, or air dry or oven bake clay that does not require firing.
If you want hardening clay but don't have access to a kiln, the next best thing is Sculpt-It. (For simplicity's sake, I generally stay away from clay that you have to bake in the oven.) Sculpt-It air dries within about half an hour but will fully harden overnight. In order to attach two pieces together, simply rub a touch of water on the area and press together for a secure bond. Sculpt-It comes in colors, but I prefer white which children can easily paint once dry. The other option that is great for air-dry clay is Model Magic. It looks wonderful in colors, and attaches by simply pressing together. It does dry, but is never totally hard (unlike Sculpt-it). I use Model Magic for the vibrant colors and when I don't have time or want the kids to have to paint on a different day.
As far as non-hardening (modeling) clay goes, there are several options. Young children seem to love non-hardening clay, especially when combined with some great texture tools like textured rollers or a garlic press. They can push and play to their hearts' content and the clay never cracks or dries out (which can be frustrating for younger children). I've tried several kinds and brands of modeling clay, though certainly not all of them. My favorite is EZ Shape (by Sculpey). I like it because it's wax based which makes it very pliable even at cooler room temperatures. Children can get easily frustrated when modeling clay is too hard for them to work with (which often happens with modeling clays), and the wax based EZ Shape is always just the right amount of squishy.
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