Kids’ Spring Pottery Class Curriculum

A 5-Week Creative Clay Journey

This class is designed to help children build confidence, creativity, patience, and hands-on pottery skills through both hand building and wheel throwing. Throughout the series, students will explore clay through imagination play, technical skill-building, and thoughtful creative exercises that emphasize process over perfection.

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Week One: Creativity & Letting Go of Perfection

Hand building Project: Creativity Charms

Students will create a hand built bobble head and end the class with making a  “creativity charm” during free clay play — a special piece meant to remind them how important it is to stay creative and curious throughout the next four weeks.

Skills Introduced:

• Wedging clay
• Pinch pot techniques
• Scoring and slipping
• Working with soft clay
• Imagination play & creative confidence

On the Wheel: Intro to the Wheel — “Create & Crash”

We learn the pottery wheel backwards! Students begin by learning shaping first rather than starting with centering.

Each child will receive a pre-centered and pre-pulled piece on the wheel to shape and explore before smashing it back down again. This teaches students that pottery is about the experience, practice, and skill development — not perfection or finished products…yet.

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Week Two: Balancing the Four Elements

Hand building Project: Slab Faces

Students will create expressive slab-built faces while discussing balance within pottery and in everyday life.

Skills Introduced:

• Building with slabs
• Measuring and following instructions
• Working with leather-hard clay
• Scoring and slipping
• Imaginative design work

On the Wheel: My First Handmade Cup

Students will begin learning the 5 Steps of Throwing while focusing primarily on:

• Pulling walls (Step 3)
• Shaping forms (Step 4)

Each child will create their very first handmade cup on the wheel.

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Week Three: Intro to Glazing & Surface Design

Special Parent Mug Collaboration

Students will collaborate with the instructor to create a special mug for their parents as a thank-you for investing in their creativity. ❤️

A pre-thrown mug body will be provided so students can focus on the finishing steps of pottery.

Skills Introduced:

• Trimming pottery
• Applying handles (Step 5)
• Surface decoration techniques
• Intro to glazing

Students will choose between:

• Sgraffito (carving designs into clay)
• Slip trailing (decorating with liquid clay)

On the Wheel: My First Bowl

Students will focus on:

• Opening the clay (Step 2)
• Reviewing wall pulling and shaping techniques

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Week Four: Planning the Process

Hand building Project: Designing With Intention

Students will spend the first half of class intentionally planning their final hand building project before beginning construction.

Skills Introduced:

• Form and function planning
• Color scheme development
• Creative problem solving
• Tool and technique selection

Students will pitch their ideas to the instructor and decide which building methods best fit their vision:

• Pinch pottery
• Slab building
• Sculpture
• Wheel throwing

On the Wheel: Making a Plate

Students will finally tackle the hardest part of wheel throwing — centering (Step 1)!

Children will first attempt centering independently before the instructor helps complete the process. Students will then spend time simply feeling a centered piece in motion to help “calibrate” their touch and understanding before continuing with creation.

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Week Five: Wrapping It All Up

Glazing & Color Theory

Students will explore:

• Color theory
• Emotional expression through color
• Decorative layering techniques

Each student will develop intentional color palettes for their work and will be encouraged to use at least three decorative techniques, including:

• Dip glazing
• Brush glazing
• Texture layering
• Surface detailing

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Final Notes

Finished pottery pieces will remain at the studio for kiln firing after class completion. Parents may pick up remaining pieces approximately 1–2 weeks after the final class.

Throughout the course, students will not only learn pottery skills, but also patience, resilience, creative thinking, and confidence through the process of making by hand.