Making Toys with Clay

1What is clay?

Clay is a very fine kind of soil. It forms when rocks slowly break down into tiny grains, much smaller than grains of sand. In Rwanda you often find it in valleys and near marshes.

• When clay is wet, it is soft and sticky, so you can press and shape it.
• When it dries, it keeps the shape you gave it and becomes hard.
• When shaped clay is fired (heated in a very hot fire or a kiln), it becomes much harder. Fired clay is called pottery. Rwandan potters have made cooking pots (inkono) this way for hundreds of years.

2Getting clay ready

1. Take a little clay, with an adult's permission. Never dig near deep water or at the edge of a steep bank.
2. Pick out stones, roots and grass.
3. Add a little water if it is dry, then knead it: press, fold and press again, like making dough. Kneading pushes out air bubbles. Air trapped inside can make your toy crack.

3Shaping a toy

• Roll a ball between your palms for a head or a body.
• Roll long "snakes" for legs, tails and horns.
• Pinch and pull to make ears or a nose.
• Join two pieces by scratching both surfaces and adding a little wet clay, then smoothing the joint with your finger.

Try making a cow with long horns, a goat, a small pot or a doll.

4Drying and finishing

Dry your toy slowly in the shade for a few days. If it dries too fast in hot sun, the outside shrinks before the inside and it cracks. When it is dry you can decorate it with coloured soil or paint.

Always wash your hands after working with clay.

Try it yourself

Try each one first, then tap Show answer to check.