Art at Home: Air-Dry Clay

Clay is one of those magical materials that kids (and plenty of adults!) can’t get enough of — and for good reason. It’s endlessly tactile and satisfying, even before you start sculpting. You can knead, roll, flatten, stretch, poke, press, stack, coil and smooth to your heart’s content… and then let it dry into something totally unique.

But there are a LOT of different types of clay, how do you know which one is best for home use?

Our favorite by far — for its ease, minimal mess, simple storage, and low cost — is air-dry foam clay, such as Crayola Model Magic. You can buy it in white and tint it with markers, buy pre-colored packs or even mix colors together to create your own shades.

When working with this clay, there are a few things to know:

• it dries out VERY quickly, so keep anything you’re not actively using in a zip-top bag

• when two colors touch, it is almost impossible to separate them

• finished products will air-dry to be lightweight and sturdy within a day

We have also found that the off-brand versions on Amazon are just as good — often softer, more colorful, and more affordable, with smaller individual packets that make working with it even easier!