Cotton Clay Recipe

Science Activity for Young Children

This clay recipe is similar to Paper Clay, but paper is replaced by cotton balls, producing a different texture. This activity also requires use of a stove. How you work with your child at the stove is at your discretion. You may want them to do the prep work while you cook the clay, but older children are often coordinated enough to hold the pot and stir without getting burned. My 7 year-old loves to cook, but she is extremely cautious about the hot burners of the stove, and I am always with her when she uses heat to cook.

Ingredients:

3 cups cotton balls
2 cups tap water
2/3 cup flour

Tools:

Dry measuring cup (1/3 cup size)
Liquid measuring cup (1 cup size)
Heavy saucepan
Spoon

Cotton balls are a great material to use with young children. They have many physical properties to explore: texture, weight, size, color. Before you begin, spend a little time playing with the cotton balls. Talk with your child about the softness of a cotton ball. Toss one around to see and feel how light it is. Compare the cotton ball to another kind of ball the same size, such as a ping-pong ball or rubber “bouncy” ball.

Cotton, like paper, is made of cellulose and will not dissolve in water. Instead, the fibers of the cotton ball will come apart in water and produce a stringy mixture. If you haven’t seen a cotton plant before, visit www.wikipedia.com , search word “cotton”. There is a great picture of a cotton plant, and your child will be surprised to see how the plant actually produces cotton balls around its seeds.

Tear cotton ball into small pieces and put in saucepan.
Measure 2 cups of water and add to the cotton pieces in the saucepan.
Measure flour using the dry measuring cup and add to the saucepan.
Put the saucepan on the stove.
Stir the mixture over low heat until it begins to stiffen.
Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool.
Once the mixture is cooled, mold and play!

Allow your creations to dry for 24 hours to create permanent sculptures.