The Best Clay for Kids

Making Art Without Baking

If your kids love Play-Doh, but want more permanent creations, check out Crayola’s Air Dry Clay.

Air Dry Clay Natural White Modeling Clay 5 Pound Tub on Amazon

This moldable mixture offers all the joy of play dough, but dries hard. Unlike other clays, it doesn’t require baking to set. Kids can mold to their hearts’ content, then leave it out until it hardens.

It works well with cookie cutters or most Play-Doh toys. If you want more color choices, you can add food coloring one drop at a time before molding, or use paint, markers, or glue decorations on after it hardens. You can buy Air Dry Clay from Amazon in small containers of 2.5 pounds to try it out, get 5 pounds, or go big with a 25 pound tub. 

We use it to make tiny molds of footprints from departed pets, along with their names and dates. It works great for school projects, homemade gifts, making ornaments, or just for a change of pace in the arts and crafts department. Don’t want to go to the trouble of making your own colors? You can also get a variety pack on Amazon with a few ounces of brown, black, yellow, and white clay.

Regardless of which size you choose, and how you decide to use it, this clay holds up well once it dries, making it great for a variety of projects.