“Whether it’s pottery or life, it takes more than one attempt for them to come out right. And all that effort makes the end product more valuable, too.”

— Yeon Somin

Teaching five-year-olds on a pottery wheel is a sensory-rich experience. The goal isn’t to produce a perfect vessel; it’s about exploration, cause-and-effect, and fine motor development. It also provides a great opportunity to discuss the Master Potter.

The Basics

Objective: To understand how movement and pressure changes the shape of clay.

1. The Safety & Science Intro

Before touching the wheel, explain two simple rules:

• Sticky Hands: We keep our hands on the clay, not on our clothes or the floor.
• Turtle Speed: The wheel moves fast, but our hands move slow and steady like a turtle.

The Science: Explain that clay comes from the earth and loves water. Show them a dry lump vs. a wet lump to see how it changes.

2. The Setup: The Splat

Give each child a ball of clay about the size of an orange.

• The Action: Have them “splat” it onto the center of the wheel (while it’s off).
• Why: They will love it and it ensures the clay is stuck down firmly.

3. Shaping

Show them the basics of how to shape the clay while the wheel turns using their hands.

• Cupping the hands: to shape and raise the sides.
• Flattening with hand: to shorten and flatten the top.
• Pressing in fingers: to create a depression in the center.

Then let them get messy and experiment on their own.

4. Sensory Exploration

Let them experiment with texture tools while the wheel spins:

• Sponges: See how water makes the clay “slide.”
• Plastic Forks: Create “racing stripes” around the pot.
• Stamps: Stop the wheel and press patterns into the sides.

Tip: Focus on the process, not the product. If the clay collapses, celebrate it! Explain that the clay just wanted to try a different shape and discuss God’s grace (see reflection points below).

5. Clean-Up: “The Muddy Hand Parade”

My five-year-olds think cleaning up is just as fun as the pottery itself.

• Use a large bucket of water or an outside faucet instead of a sink to prevent clay from clogging the pipes.
• Have them wash their tools first, then their hands.

Reflection Points

1. Master Potter

“We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

Isaiah 64:8

• Just as the wheel spins and the clay changes beneath our hands, God is always working on us.
• As the kids center their clay, explain that God keeps us centered in His love. In pottery, if the clay isn’t centered, the whole piece wobbles and eventually collapses. In the same way, being centered in God’s love is the safest place for us to be.
• “Did you see how your hands have to stay on the clay to help shape it into something intentional? God’s hands are always on us, guiding us and helping us become something beautiful.”

2. Perfectly Unique

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Psalm 139:14

• Every piece of clay on the wheel looks different. Some are tall, some are wide, and some are bumpy and lumpy.
• When the kids start using tools to make textures, tell them these are like our unique gifts and personalities.
• “God doesn’t make all the trees the same, and He doesn’t make all people the same. Your pottery is special because you made it, just like you are special because God made you.”

3. Starting Over

“But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”

Jeremiah 18:4

• Mistakes are okay. In pottery (and in life), if something breaks or falls over, we don’t throw the clay away; we reshape it.
• If a child’s pot collapses, use it as a moment to demonstrate Grace.
• “Oh look! It fell over. But guess what? The clay is still good! We can squish it back into a ball and start again. That’s like God’s forgiveness—He always lets us try again.”

Closing Thoughts

We often give five year olds the grace to make a mess on the wheel, but we rarely give that same grace to ourselves. Does some part of your life feel like ‘collapsed clay’ right now? How might the Potter be reshaping it into something better? Have you ever had a “collapsed pot” moment in your life that turned into something beautiful later? Share your thoughts in the comments!

“The Potter’s wheel is still turning. His hands are still upon you, shaping your life despite your flaws.”