Aleda Patterson School

Identity for young children is not only about what they see in a mirror. It is a landscape of feelings, family, culture, and what matters most to their hearts.

Using clay, our children have been exploring self narratives. Some sculptures represent a feeling, some hold symbols of family traditions, and others are abstract mappings of their inner worlds.

There’s a profound beauty in this tactile response. Research shows that working with clay has a deeply grounding, therapeutic effect on the nervous system; the tactile resistance of the Earth reduces cortisol, and invites a state of mindful calm.

As the children press, pinch, and smooth the clay, they are literally grounding themselves in their own worth. They are telling us: this is who I am, this is how I feel, and I am safe to be myself here.