ArtJoy WonderWorks: Clay & Curiosity
A Playful, Process-Centered Art & Sensory Exploration Camp
Hosted by & Booking through The Center for the Arts (CFTA), Grass Valley
Details
June 22–26 | 12:30–3:30 PM
July 20–24 | 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
Studio 3
Registration will be through the CFTA website
Best for ages: 4–9
Format: 5 days, 3 hours per day
Materials:
Self-hardening air-dry clay, non-toxic watercolor paints, Mod Podge sealer, and a rotating collection of non-toxic sensory materials including slime, oobleck, playdough, and texture exploration materials.
Developed and taught by:
Toni Mikulka-Chang, Founder of ArtJoy, Yoga Pottery, and Giant Puppets Save the World Program Overview
ArtJoy WonderWorks: Clay & Curiosity is a joyful, hands-on art camp centered on play, exploration, curiosity, and sensory discovery. Children are invited to explore materials as experiences—how they feel, move, stretch, squish, drip, flow, and transform.
Rather than focusing on perfect outcomes, this camp emphasizes:
● The creative process
● Sensory exploration and experimentation
● Imagination and problem-solving
● Confidence, self-expression, and joy in making
Children will work with:
● Air-dry clay for building, shaping, and sculpting
● Watercolor paints for gentle, expressive color
● Slime, oobleck, playdough, and texture materials for daily sensory play and experimentation
Each day includes:
● Clay exploration and open-ended making
● A new slime or sensory material activity
● Painting, sealing, and decorating
● Movement, storytelling, and sharing
This camp is designed for many kinds of learners—tactile, visual, kinesthetic, imaginative, cautious, bold, and everything in between. There is no “right” way for things to look. The focus is on trying, noticing, changing, and discovering.
All materials used in this camp are non-toxic and child-safe.
Overarching Theme
“Press It, Squish It, Shape It, Paint It, Play With It.”
Exploring art through touch, movement, and curiosity.
What Students Will Experience
Throughout the week, students will:
● Explore how clay behaves when rolled, pressed, pinched, smoothed, and shaped ● Experiment with texture tools, stamps, and found objects
● Play daily with slime, oobleck, playdough, or other sensory materials
● Create tiles, plaques, bowls, sculptures, and imaginative forms
● Paint pieces with non-toxic watercolors and seal them with Mod Podge ● Practice patience, problem-solving, and creative risk-taking
● Learn that art is about process, not perfection
● Celebrate each other’s ideas and different ways of working
● Take home a collection of finished pieces that reflect their creative journey
Daily Curriculum
(Each day includes time for free exploration, guided discovery, sensory play, and reflective sharing. Activities are flexible and adaptable for different ages and learning styles.)
Day 1 — Meet the Materials
Theme: What Can These Materials Do?
Focus: Sensory exploration and discovery
Clay Activities:
● Explore how clay feels, moves, and changes
● Roll, press, squish, pinch, and smooth
● Make textures using tools and found objects
Clay Explorations:
● Texture tiles or name tiles
● Simple press or pinch bowls made over forms for easy success
Sensory Play:
● Intro slime or oobleck exploration: pouring, stretching, poking, and observing
Big Ideas:
● Materials are playful and forgiving
● There are many ways to make a form
● Every piece is an experiment
Day 2 — Pressing, Shaping & Holding Theme: Making Shapes That Hold Things
Clay Activities:
● Press clay into and over bowls and molds
● Explore thickness, edges, and smoothing
● Decorate surfaces with textures and patterns
Clay Explorations:
● Treasure bowls or leaf bowls
● Optional handprint or footprint plaques
Sensory Play:
● New slime recipe or playdough focused on squeezing, rolling, and shaping
Big Ideas:
● Clay can be both useful and expressive
● We can change and fix things as we go
Day 3 — Faces, Animals & Imaginary Friends Theme: Clay Can Be a Character
Clay Activities:
● Explore faces, expressions, and simple forms
● Build small, solid sculptures
● Add eyes, textures, and details
Clay Explorations:
● Animal, creature, monster, or face sculpture/plaque
Sensory Play:
● Stretchy or fluffy slime + texture add-ins
Big Ideas:
● Art can tell stories
● Shapes can have feelings and personalities
Day 4 — Pictures in Clay
Theme: Telling Stories with Texture and Shape Clay Activities:
● Plan a simple picture, symbol, or scene
● Build raised images on flat tiles
● Layer shapes and textures
Clay Explorations:
● Story tile, scene tile, or symbol tile
● Optional hanging wall plaque
Sensory Play:
● Oobleck or flow-based sensory play: watching, pouring, scooping, experimenting
Big Ideas:
● There are many ways to tell a story
● Pictures can be built, not just drawn
Day 5 — Color, Finishing & Celebration
Theme: Transforming with Color
Clay Activities:
● Paint all clay pieces with non-toxic watercolor paints
● Seal finished work with Mod Podge
● Add final details and personal touches
Sensory Play:
● Favorite slime remix or choose-your-texture stations
Closing:
● Group sharing and mini gallery walk
● Celebrate all the different ideas and approaches
● Each child takes home a collection of work that tells their creative story
Teaching Philosophy
This program is rooted in:
● Process over product
● Exploration over expectation
● Curiosity over correctness
● Confidence over comparison
Children are encouraged to:
● Try ideas
● Change their minds
● Follow their curiosity
● Learn through their senses
● Celebrate their own way of working
Materials & Safety Note
All materials used in this camp are non-toxic and child-safe, including air-dry clay, watercolors, slime ingredients, playdough, and mod podge.
No kiln, firing, or hazardous materials are used.
About the Instructor
Toni Mikulka-Chang is the founder of ArtJoy, Yoga Pottery, and Giant Puppets Save the World, and is a multidisciplinary artist, puppeteer, and teaching artist with over 20 years of experience working with both children and adults.
She studied Anthropology and Fine Art at the State University of New York, where she developed a deep interest in culture, ritual, storytelling, and material-based art practices. After graduating, she moved to Vermont to train with Bread and Puppet Theater, one of the most influential community-based puppet theaters in the world, where she immersed herself in puppetry, large-scale sculpture, and object-based performance.
Toni later moved to the West Coast and worked as an early childhood educator and teaching artist at Habitot Children’s Museum in Berkeley, a nationally respected hands-on museum for young children focused on learning through play, exploration, and sensory experience. There,
she designed and taught clay programs, sculpture, and process-based art workshops for young children and families.
Toni has been working with clay since childhood and began studying ceramics seriously after her first high school ceramics class at age 15. She has now been working with clay for over 25 years, both as a practicing artist and as a teacher. In addition to ceramics, her work spans sculpture, fiber arts, painting, puppetry, and large-scale installation.
She currently teaches pottery to adults and children through her Yoga Pottery practice and continues to create and perform with puppets and visual art installations at festivals, museums, and community arts events throughout California and beyond.
Her teaching philosophy centers on process over product, curiosity over perfection, and art as a pathway to confidence, embodiment, and joyful discovery. She is passionate about creating inclusive, engaging environments where all kinds of learners can explore materials, tell stories, and experience the magic of making.
ArtJoy WonderWorks: Clay & Curiosity is an original program developed by Toni Mikulka-Chang / ArtJoy.
© 2026 ArtJoy / Toni Mikulka-Chang. All rights reserved.
Program name, structure, curriculum, and teaching methodology remain the intellectual property of the creator and are licensed to presenting organizations for the duration of the contracted engagement only.