Why Clay Works: The Neuroscience Behind Hands-On Learning and Emotional Regulation in K–8 Classrooms

Humans have had their hands in clay for thousands of years. Before we had textbooks, classrooms, or even written language, we were shaping the earth with our palms, letting our hands make sense of the world one imprint at a time. What’s fascinating is that only now, with modern neuroscience, are we beginning to understand why clay feels so grounding. I’m sure you have seen it in your own classrooms, or with your own children. When kids touch clay they instantly begin to settle and soften. It improves their focus by anchoring them in the present moment and a delightful consequence of it is that it lowers the temperature in a room full of busy bodies and big feelings.