Mud Makers

At the center of Mud Makers is our signature project: Pinch Pot Pet Monsters. Students design and sculpt their own clay creatures, engaging in a process that feels like play but is carefully designed to support focus, regulation, and learning readiness. The hands-on experience is joyful, creative, and deeply engaging, which is exactly why it works.

Clay is more than an art material. It provides haptic and proprioceptive sensory input through the hands, offering feedback that naturally calms the nervous system and activates the parasympathetic response. This helps students slow down, reduce stress-driven behaviors, and enter a state where attention and learning become possible. For children with ADHD or those carrying unseen emotional burdens, this grounding input is especially critical, providing a safe, repeatable way to regulate.

Beyond regulation, Mud Makers is also a STEAM-rich learning experience. Students experiment with structure, balance, and design as they build their pinch pot monsters. They engage spatial reasoning, problem-solving, and fine motor skills, creating new neural pathways while expressing themselves creatively. This combination of art, science, and mindfulness makes the learning both memorable and impactful.

The outcome is twofold: students leave proud, holding a unique clay creation that represents their emotions and ideas, while classrooms become calmer, more focused, and more connected.

Mud Makers delivers a scalable, evidence-informed program that aligns with curriculum goals, improves student regulation, and builds inclusive environments where every child — seen and unseen — can thrive.