Plaster Molds for Kids

Kids never seem to get tired when they are playing. However, most of their games are not educational. It’s a good thing there still are educational and entertaining activities for children, such as working with clay and making plaster molds. These activities are all about getting children’s interest. Of course, they won’t be able to create high-scale plaster molds just yet, but they can start with simple ones.

To make sure that creating plaster molds for kids is fun, safety must come first. There are things that should be considered since kids will be doing most of the process. If these kids encounter problems or accidents, they might be traumatized and might never again play with clay, plaster molds and the like. Read on for safety tips.

  • Adult supervision is very important to avoid accidents.

  • Plaster in powder form can be messy. Make sure that kids’ clothes are covered. They should also use gloves, masks and eye protection.

  • Always follow safety measures as well as the manufacturer’s instructions for the plaster being used. Plaster heats up as it hardens. Make sure that your work surface is clear of heat sensitive items. When using a live model, plaster shouldn’t be thicker than one inch so it won’t burn the model.

  • Remove objects that are not supposed to be part of your mold. No matter how small these unwanted objects are, the mold will take their form. Make sure that the plaster mold won’t be messed up.

  • Plaster mixture hardens quickly, so make the mixture only once the design is ready. When the plaster mixture dries up, it can’t go back to its liquid form.

  • Once the mold is cast, let the kids label them with their own description. Indicate the date when the mold was made.

  • Place the plaster mold in a safe place while it hardens. While the mold is still drying, it’s still vulnerable to breaking.

  • Plaster hardens inside pipes, tubes and drains, so make sure that kids won’t dispose excess plaster through your drains. Even small amounts of plaster can still cause serious plumbing problems.

  • Once the mold has completely dried, it should be kept in room temperature since it needs to be kept dry all the time. See to it that the mold can be reusable.

With all the tips given above, you can now enjoy making plaster molds for kids. This can also mean more bonding time with your children. Not only that, kids will have a chance to show off to their friends what they’ve created. They could even encourage their friends to make plaster molds as well.