Air-dry vs real pottery?

Air-dry is the honest starter: no kiln, no wheel, no studio fees — and the hand-building skills transfer completely if the hobby graduates to a real studio class later.

It cracked while drying. Now what?

Cracks are normal (drying too fast). Session one includes the fix — a slurry of clay and water worked into the crack — and the reframe: potters call repairs “character.” The guide has the exact words.

The Clay Crew kit · ages 4–13

The Kitchen Clay Studio

Mud, on purpose, on the kitchen table.

Air-dry clay means no kiln, no studio, no rules you can’t keep. Session one is pinch pots — the same first lesson every potter in history got — and yours will be lumpy and theirs will be lumpier and both go on the shelf forever. Lumpy is the aesthetic.

See a kit built live ↓Works for: kitchen table · garage · porch

The kit, built for you

Complete kits found across real merchants, matched to this track and your budget. Take the quiz and it gets personal.

Assembling your kit

Pulling the right gear from the catalog…

The Field Guide — your first three Saturdays

Written for the dad, not the kid. Including what to say when it goes sideways.

Session 01 · ~60 min

Pinch Pot Day

The first lesson every potter ever got: a ball, a thumb, and patience. Two pots on the shelf by dinner.

Session 02 · ~60 min

Paint + Rescue Day

The dry pots come back to life in color. Crack-repair slurry taught here.

Session 03 · ~90 min

The Commission

Someone in the family orders a piece. The crew builds to spec — pen cup, ring dish, monster.

Read session one in full on the The Clay Crew page →

Fair questions

Air-dry vs real pottery?: Air-dry is the honest starter: no kiln, no wheel, no studio fees — and the hand-building skills transfer completely if the hobby graduates to a real studio class later.
It cracked while drying. Now what?: Cracks are normal (drying too fast). Session one includes the fix — a slurry of clay and water worked into the crack — and the reframe: potters call repairs “character.” The guide has the exact words.

Not sure this is your kid?

Eight questions matches you to the right one. Two minutes, no email needed.

See your match