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Clay Pot

Suggested Group(s): Young/Middle/Teen

Purpose: To simulate a drastic change and rebuilding

Task/need: Living on the grief spiral, developing a new self-identity, relating the loss to a context of meaning

Activity Setup Ideas:

  • Invite the kids to talk about their life and how it has changed since a family member died.
  • Observe that the clay pot is like life. It seems to start out smooth without many defects, but that can change quickly.

Materials:

  • One or several terra cotta planting pots
  • Elmers glue
  • Glue sticks
  • Hot glue gun & glue
  • Scotch tape
  • Masking tape
  • Hammer
  • Old pillow case or other fabric
  • Permanent markers
  • Gold paint or Sharpie

Description: Cover the pot and gently break it with a hammer (this must be done by the adult volunteer.) Keep the pieces rather large and don't break the entire pot. When breaking the pot, try to create enough pieces for each group member to have one and leave the base intact.

Invite the kids to write or draw on each piece individually or in small groups. It can describe a feeling, an event in their life or describe the person who died. Invite the group members to share what they wrote.

Next give the group the task of putting the pot back together, like a puzzle. ( This is where it gets very difficult) Offering Elmer's glue, glue stick, hot glue (supervised closely by an adult), tape, and masking tape, let the group take the lead in reassembling the pot. (Everything is out and the kids are encouraged to use whatever they prefer.) Assist as needed, as it is very difficult to keep the pot together.

Activity Wrap Up Ideas

  • Discussion follows after the pot is put together — how does it look? how could it resemble a person's life? (NOTE: the cracks, the irregularities of which pieces fit together and those spots that have crumbled in the breaking and are now holes.)

Suggestions: This is an activity that demands patience and may need to be done over several meetings. BE CAREFUL NOT TO MOVE THE POT TOO EARLY. IT TAKES A WHILE TO SET.

The clay pot has been used in several different ways. One large pot can be used or several individual pots. If used in an older young group, work in small groups.

Adaptation: Once the pot(s) are intact and dry, start painting the inside cracks and then the outside cracks with the gold paint/Sharpie. Define the meaning of Kinstukuroi: “to repair with gold”; the art of repairing pottery with gold or silver lacquer to highlight the cracks and repairs.  The cracks are viewed as part of the life of the object, supposedly adding to its value and beauty.

Discussion follows after the pot is put back together - how does it look? How could it resemble a person's life? Ask the group if they agree that the pot is more valuable/beautiful.  Why or why not? 

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