Is there a kid-safe carving material?

Question

I would like my oldest (about 3 1/2 years old right now) to carve something, because of the fun I had with my plaster carving.

However, most carving requires sharp knives and firm materials that are difficult to cut through.

I would like an alternative that is soft enough to work with using just plastic tools (which I may make myself or repurpose from other tools), but not soft like Playdough or modeling clay. That is, I want it to be able to keep its shape during and after carving.

The kid-safe aspect of this is being able to avoid sharp metal objects.

Is there anything out there that would work for me?

Answer 1

If you are more interested in subtractive sculpting (removing material rather than adding it like clay), I spent my earliest sculpting days carving bars of Ivory soap. There may be softer brands, but you know Ivory soap is 99-44/100% pure <grin>.

How to Make a Soap Carving

A sharp knife is not necessary. Plastic knives, spoons, or Popsicle sticks could also work. But I suggest investing in a modest set of clay sculpting tools made of wood (less than US$5.00). They are tough enough to stand up to the soap without having a tendency to snap like plastic knives or Popsicle sticks.

Product Search: Wood Sculpting Tools

Answer 2

While the answer of Robert Cartaino is probably the best, I think that another alternative could be candle carving.

Besides the loop tools proposed by @Matt, that are apparently also used to carve candles, I would consider using different types metallic spoons:

Note that you can use both sides of the spoon, and although they are metallic, they are definitely not sharp.

Personally, I like the pedagogic side of using "homebrewed tools" instead of "professional tools" because:

1. This will push the creativity of the kid. My experience is: the less you have, the more creative you have to be to get the desired result.
2. It will improve their dexterity. If they can do something nice with a spoon, imagine what they will be able to do with an additional simple knife. Moreover, I'm sure they will have a huge pleasure in discovering the new possibilities offered by new tools later on.

Answer 3

Plasticine or molding clay would be a great material for something like this. They are not expensive and either would compliment nicely with the wood tools that Robert Cartaino suggests as well. If cared for properly you should be able to put it all away and use it again given that it is a forgiving medium (Assuming you don't want to keep the treasures!).

Playdoh could work as well but the above materials hold there shapes better and would be easier to carve with proper carving tools. In a pinch this would work.

Loops tools

You can also get into other sculpting tools like clean-out or loop tools.

^{Image from rednebulastudios.com}

I wanted to mention those specifically because, even though purchasing them might be costly, there design is rather simple. You can find tutorials on how to make your own. Here is a link to another that makes some simple hand sculpting tools. Kids could find it rather satisfying to carve out chunks to then use in other locations (destruction can be fun!).

Other tools to consider

I found the following video contains a nice introduction of some basic sculpting tools including the loop tool previously mentioned. You could likely find household substitutes for some of these. At least the ones you want your children using.

Pottery Tool Kit Demo on YouTube

These tools are more geared towards sculpting but some of the same techniques will apply to carving.

Answer 4

My son, at that age, was crazy for floral foam. It's not especially cheap, but it carves very nicely and can be done with very safe tools like plastic cutlery for picnics. I forget how it was that we had enough for him to indulge his whims with it for a while, but if you can find a cheap supply, it could do the trick.

See the warning below: apparently, floral foam is toxic