Homeschooling Project: How to Make a Relief Map with Homemade Clay

A relief map is a project that is completed by many students within the public school system and one that is easy for children who are the participants in homeschooling activities. Creating a relief map helps the child to understand the different terrain around the world. The relief map is made with a homemade salt dough recipe. The salt dough is similar to clay, dries hard and accepts paint easily.

Supplies:

Flour
Salt
Water
Mouthwash
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Large mixing bowl
11-by-17 inch piece of cardboard
Atlas or world map
Tempera or acrylic paint
Paintbrushes

Process:

Step 1 – Mix 3 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 2 tablespoons mouthwash and approximately 1 1/8 cup of water in a large mixing bowl. Add the water slowly to the ingredients so the clay does not become too tacky. Add more flour if necessary to make clay the consistency of play dough.

Step 2 – Place the piece of cardboard on a flat work surface. Open the atlas or world map to the desired country, continent, state or other location to create the relief map.

Step 3 – Add clay to the highest area such as mountains or hills. Add clay between the mountains and hills to create a smooth area. Continue to add clay to the relief map until all areas are filled in. Allow the clay to dry for 24 hours.

Step 4 – Paint the details on the map such as snow, lakes, rivers, creeks, roads, grass and farmland. Allow the paint to dry for a minimum of one hour. Paint labels such as town names, mountain ranges, lakes and so on.

Optional:

Glue fiberfill to the mountain ranges to represent snow. Add miniature trees and other items to the surface of the relief map after it dries.


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