This recipe will please detail-oriented children who like their sculptures small and delicate. The dough has a consistency that's similar to store-bought clays and dries to a porcelain-like smoothness. (Note: This one is not for toddlers, who are likely to snack on their art supplies.)

MATERIALS

1 to 2 slices white bread, crusts removed
1 tbsp. white glue

To begin, have your child rip one slice of bread into tiny pieces into a bowl. Add the white glue to the bread crumbs, and mix with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened. Now, roll a bit of the mix between your fingers to check its consistency (this will vary depending on the dryness of your bread). The mix should be pliable and somewhat sticky. If it feels very wet, or too gummy to roll into a ball, tear up and mix in a little more bread. Now your child can gather the dough into a ball, kneading it for a minute or two with his fingers or rolling it between his palms. Soon the dough will become elastic and satiny. As your child models the dough, it may begin to dry out. If it does, he can dip his fingertips in water (have a small bowl at the worktable) and knead the dough until it becomes more pliable.

WHAT TO MAKE:

Unlike many homemade doughs, this recipe has a fine, elastic texture that won't crack, even during intricate modeling projects like earrings, buttons, beads or tiny figurines. Bread dough also is a great medium for taking impressions: A small piece pressed against the outside of a favorite shell makes a beautiful pendant or faux fossil. To add a hard, semigloss finish, your child can mix equal parts water and white glue and brush on several coats.

DRYING TIME:

White Bread Dough air-dries in 1 to 3 days.

STORAGE:

This recipe dries out quickly, so it's best to make only as much as your child will use in one sitting. But if you do have any extra, it will keep for a month when refrigerated in plastic bags or sealed containers.

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• Clay Crafts