# Pottery Wheel (you know, for kids!)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pottery-wheel-you-know-for-kids/701837>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 19, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pottery-wheel-you-know-for-kids/701837 "2014-10-19T19:07:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pottery-wheel-you-know-for-kids/701837/1 "2014-10-19T19:07:49Z")

</div>

Is there any value to those relatively cheap [kid’s potter’s wheels](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=kids+pottery+wheel&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Akids+pottery+wheel)? The Devilling asked for one and we really like encouraging that kind of creativity. Since he’s five, we certainly don’t need anything substantial per se, but we don’t want something that even a five-year-old will recognize as a piece of crap. Kind of like buying his first instruments (djembe; ukulele) from a music store–definitely ‘student’ versions, but not Toys-R-Us frustrationphones.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pottery-wheel-you-know-for-kids/701837/2 "2014-10-19T19:26:30Z")

</div>

It depends. Some of them can break pretty easily, but if you keep projects small and are fairly gentle, they usually work pretty well. What’s cool about them is that even if it’s a lot easier than an actual wheel and clay, the basic idea behind using it - centering, rounding, forming - is them same.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pottery-wheel-you-know-for-kids/701837/3 "2014-10-19T20:49:22Z")

</div>

> [@Octarine](#):
>
> What’s cool about them is that even if it’s a lot easier than an actual wheel and clay, the basic idea behind using it - centering, rounding, forming - is them same.

They can be easier than an actual wheel? Or did you mean that even if it’s a lot easier on/with an actual wheel, the basic idea is the same?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pottery-wheel-you-know-for-kids/701837/4 "2014-10-19T20:59:09Z")

</div>

I’m sure a kid’s wheel will have a very cheap electric motor. Mostly plastic and really only meant for a few hours use. Its battery operated and won’t have much torque. Thats a good safety feature. Its not powerful enough to hurt anybody.

Should be ok for a really young kid’s first project. Supervise and make sure its not left on.The 4 C batteries won’t last long. The $50 model looks like a good deal and has all the supplies.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FeAudrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7feea3/32.png) [@FeAudrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FeAudrey)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pottery-wheel-you-know-for-kids/701837/5 "2014-10-19T22:41:37Z")

</div>

Ceramics classes for grown-ups generally prefer that students master the hand-building methods before starting to throw on the wheel (which is VERY messy, by the way, and takes a bit of upper body strength).