Kids Craft: Angry Birds Clay Figures

“Video games will rot your brain.”

I’m guilty of saying it when I find my 6-year-old zoned out on the couch with the iPad.

Limiting screen time is one of my constant struggles as a mother.

But there are times when video games can actually inspire creativity. Creativity of play. Creative artwork. And good old creative family fun.

Take some modeling clay, a lazy Saturday and an Angry Birds obsessed 6-year-old, and this is what you get.

A fun family craft that spurred some playmaking and even inspired a little filmmaking.

My son, husband and I used modeling clay to recreate the world of Angry Birds. None of us think we’re very good artists, but I’d say we did rather well in sculpting our respective birds and pigs out of clay.

My son made the white bird. (We call him Eggy and the exploding black bird), while my husband sculpted the red bird and the blue birds. (The Tinys, as we call them.)

Here are a few of those egg-stealing pigs: Mr. Mustache, King Pig and Minion Pig. Can you guess which two I made?

Here’s another view of the birds.

They are clockwise, from the left, Bubbles (the pink birthday bird), Bossy (the red bird), Icy (the ice bird), Boomerangy, (the boomerang bird), Speedy (the yellow bird) and Eggy (the white bird.)

Here’s the whole crew, and their slingshot that Jackson made.

Jackson also made the Angry Birds Mighty Eagle out of clay, as well as the tin of sardines that you use to summon him in the game. Somehow, I missed getting a shot of that, and the eagle isn’t as in focus as I would have liked. But that eagle is pretty mighty, huh?

When you make Angry Birds out of clay, you have to play with them.

Jackson and his dad recreated some of the Angry Birds game trailers and levels in claymation.

If you have a few minutes, you must watch this for a good laugh. Pardon the heavy breathing and loud camera focusing noises. I’m still learning how to use the video function on my DSLR.

If you have an Angry Birds obsessed kid, this video may inspire them to create their own figures.

And one final bit of Angry Birds business to share today.

Jackson drew this Ice Bird (and created an Emergency Bird) for a contest that Rovio had going on over the weekend. He didn’t win, but we’re all still very proud of his effort.

Thanks for indulging my proud mommy moment today.

Now, go and play with your kids!

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