Psychoanalytic theory heavily emphasizes the wants of our subconscious minds. Clay and pipe cleaners are malleable materials and can provide children with a tangible way to express any difficult emotions. Children are also able to use the items as a way of projecting any internal conflicts, giving them an outlet to explore themselves. 

Because both clay and pipe cleaners are materials that require manipulation, they both have a similar way of being understood through the psychoanalytic theory. It is important to note that these crafts may show greater internal struggles and desires when an older child is working with them, and even adults. 

By watching the way children interact with these materials, we can develop a strong understanding of how influential our unconscious mind is on our behavior. Additionally, we can directly see how the conscious mind interacts with the unconscious to regulate and manage the unconscious. 

Anthropological/ cultural perspective is a way of understanding human life by considering the diversity of cultures and how all aspects of our lives—our actions, beliefs, and relationships, are all connected. It’s about seeing how different people live and how we’re all part of the same human story.

Pipe cleaners and clay are both materials that encourage kids to use their imagination and allow them to express their identities, who they are, and what they care about. Just as in ancient times people use art to tell stories and represent their beliefs, kid nowadays use these materials to create crafts that represent their ideas and creativity. 

 Crafting with pipe cleaners and clay is also a way kids in the U.S. connect with cultural traditions—whether it’s making seasonal decorations, creating art for school projects, or participating in family activities. In the U.S., many of these crafts are tied to holidays and cultural celebrations, like making clay ornaments for Christmas or creating pipe cleaner crafts for school events. These activities teach kids about traditions and how they contribute to the larger cultural practices they grow up with.

From a cultural perspective, pipe cleaners and clay are easy-to-find and common craft materials that kids today in the U.S. regularly use in both school and play. In the past, Clay and pipe cleaners were used more practically, while today it’s more about making art or simply for play to express creativity. These materials are part of how culture is passed down, showing how creativity and play help kids connect with traditions and practices from past generations. 

Crafting using pipe cleaners and clay reflects our society's focus on children and their needs. The use of handicrafts in education began during the New Education Movement. This reform movement, gaining traction in the 1920s, emphasized socialization and teaching through experience. Handicrafts were added to curriculum as a part of this reform effort in order for students to gain more hands-on, practical experience and knowledge. Pipe cleaners and clay were later added as materials for crafting, contributing to this reform effort. Therefore, we can trace the reasoning behind crafts like pipe cleaner crafts back to the New Education Movement of the 1920s, which centered around society's shift to a stronger focus on childhood development. This sentiment is still very much alive today, as reflected in the existence and further reform of the school system. 

In the modern-day, capitalist society of America, it's very easy to feel the need to opt into getting the best, most expensive ways to entertain children in a classroom. However, with the current economic state, this is rarely the case. Teachers and parents find ways to give the children the development tools they need to grow and learn without having to spend too much money. Pipe cleaners is a great tool for this because of how malleable and lasting they are. Without spending too much money, children can give pipe cleaners, clay, and other craft items a sense of value that is not initially in the object because of the hard work and effort they put into making their imagination physical. The originality of their creation also helps increase its personal value and makes the artifact easier to remember.

This artifact isn't just for children either. There have been cases where high school teacher and even university professors use pipe cleaners to make the visualization easier (e.g. the human body, elements). So, the value of the artifact can also come from the ability to bring imagination back into adolescent and young adult minds to help them learn.