Pottery wheels have been used for thousands of years and have evolved along the way. The first wheels consisted of a sheet of movable wood that allowed potters to turn the wood to create a clay vessel.
There are two types of pottery wheels. Kick wheels are moved manually by kicking a large round base stone that is attached to the top turntable where the clay is manipulated. An electric wheel uses power to move the wheel.
Pottery wheels made for children are constructed to work with up to 2 lbs. of clay to teach beginning wheel throwers the basics. Many types of pottery wheels made for children use self-drying clay so a kiln isn't necessary.
Small plastic pottery wheels for children may not allow children to create large scale wheel thrown pots. Plastic parts can break and be potential chocking hazards for small children.
Small table top electric wheels cost around $400 as of 2010. These are a big investment but will last the test of time and allow for larger clay production for children.