unreasonable school project?

I have an 8 year old, and am short on time and have absolutely no craft skills. It really annoys me when they come home with this type of stuff to do, totally unreasonable in my opinion.

Er … excuse me - this is a challenge for a 5 year old? It's ridiculous. Or is it a challenge for the parents/grandparents? The comments on this thread seem to take it for granted that the child (or their children/grandchildren) will be doing this as part of a 'family' project. That's OK if it's acknowledged as such, but it's certainly NOT a project for a 5 year old. I would clarify with the school what the rationale is for presenting a child of that age with a challenge which s/he can't possibly complete without the assistance of an adult.

I I were you I would contact the school and ask exactly which leaning objective for 5 year olds have been set, and will be met, through this project. There are some examples of Design Technology tasks here www.theschoolrun.com/5-at-home-design-and-technology-projects-for-primary-children
You will see the first are very easy and cutting and measuring doesn't actually come in to it until Key Stage 2.
The reception learning outcomes are here www.peartreeprimary.co.uk/serve_file/89864
And none of them are met by this project.

What about using a fabric carrier bag? The handles are the shoulder straps and the bottom can be cut open and repressed. No sewing, minimal cutting, easy to measure. Child can draw on the front with some felt tips. A blouse or suntop. It will have a seam down the front but so what.

If parents don't have time for an hour with their kids at the weekend then don't do the project. Simples! If they would rathe do something else with the kids do it! I, as were many others on here, ( & as are my DDs) was a ft worker with 2 x primary aged kids. We found time to do stuff socially and homework. For some it is really tough to fit it all in when shift work is factored in but for some it is about priorites.

I am no good at arts and crafts.....so all the fiddly homework was done by the other clever grandma, who was very, very good at all things arty .

Gosh, thanks for all the posts, didn't think I'd get so many replies. You sound a very creative lot. Think I'll print out the ideas and suggestions, and give them out to the mums at the school gate.

Thinking of doing the blanket poncho and a skirt made out of net curtain. It won't even need any sewing as it is the sort that has an opening to thread a tension rod in, so could thread some elastic through and knot it at the back.
It won't teach sewing so I might make some holes for her to thread some ribbon through.

I'll leave the materials in different cupboards so when we go to 'look' for something to use I can 'suggest' we use the strategically placed blanket and curtain

I feel happier about helping her now, thanks.

izabella, so sorry that happened to you as a child. Just shows what effect these things can have on children.

My niece is relatively affluent, but took exception to the Christmas jumper day at her daughter's school, so cut out a star from felt and tacked it to her daughter's school jumper. I don't know if she got teased, but whatever mums do can be wrong in one way or another, too good and the other kids resent you, not good enough and you're teased.

Anyway if nothing else it will be a lesson in trial and error.

I've been reflecting on the OP and honestly, struggle to imagine any primary school reception teacher asking children to do this. Much less sending a flier home as described here. This is GCSE or a level stuff not reception class

It is GCSE level not for 5 year olds..

However, a net skirt so that she has to put a piece of elastic round her waist, add a bit to tie it, is good for measuring.
I liked the idea of the 'scarf skirt'.

It is too ambitious a task for reception or Y1.

PECS, when I started the thread I described the task straight from the flyer. I suppose it's for the adult involved to interpret it.

Thanks for clarifying..I was not sure. Sounds as if it needs a bit
more background information!

PINTEREST EVERYTIME.
Does 'materials' mean fabric or materials? If it's the latter then materials cold be anything....
Paper cups
Cardboard
Plastic bags...assortment of colours
A trip to a charity shop...sheet, clothes, tablecloth etc
Use anything & have fun. A glue gun (used by adult), staples, cellotape string etc for attaching pieces together. I doubt the teacher's intention wasn't to cause stress. I imagine it's all a little tongue in cheek fun. The more outlandish the better probably. Have fun!

this homework is getting ridiculous i thought as i was reading it oh this will be for gcse not a five year old let her make a cinderella dress she can stick on sequins ribbons etc

Ok here's what I would do as a retired primary teacher.
1.Start her looking at her own clothes discussing what they are made of, then move on to other people's clothes.
2.Collect some old clothes that don't fit anymore. Some of hers and some other peoples.
3. Let her try them on and then discuss what else they could become.
Sleeves of too small jumpers make hats/leg warmers. Cardigan from an adult will make her a coat if sleeves are shortened. Adults T-shirt might be a dress.
She might come up with her own ideas and just need a little help making things fit.

The humble pillowcase features heavily in home learning projects:

Greek day: cut arm and head hole and add gold belt or ribbon

Roman day: as above

Victorian day: arm and head hole: make it look sooty = chimney sweep.

Machine tie dying is fun (and uses up the dreaded loom bands that are always lying around) Pillowcase: randomly positioned loom bands (or elastic bands or hair bands or strink) & machine die from wilkos = tie died pillowcase, & cut arm and head holes for tunic and maybe add a belt

Thanks for all the posts and ideas. I should collect all your ideas and put them in a book.

Homework Lifesavers!

Hi
100% agree thats a lot for a 5 year old sounds more like a gcse project!
Im a professional craft artist and often have to devise crafts for little ones heres my ideas to get you through this.
Tutus can be made quickly with a piece of elastic tied in a waist band and the fabric can be notted round no sewing needed.. you could use, plastic bags, dress net, ribbon combo anything that doesn't fray really,
Old toy (or cheap new we wont tell ;) ) fairy wings are great to decoupage on with old fabric and can be bent in lots of ways,
theres a great website called cut out and keep which is always a good source of ideas!
The tutu came from there actually
www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/no-sew-tutu-3

Good luck try not to stress

Crazy for a 5 year old - how many could even begin to do this without a parent helping at every stage, and doing the vast majority of it?

I sometimes think teachers set projects like this to punish parents for inflicting their children on them. ?

anxiousgran - I shall look out for 'Clothes Recycling for Infants'!

you could get an old dress from a charity shop. and let your gd stick pieces of rags or glitter on... she could go as cinderella in rags.........

DGD has just turned a skirt that was too small for her into a pair of trousers, but she is 12, loves sewing, has been sewing for about 5 years and now has her own full size sewing machine. At 5 she was just learning to use a needle and making simple samplers.

Sorry, DGD is 11, 12 this year.

anxiousgran. WhenI read your first post I assumed your GD was at least a teenager.I used to teach 5/6 year olds and wouldn’ dream of setting such challenging home work for them-and their parents/careers. It seems more suitable for someone specialising in textiles .I know pressures are so much greater now than when I was teaching,but that is going too far.

I remember making a skirt for myself when I was about 8 - and I wore it quite a lot. However, we did do this in school as we had sewing lessons every Wednesday afternoon.

I would not have been in the slightest bit interested when I was 5 - although I did love having something new to wear that my mother had 'run up' on her old Singer.