unreasonable school project?

I think its a fun project. 5 yr olds are not supposed to do their homework independently.

I would look at what we are about to throw out (a quilted coat as it happens) and see what we could use it for (cut off an arm = instant warm hand muff)

Another thing we are throwing out is a dressing gown with the belt missing: cut it up to waist length, fabric glue the front together = baggy hoodie

No craft skills required

You really need to make your feelings clear to the school!
Obviously they expect the 5year old to have help so just say you can't/won't and that you want to lodge a complaint about this inappropriate project. Attack's the best defence.

Last time I looked, schools couldn't punish mums and grans!
However, you'll be up against the mums who want to show how clever they their daughters are!

poor poor little kids. God help them.No wonder MH services are stretched to breaking point. A 70 hour week at 5??????

I just thought of another one! Can't take credit for it because I got it out of "The Kids Cottage Book", a book my mum has. You can make a knapsack out of an old pair of jeans. Seriously.

You take an old pair of jeans and a couple of strips of old sheet, plus some rope. Tie the ends of the strips of sheet around the ankles of the jeans and then tie the other ends to the belt loops of the jeans. This makes your straps. Put the rope through the belt loops of the jeans and then use it to hold the waistband closed. Now you can put small objects in the jeans through the waistband, and you can use the pockets to hold smaller objects.

Old socks & scissors = fingerless gloves

Thick Tights + scissors = leg warmers

My grandchildren’s school is mostly wonderfully supportive. They know that the family are having a very difficult time but I often want to say a great deal of stress is coming from them. Stuffed animals coming home for the weekend together with a diary to fill about all the ‘fun’ they’ve had. Around an 45 homework each night. Schoolclubs before school starts and after it’s finished. Dressing up days, theme days it’s expensive and exhausting. I’m sure they’d be understanding if we didn’t join in but the children don’t want to be singled out. Schools seem to do much more extra activities than either I or my children ever did.

It is a ridiculous project for a 5 year old. When DGC were that age, about 5 years ago, they did sewing at school, learning about using a needle and thread, scissors and the like and they then sewed a simple sampler.

How many children will have parents who have the creativity, time and money to do a project like this, this is more a project for the parents than the children.

I would speak to the school about this and talk to other mothers to see how they feel, I am sure you and your DD's reactions are those of most of the children's parents.

I still remember the stigma of not having costumes in school when everyone else turned up with the required outfits and stuff. Mum was blind so there was no chance and I was singled out everytime.

I’m an infant teacher (part time) and this sounds a bit over the top to me. Thought of a couple of ideas with no sewing

I’d just get Gd to draw final item and make poster after.

A quick and easier outfit with no sewing would be a skirt made out of scarves - wrap scarf over a belt that fits Gd. and tie it. Using several different colours and textures could look effective.

Recycle an old long sleeve T-shirt top and glue cotton wool circles on for a winter dress

If I come up with any others I’ll post them. Also as others said if you google recycled material clothes you should get some ideas.

Good luck and let us know what you do.

It sounds much too ambitious a project for a five year old anxiousgran.
and as the flyer says measure themselves throughout to make sure it fits.
That's why I gave up making anything for myself!

If you have to do this, choose a fabric which doesn't fray, can be glued with fabric glue and a design which is meant to fit loosely.

Your OP reminded me that the next half-term will be the one prior to St David's Day and will be filled with several joyful 'projects' to complete for the Eisteddfod.
[sigh]
It is like a competition for mums!!!
That's how many of these homework projects end up!
Whose mum made the best model figure/dress/map etc

A quick and easier outfit with no sewing would be a skirt made out of scarves - wrap scarf over a belt that fits Gd. and tie it. Using several different colours and textures could look effective.
Brilliant Twin2
One to remember

Absolutely ridiculous.Sounds like a GCSE project.

I think the parents should get together and just say NO, this is unreasonable and none of us will be helping our children to do it.

And as long as families buy into this nonsense without complaining, it will get worse!

I remember a similar occasion with my son. He was dreadfully upset because we just didn't have the facilities (it involved technology)
I wrote to the school telling them I was not going to allow him to take part and, if necessary, would keep him off school on the specified day. I added that I was sure they could come up with an alternative which did not marginalise those children without the required equipment.
They did.

You say “but the project idea will have to come from me as she will probably dream up a Cinderella outfit if left to herself.” Why is that such a bad idea? It’s about the child’s imagination and if that’s what a five-year-old imagines that’s perfectly fine.

This may not be such a problem if you start small scale. Does she have any Sindy/Barbie dolls? Take a look at this video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=okqzi57RXZk

A folded shape, three small cuts and a ribbon.

This too: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpGQAW3oYtE

And this: mycrafts.com/diy/diy-barbie-dresses-with-balloons-making-easy-no-sew-clothes-for-barbies-creative-fun-for-kids/

Measuring a doll will be easy. Finding small bits of fabric easy too. The maker of the video says stretchy fabrics are best but she could try out these small scale versions with all kinds of fabric as part of the evaluation. Dusters, J-cloths, old T-shirts. All fine but only for Cinders before the ball. The ball dress will need something with a bit of shine and sparkle.

Once she has the hang of making tiny dresses she’ll be inspired to make one for herself. A visit to a charity shop should find something with enough fabric to make a dress to fit a five-year-old. If you ask staff, there are probably donated garments and linen out back that are not fit for the shop floor but they will let you have for pennies or nothing. Discussing what she chooses is also part of the evaluation.

I don't see the project as being about sewing. The teacher isn't expecting Zandra Rhodes or Alexander McQueen. It's about looking at different fabrics, what they can be used for and a bit of simple measuring.

Yes, you will have to give her some assistance but I think it sounds fun.

Looking at the Twitter feed from some of my DGC's school I wonder how many of the creative homeworks have been done by parents or grandparents. Most of them I guess, including DGD's mostly created by me. 6 years old, she cannot cut through thick card for some of the models she has had to make (eg a pyramid) and of course She needs help to produce the different shapes. I have to provide paints, brushes, glue, stickers etc etc. Luckily her latest, a rocket for a space project was easily made with a Christmas cracker, glue and sparkly tape from present wrappings. She still needed help to get the cone shape at the top though.

Of course.
A five year old won't be able to Google things, cut out, (leaving space for a seam)
Its fine if they have a parent who enjoys and has time to spend time on a project like this, but some don't.
I wish my grandson had an aunt or Nan, or someone to spend time doing all these things, but he hasn't, and I don't feel up to it.

I have taught 5 year olds and I can't imagine how this piece of homework got the green light from senior teaching staff. Class challenges are nothing new, but in Year 1 the result of an individual challenge like this should be evidence of the following:

Can the child think of some ideas of their own?

Can the child explain what they want to do?

Can the child use pictures and words to plan?

What has been described in the OP is exceedingly ambitious and without adult help I would say almost impossible. Below is what one school has set out as appropriate homework for this age group and you will see that there are options graded according to difficulty with the most difficult being considerably easier than what is described by anxiousgran.

www.stnicholasprimaryschool.org.uk/perch/resources/documents/homework-year-1-spring-term-1-2019.pdf

I was a teacher and think it is ridiculous homework.
I would definitely take it up with the school. Meanwhile Twin2 has an excellent idea with the scarves.
A 5 yr old doesn’t need any homework other than reading. I particularly hate that sort where some parents won’t have the resources and some will go way OTT and the child won’t have touched it! I can’t see the point of it other than to give a prize to the most imaginative parent or grandparent.

I used to teach in a primary school and I think this is nonsense. At 5 years old they should be learning simple tasks not making elaborate designs.
Controversially I don’t believe in teaching reading and arithmetic until they are 6.

Wow!!! What a creative lot you are. There should be a gransnet remakery, or whatever these workshops are called. Then all those with projects could come and make them together.
I thought you were going to say your DGD was 15 not 5.
When mine were 5 they studied the Greeks and Romans at school and made outfits with the help of parent helpers but in school certainly not at home.
My DS taught us how to make stuffed dates, which is what the Romans ate.
We still make them sometimes.

My son came home in year 7 or 8 with a half term project to male something to do with the Industrial Revolution. The teacher was ‘tired’ of marking essays. My son informed me that one friend was going to make a video of the Iron Bridge Museums and another was making a working model of a steam engine. We ended up making a board game where the players were children in the 18th century. The weavers child lost fingers, the chimney sweep got stuck and the rich child a,ways got across the board. We still have the board.