To not understand how to paint papier mâché??

[BlameItOnTheBoomBoom]

Son's homework is to create a huge 3d model of Neptune.

After a quick dabble on YouTube decided to go down the mâché route, all fine and dandy until we tried to paint the bloody thing. We used newspaper for the mâché (and a beach ball) and let it dry but after 3 coats of paint you could still see the newspaper print. Quick check on Google - apparently common so papier mâché-d (?) over the paint with regular white paper , dried, painted again and dried - twice... but now all we can see are circular specks of white through the paint, sort of more where the paper is glued to the next piece of paper and not consistently all over (used a pva and water mix).

Maybe I used too much water in the mix? It's all stuck down fine though.

Or is it crap paint - Hobbycraft Ready Mixed Paint - all the other paint was tiny and expensive in comparison.

Need to get this thing done by Monday, please can someone tell me how to fix it as it does look really shit... Thanks!

Neptune is blue so get some different blue papers Inc tissue paper and some white tissue paper, tear into strips and add in an adhoc fashion using pva glue.

You could work back into it with paints and pastels with a few streaks of silver and blue glitter glues to add an astral feel.

Ps the strips should be positioned to go round the shape iyswim

Off topic I know, but in what world is "create a huge paper mache figure of neptune" appropriate homework?? Homework is supposed to teach a kid study skills, show the teacher how well they are retaining information, provide a counterpoint to how they learn in the classroom, and allow them a quiet place to focus.

It's not for some mad, massive art project! What on earth is the benefit of that?

Fairenuff I'm still disappointed that my son's scene-in-a-box thing didn't win the competition when he was at first school - I'd spent hours on that!

Hey, Send ! My school sets homework of the kind you describe, albeit at a primary level. My DDs' teachers often set mad, creative projects like the one OP describes. My DDs love doing their homework, my pupils not so much. The invitation to work creatively on a project with my child, and the learning that occurs as a result of talking about it and problem solving together is great.

Paint and glue mix works

Paint a coat of PVA glue all over it first. Paint the colours on top of that.

The invitation to work creatively on a project with my child, and the learning that occurs as a result of talking about it and problem solving together is great

Awesome, but @AdultHumanFemale you sound like someone who has the time and inclination to do something like that, and would probably do things like it with your kids even if they hadn't been set as homework. Doing creative things with your children is fun - but that is parenting, not homework.

I suppose I think that a primary school teacher (jeez, why do primary age kids even get homework?) shouldn't be setting work that simply could not be done without a vast amount of parental input, and ends up being more about the skill and creativity of the parent, not the child.

I suppose I'm thinking of myself here - both my parents worked long hours, are resolutely non arty and would have sighed in frustration and told me 'that would do' after five minutes. If my homework had been dependent on either of them, I would have got very dispirited, especially when other kids proudly carried in something THEIR MUM AND DAD had been working on all weekend and been able to bask in its reflected glory.

You know what, Ardwolf , you are absolutely right about the homework being set at a level that children are able to accomplish independently, without parental resourcing and contribution. For this reason, in my school where more traditional homework is set, I try to ensure that tasks are always at 'consolidation level' as many of our parents would not be able to assist their kids with basic English and maths. As a primary teacher (and I totally agree that the place of homework in primary school is debatable) I suppose I treat my own kids' 'collaborative home learning projects' much like I would a kid in my class', I probably 'facilitate' more, ask questions and stand back to let them lead. The idea of reflected glory is so sad; my DDs love 'costume days' (lots of these in their school; book day, topic days etc) and we really make an effort, trawl charity shops for clothing and props, make and alter things etc. They always look great and have even received prizes, but it is totally a parent resourced and facilitated enterprise, and thus inherently unfair.