AIBU that making craft shit for school at home is pointless?

[purplepencilcase]

Can someone explain why spending almost a whole day on making a Viking Longboat for Year 3 homework is a good use of time?

I honestly can't believe it's enhancing education in ways that other activities couldn't do?

YANBU

complete waste of time. Goes in the recycling at the end of the week term. If it is that important it should be done IN the lesson

If all the Viking longships were set on fire after dark at the local pond and sent out across the water, it would be like a miniature Up Helly Aa, and who wouldn't like to see that?

Loved making a Viking long ship although they were just pictures. Some drawn, some had tissue paper stuck on, shields made etc. All of them were showcased in assembly, the children walk down the aisle so all the parents get a good eyeful and then they were on a massive display board in school. In fact I volunteered in the school and had a blast making swords and shields from cardboard, the children decorate them and have a big fight between the Vikings and the Romans on the school field. But then I like making craft things myself.

DD’s school did this -they had to build model houses found in London around the time of the Great Fire of London, and then they set them on fire in the playground!

Yanbu. I realised most of the time the parents must have done most of the making. So I don't make mine do these projects.
Crap for them to try compare what they can make with something mainly made by someone 4x their age

Design skills
Figuring out the best materials to use skills
Building skills

The future designers, engineers and builders of future products have got to learn their skills somehow. This is how they start.

DD’s school did this -they had to build model houses found in London around the time of the Great Fire of London, and then they set them on fire in the playground!

DS's school did this too. They lined them up like a street, set one end on fire, watched it spread along, then flattened the middle houses to make a firebreak and show how the fire would die out. The school caretaker loomed large in all the photos with a bucket of sand!

Our did the Great Fire of London and burnt it down in the playground too ! The children loved it 🤣

DD had to make a pyramid, she made a huge one out of sugar cubes and left it on the end of the dining table to set. The dog ate most of it ! She was devastated so we sent it in as a pyramid ruin

We definitely don’t help them when it’s a craft project, even though it’s the only kind of homework I like !

Can I also add Make a Lighthouse and Made an air raid shelter to my he list of pointless homeworks that are completed by the parents.

My daughters primary did the burning of the little houses in the playground too.
All while singing "London's Burning".

I'd love to say it gets better at Secondary school...

But DD had to make a castle in Yr7.

YANBU. I have three children and both of us work almost full time.

It's easier for parents who have one child or big age gaps to do this kind of thing, but for busy, larger families, it's much harder. And then, when you can't do it, it's the kids that have to feel the embarrassment. Then, factor in the parents who don't care.

It's a waste of time.

I'd much rather help build a viking ship out of cardboard than help with some boring maths !

Ofsted. I'm a childminder and got marked down because the children (under 3) don't do enough home learning.

As an engineer I can only say I absolutely hated all this craft stuff in school. Pretty sure none of it assisted me at any point in my career.

@SchoolShenanigans do your children do any crafts at home? Do you consider those a waste of time too?

By DC3 I have completely stopped doing all types of craft homework that require more of my input than the DC's.

The world does not seem to have stopped.

There are loads of skills to be learned from it for those who are interested.

But why all day? Why your time?

Give DC some materials and leave them to it. If they are happy with what they create in 30 mins, job done. If they want to spend all day on it, enjoy the quiet day.

I don't dispute the skills to be learned/the value. But when every time a section of parents do nearly all the work, I'm afraid I am just not pushing my children to take part.

We do crafts at home in our own time. No need for them to have their work compared to what a 40 year old sahm can produce

@GaspingGekko what made you interested in becoming an engineer?
Something must have sparked an interest.
(I actually find "Working in enginering" one of those vague phrases like "working in the Civil Service" - in that I don't really know what someone does in their job if they tell me they are "an engineer")
The thing is building a cardboard ship covers many different skills and potential careers. Some children will love the actual physical design part of it (ie making it the correct boat shape that sails well), others the decorative side of the design, some the actual physical building side of it.

Nobody’s mentioned the ideas and collaboration! All great skills- plus your child can teach you their knowledge and a lot of children learn through teaching.

Completely agree. Teachers must know the parents make these models but still set them for the children to supposedly do!

@Needmorelego My interest came from having very strong maths skills and an interest in physics and the area of engineering I went into.
In my various jobs I've analysed data, produced statistics, created computer simulations, worked on test rigs - mainly computer based.

I would travel to see that!

Yanbu. We had many miserable trips to hobbycraft with me trying to organise what they needed for school while the dc's were off looking at the toys.