And the latest hare-brained homework project is...

[Honourspren]

Outing, hence NC (though I like this new one, might keep it 😁).

For a class of 7-year-olds, homework this half-term:

Design and create a game that uses magnetic force. You will have a chance to try out your games and evaluate them as a class.

I am thoroughly annoyed, on several counts:

• The game uses magnets, which school obviously cannot supply. We therefore either have to fork out to supply our own or guess the school magnets' strength and dimensions. Kids whose parents neither own magnets they can spare, nor have the money to buy their own will automatically disadvantaged.
• There is almost no way to design a game without also supplying other materials. At the very least, cardboard - even if you go for a maze-type game, the paper won't be strong enough not to rip once you try out the game, and again, without knowing what magnets the school actually has, you cannot design a suitable map. This means planning for standard magnets, so enough cardboard for at least A3/A2 size is needed. For a racing game or fishing game (both suggested) you need to build 3D walls to stop the magnets from interacting with each other. You need a supply of paperclips for other games.
• Which means parents (let's face it, mums) will need to get involved. Find the time to plan and build together, even if 7-year-olds can decorate alone.

Now, my child is very fortunate. I know how magnets work well enough to help come up with a realistic plan (many 7-year-old plans are far too complicated and designing a working game is well beyond the mental capabilities of many young children, who will want to see theirs work come evaluation day). I can supply materials because I collect craft materials, I can supply magnets because I had the money to buy some. I can sit down with my child for a day and make a game, because I am fortunate enough to be off work.

Many children won't have that. Any of it.

We've done many craft-based activities that school asked us to do, but all of them so far were possible to do with little help. This one, however, is not.

AIBU to say that teachers should think carefully before assigning such projects to children over half-term?

You are definitely getting too involved. Leave it to your child, it's their homework. Supply materials if they ask for them and you have them.

I thought the whole point would be to get the child to think it through and make something themselves?

Not for the parent to do it all and to manage the whole process.

My game (aged 32) is to find five small things around the house. Looking in my handbag on the train that would be a lip balm, a 2p coin, a sachet of sugar, a pen and a Covid mask. Line them up. The game is guess if they are magnetic or not. Test hypothesis with magnet. Brief but educational game.

My guess is maybe the 2p, lip balm (metal tin) and possible the covid mask as it has a wire bit in it are magnetic. I’m not sure though and I don’t have a magnet to test. Kind of wish I did now.

You're not much of a scientist if you don't understand learning from experimental failure

You’re overthinking it OP. Kids/parents will use what they have and won’t think too much about it, unless they’re the overthinking/competitive sort. It’s homework for a 7 year old, keep perspective. 😅

If it doesn’t work due to the magnet not being big/strong enough, then they’ve got something to write on their evaluation. The important part is that they have a basic understanding of magnets and hopefully enjoy designing something.

I'm the kind of scientist who understands the importance of

• prior research time
• current understanding of my test subject
• looking at what else is already on the market (and peer-reviewed)
• funding
• available resources
• based on all of the above, an evaluation of the likelihood of success in order to not waste my employer's time, resources or money

Hence why I have a suitable degree in my subject.

I'd now do the bare minimum for this type of rubbish. This will not help her pass exams or enrich her life in any noticeable way. This is of course coming from somebody who crafted a model canoe painted in the school colours. My husband who is a scientist once produced a great biology homework project. (He was thrilled with his A grade.) One of my son's primary school teachers wanted coloured borders on every page of homework. That was my job. I mean why? Just why coloured borders?

Meanwhile, your kid is 7 and you should chill out. 😂

This!

The only way to teach the teachers that this kind of silly malarkey isn't on is to let the children return utter shite (or excuses about lack of necessary materials).

Stand back. Leave this nonsense to the children.

The teachers can evaluate the worth of the exercise only if they get realistic feedback, namely failure on the part of the children.

Isn't this a great opportunity to introduce kids to the idea of the thought experiment? You don't actually need any equipment (except maybe a pencil and paper) and kids should be encouraged to think why things might go wrong.....

I also think you’re overthinking it, and actually taking the opportunity away from your child to think up their own game. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated, they’re 7, and if you think it all through for them it defeats the point. Lots of very straightforward ideas listed on here that could be achieved in little time and without spending any money. I will always talk ideas through with my kids, and we can usually find stuff in recycling they can use- they have rocked up to school with some pretty structurally unsound creations- but it’s very clear it’s their work. When I see the amazing things some kids take it I just think more fool those parents really!

Is just write about a game with ideas and a name etc. I would not make it that's just ridiculous tbh for a 7 year old. A small piece of writing will do.

Originally that's what I thought it was. Then I was pointed to the "and create" it part by my child.

And no, I'm letting my child take the lead, though I did have to introduce them to the concept of paper mache as they will have to transport the thing three times before it gets to school (to their father's, then the childminder's, then to school itself).

Unless the teacher is reading this thread, you won't achieve anything. If you are so upset maybe you could raise it politely with the teacher?

A very simple game idea to fulfil this assignment would be a variant of magnetic fishing, with paper clips on the 'fish' (or whatever - cardboard or other simple construction) and a single magnet dangled from above.

It could be linked to a maths or phonics game with numerals, letters, shapes etc. if this is too simple.

(but I do agree that this type of homework project is a pain!)

Ahh... we are lucky enough to have a few cheap rubbish fridge magnets..,

Throwing magnets at fridge from 2m away to see if we can hit them right and make them stick right now, game done 🤣 (and weirdly this post has just killed 15 mins for us and May now be a regular)

I hate this shit. I always made sure my child did it themselves, which meant their results looked utter garbage next to the ones obviously made by parents.
Just what is the damn point?

😂too funny.

Also, some great suggestions here - the (single) fishing rod and timer game, the 'are they magnetic?' handbag game...genius!

But also, what a great opportunity for a child who comes from a non-academic household, one from a trade perhaps - lucky the kid that has a plumber, electrician, builder, labourer, brickie etc for a parent, who is likely to have a tool box/shed/ drawer of useful metal gubbins that might be fashioned into something that fits the bill.

Make the fishing game. Box , cardboard fish with iron nail on, stick and string, magnet on string. Done.

Meanwhile we've been asked if we can make a working model of the human heart! We've decided we will just draw a picture of it and call it a day there.

I wouldn't have a clue what to do with that assignment and nor would DC (8). DH might come up with an idea but most likely we just wouldn't bother.

DS does have homework this half-term and it's the first time he's had any in a holiday. He took photos of trees on our walk today and we'll identify them later and write them up with the photos. Research I'm fine with, the kind of creativity it takes to invent a game is beyond me.

I remember having to design and make a travel game in CDT aged 12. No clue how to go about it and failed entirely.

Yeah, as a working parent I’d struggle to find time for this. It’s not easy to get my kids to the shops which is why I get my food shopping delivered. So something unexpected like that would be a right pain in the butt. I don’t have fridge magnets.

OP is right that this type of homework discriminates against some kids. And those poor kids will be humiliated.

Ridiculous. I'm a secondary school teacher and I never set homework over the holidays, except for exam classes. If children and parents want to spend half term making stuff out of cardboard, that should be entirely their choice.

Op's point is what about those children in the class who don't have the materials or a caregiver who is interested in getting them, or helping them with the project in any way?