Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School in need of suggestions re: a "builder"

DD7 has had a pretty rough school year this year. Her teacher doesn't get her and thinks that her social issues are because she is a year younger than her peers. (No one else other than her classroom teacher thinks this.) She also expects DD to be perfect in everything she does because she is so smart.
We are just ending spring break and gearing up for the last 9 weeks of the school year.
Knowing that it will be a struggle to keep DD a willing participant in school, and that we will not get any help from the teacher, we are trying to put together a list of possible projects for her to do after school that will give her something else to think about rather than dwelling on how bad school was every day (as she had gotten into the habit of doing over the last month).
DD is into building things, loves her snap circuits kit, likes to bake/cook, loves her Goldie Blox kit, but doesn't like Legos and if she thinks we're giving her canned crafts to do will refuse to do them.
Similarly, she has decided she isn't as interested in art as she thought she might be, so painting and drawing is out. She loves to do role playing and makes up elaborate story lines we have to follow as we play whatever the scenario is for the day.
Any suggestions of projects we could do with stuff around the house would be great.

Does she have any interest in puppets? That might fulfill the role-playing, but add an element of arts and crafts. We have made a few types of puppet theater (the fabric that hangs from a spring rod in a doorway requires basic sewing, though could be done with felt and glue as well, or a large cardboard box with an opening in the bottom for smaller puppets; definitely a lot of creative options. Making various puppets has also been an on-again off-again activity here- again, they can be super-simple, popsicle sticks with stuff glued on, to quite elaborate. We did a lot of fun sock puppets for a while, but I imagine there are endless ideas if you searched online a bit. She could even work on filming, explore stop-motion stuff, etc, if that interests her. It might be just to tell her own stories, or she might find a cause or idea she wants to explore and educate others about.

Sorry she is having a rough patch- hope things smooth out soon.

Spring is usually a turbulent time for the weather = windy days.

Why not try making some kites and flying them after school :-

tetrahedron kite making instructions

Is it possible to advocate to change your child's learning environment, possibly moving to another teacher's classroom, switching schools, or homeschooling?

Is it possible for her to have a play date, or enjoy classmates' company outside of school at a movie, museum, or sports event, to help provide affirmation and social support?

Have you considered saving some of those story lines and scenarios as original books or games? If she is not enjoying drawing at the moment, illustrations could be stickers or origami for a pop-up book. Purchased blank books and game boards need not be used, as regular paper could suffice (and for some children, might reduce a sense of pressure as blank sheets of paper may make it relatively easy to re-do an individual page if desired).

The old American Girl craft books are a rich source of ideas, as are internet search results for "Rube Goldberg machine", "science fair experiments", and miscellaneous found items such as "egg carton craft ideas", or clothes pins or popsicle sticks (also called craft sticks or tongue depressors). Google images shows a wealth of ideas for hand made characters, habitats, and miniature furniture from materials already mentioned and also sponge, felt, and cardboard.

Having a box or a desk with drawers filled with miscellaneous materials may help her develop her inner engineer. She may wish to take pictures of her projects, and make a scrapbook or portfolio of them.

Wishing your daughter all the best for the remainder of this difficult school year!

oooooo - Rube Goldberg machines! That's a great idea for some serious open-ended creative distraction. Google it on youtube and you're lost for weeks.

Thanks for all the ideas. I don't know why I didn't think of the Rube Goldberg machines, I use them in my classes all the time.
I really like the puppet idea too - she would love trying to film it too.

As far as changing the educational environment, the other 2nd grade classroom wouldn't work for a variety of reasons, we may have the option of homeschooling, but not for another month, when DH's semester ends and one of his jobs is over.

We are going to a new school to check it out for next year this week, where there are more kids to choose from for friends and not such rigid division lines between the grades and who can interact with whom. Fingers crossed that it will look as god in person as it does by word of mouth and on paper.

Thanks again. I'm off to see whether she wants to build a puppet theater.

My son and I have been collecting free pallets from around town, bringing them home and he is dismantling them to make a clubhouse.

Lots of good suggestions, to which I can add only one: Minecraft.

It has the triple appeal of being something that lets her build, can be social in its own right, and also acts as social lubricant at school, because practically every member of her generation is obsessed with playing it.

I don't know if she can sew, but maybe a trip to the thrift store to buy "costumes" for her to alter. Knitting is a good thing to learn I think as well, she can even make her own knitting needles (look up steiner).

What about a small table you might already have or one from the thrift?...that she could get little mosaic squares and triangles and mastic them down and grout. (some people smash up plates but I personally think that is too sharp and I don't like that look as much as a true mosaic from perfect squares).