Calling Creative Moms-Need Help on Kinder Project

This is bringing me back to my son's project on ocelots.
It was an ocelot of work for him.
But he learned an ocelot about them.

Why can't she do the project? Let her brainstorm some ideas and then if she needs help with supplies help her. Not a parent project.

If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't help my kids with their projects, except maybe minimally if they asked for it. It sends a message of unhealthy perfectionism and that they aren't capable of doing it on their own. This is supposed to be your daughter's thing.

Lol -- And to prove my point, look what you wrote - "I have already seen another PARENT'S project." See what I mean? You and the other moms graduated from kindergarten a long time ago. It's your daughter's turn.

But let us know what grade you get on your project. ;)

Let your daughter decide what she wants on the rest of her board. Help only in an assistant way, let her lead and if she gets stuck have her brainstorm and bounce ideas off you. At that age my kids drew pictures, used stuff from online (maps, pictures, charts) and added information above and beyond what the teacher asked for.

One thing I did do to help fill up the board and make it more eye catching is provide lots of colored paper and some help cutting. The child can then arrange the paper under the pictures and fact sheets. Arranging stuff like this is a skill all children should practice. Don't do it for her, just provide the supplies and let her go to town.

Have your daughter write a list of 5 favorite things she has learned about Hyenas.

Maybe a list of why a Hyena would not be a good pet to own.

Have her actually draw her version of the Hyena. it does not need to be perfect.

And mom, on the morning she is going to take this to school, get a photo of her holding The poster board in her school clothes.. It will be a precious memory.

I hope you get many fun contributions, to get your daughter thinking what she'd like to do. Here's mine: If you could get a picture of the hyena's footprints, you could carve a potato that she could in paint to make tracks of footprints across the poster board.

IMO, remember that this is HER project and not the parents project. I guarantee that the school knew whose weekend it was when my SD arrived with her projects. I would talk to your DD and ask her. What does she want to do with the space? Can you go to the craft store for ideas (stickers, glitter, animal print paper)? Maybe more facts, or references to Lion King or more pictures. If three is minimum, then anything else you do is extra good. Or use a different font or size of image.

I was proudest of SD when she did a mis-shapen Tower of London, because SHE did it and SHE learned from it. So don't worry about what anyone else does.

Why can't she do the project by herself? What is the point on the project if it isn't her creation?

I'd look up some kid friendly hyena jokes (or other African animals) and post them around the board. As one of the facts, I would explain why they are often known as "Laughing Hyenas". A cartoon of hyenas laughing around the jokes would be cute too.

Im sure the project is meant to help them learn about african animals but you could watch The Lion King with your daughter and maybe have her point out a few things about the movie that stand out to her esp. the hyenas and then hit up the computer to further research things. It might help to inspire her on a childs level and allow her to do more of the work than you thought
Good luck

What can your daughter do herself? Can she draw hyena pictures? Can she draw a picture of herself dressed up like a hyena? Can she make a hyena out of papier mache or clay, and attach it to the board somehow? Hyenas have very distinct voices, as you both know. Can she make up a hyena song? Write a hyena poem? Have her start there; if none of those work, they may give her ideas for other things she would like to do.

I doubt that your (or your daughter's) creativity is gone. You just have hyenas laughing at you right now, and that isn't fun.

Sarah and Robert E wrote exactly what I was thinking in my head; a bunch of cartoon-ey "HA-HA's" with kid-friendly jokes. That, and the actual true facts about hyenas.

Good luck!

Hyenas are matriarchal, which is pretty unique in the animal kingdom. The females are actually larger than the males. Maybe she could work that in, how the Moms rule the hyena society? The females also have quasi-penises, maybe not so appropriate for the poster board, but too interesting not to share here :)

What about using colored construction paper to make the environment the animal lives in? Example, cut green paper in long zigzag shapes (grass) cut a yellow sun, bugs and birds that are in the habitat can also be drawn in... blue back for the sky, clouds can be pasted on cotton balls that have been stretched out.....

Per my kids' "parent projects" when they were younger:
The Teacher, has instructions for the child to "lead" the project, but the parent, assist. And they send home, these instructions on a memo.
SO that means, you ask your child for "ideas" and what they think about it.
Then you, help it come to fruition. Showing your child, how... you can execute her ideas. ie: look for pictures online (she can choose which pictures she wants), print it out... she can then, color it or help glue it on the board... her choosing where to place it on the board.
And then if captions/facts or text needs to accompany the pictures, you can either have her write it (writing it on a colored paper until it looks "nice") then cut out that "caption" text, and you glue that on under the picture onto the poster board, etc.
And, she/you can also, decorate the poster board (if that is allowed) with either cut out construction paper or her drawing on it with markers or crayons, or using stickers etc. But making sure that once she "writes" or draws on the poster board... you cannot erase... it, per any "mistakes."

ALSO, per my kids' and their parent/child projects... their Teachers, DID NOT EXPECT IT TO LOOK LIKE AN ADULT, DID IT.
They want it to be, the child... doing it. It should look like a child, did it and lead the project.
Teachers, DO KNOW, when the parent... did the project, not the child.
HENCE, maybe... that is why the other project you saw (the lion) LOOKS like, the standard is set higher. It is because, the PARENT did it. NOT THE CHILD.

This is only Kindergarten.
It does NOT have to look like, a 5th grader did it.
And if it does, then that means the parent... did it. Not the kid.

The important thing about this project, is the process of it.
ie: learning about the animal, learning how to choose the layout, learning how to put it together & organization, and discuss it/talk about it, how to express their ideas and make something, creatively and academically, and learning steps about how to make something.

Whenever, my kids had kid/parent projects like this, my kids did it, I assisted. AND I made sure... that my kids knew, it was their, project. AND if, the other students projects were SO much better than theirs... they knew it was because, the parent, did it. Not the child.
My kids did not "compare" their project to the others.
They were happy, with their project. Because they, made it. They were proud of their, project.
That is also the other, "lesson" about it.
Also to be proud of their... work. And of trying their best. And enjoying, doing it.

do you just need to add some color? scrapbook paper, or fabric can jaz things up.

Yes, it will work! At this age they love crafts. Go to the library together and get a few books about hyenas, read to her, read together, and get some ideas about the animal; go to the store (Michaels, even Target or Wal Mart) and get craft supplies, it will be fun! let HER imagination and love for learning unfold, just guide her, you do not have to do anything, it is HER project.
Have fun!

I like R.K.'s idea of hyena footprints. I was thinking something similar: carve a typical "spot" into a potato, and stamp hyena spots all over the background. The side of a hand might also make good spots.

Just take each fact and include a few scenes for that fact. Your child can draw pictures or use cut outs or both.

So the hyena is a carnivore. I would add a grass field and perhaps a tree shrub to set the scene. Perhaps label it meal time. Write that hyena's are carnivore's which means they eat other animals for their food source. Most animals only eat the meat of other animals, but the hyena is able to eat skin and bones of other animals. I would include a picture of the hyena with it's dinner, perhaps a rabbit and include a hand drawn picture of the bones (maybe cross bones).

It sounds like too much for our children, but they really do take it as nature as they learn about it. It is us adults that make a big deal about it.

And yes, we helped our daughter with her first, second, and third grade projects. That is how they learn. She is in second grade now and she is taking the ropes on her own. She will tell you, "I got this". Much like reading, we started out by reading to our children, then listening to them read out load, then reminding them to read, and soon enough, they will read everything they need to and more.

Have fun!!

I love RK' s idea. And another is a pic of the hyenas from lion king as well as real ones. But don't get sucked into the mindset of trying to out do other parents in the project department. This is your daughter project let her be the driving force.

I'd let her pick out some cool stick on letters and borders or a set of stencils.
Help her find some good images online & help her print them out, if she needs help. Size them according to her poster size.
Tell her she could try to sketch , trace or draw a hyena to add.
Suggest she writes a fact on a colored rectangle of colored paper to glue on.
Otherwise--let her do it!

Take the poster & make it like a relief map.
Make their "habitat" stand up from the poster.
Google a picture or video of them.
You'll see their habitat in the background.
You can put little trees, use blue pain for a river, put in some rocks, get a
little hyena figurine & place it in there. Glue everything in place.
Your other option is to cut pictures from a National Geographic magazine
showing their habitat, pictures of them etc.