Forum Discussion

Vyo4's avatar
Vyo4
Seasoned Veteran
12 months ago

IDEA: Back to School

Back to School is a fun and exciting time of year that is looked forward to by parents, students and teachers - but it’s missing from the Sims 4. Here's an opportunity to add engaging gameplay focused on the Child life stage by offering new ways to learn fundamental Child skills.

Tutoring

Create an in-home classroom environment that works in tandem with the normal school schedule that provides creative new ways to learn! A Freelance Tutoring Career that’s all about motivating students to reach their fullest potential. Hire a tutor or become a tutor.

Back to School Style

  • Cool, bold kid fashion
  • School uniforms
  • Fun teacher outfits
  • Classroom decor
  • More color swatches to the base game Kidsaw Soft Jigsaw Pattern carpet

Table of Contents

Forum Credits

Inspired by previous postings and ideas of fellow Simmers making similar requests:

feedback
ideas

8 Replies

  • Vyo4's avatar
    Vyo4
    Seasoned Veteran
    12 months ago

    Career: Freelance Tutor

    Get paid to mentor! Help Child and Teen Sims prepare for the road ahead. This career answers the call that Players have requested for a more interactive, at-home schooling and hands-on teaching gameplay. View as an active career alternative to, or a supplemental addition to, the rabbithole Teacher career from Discover University expansion.

    Work Hours: Before or after school, and weekends.
    Work from Home: Students will arrive on the Tutor’s home lot.
    Work on-site: Go to a Student’s lot for in-home sessions, option to Send Alone or Join.

    Student Assignments

    • Book Reports, read a book and write an essay on the computer
    • Lessons at the Tutoring Table, Flash cards
    • Music Lessons
    • Learn Geography using any Globe object
    • Field Trips: Visit a Community lot, do research then write an essay
  • Vyo4's avatar
    Vyo4
    Seasoned Veteran
    12 months ago

    Gameplay Objects

    Tutoring Table

    • Crescent shape.
    • Teacher sits on one side, up to 4 students sit on the other side.
    • Assign worksheets
    • Lecture, discuss subjects
    • Flashcards
    • Question Answer session, students raise hand

    Activity Easel Artboard

    • Used by Child Sims
    • Chalkboard/Whiteboard swatches
    • Doodle Drawings
    • Math Problems
    • Cursive Writing
    • Group activity: Pretend School / Play Teacher
    • Play Games
      • Tic-Tac-Toe
      • Hangman
      • Draw & Guess

    School Desk Activity Table

    • Activity Table that looks like a School Desk
    • Educational crafts
  • Vyo4's avatar
    Vyo4
    Seasoned Veteran
    12 months ago

    School Events

    Picture Day

    • Go to school, come home with a photo!
    • Portraits are randomized
    • Make Silly Face +Mischief
    • Whatever outfit child goes to school in is the outfit worn in the photo
    • Gameplay
      • Buy a photo package
      • Gift photo to Grandparents and Family
      • Trade photos with Friends

    Book Fair

    • Go to school, come home with a new book!
    • Add more school-themed children’s books
    • Add children Skill Books
    • Buy Activity Books - puzzles, games, coloring
    • Buy Craft Books - Read to unlock new crafts for the Activity Table
    • Buy Science Books - Read to unlock new potions for the Science Table

    Classroom Awards Day

    • Go to school, come home with an award!
    • Mini-goals for students to work toward
      • Perfect Attendance
      • Honor Roll
      • Most Improved
      • Homework Hero
      • Best Manners, Parenthood
      • Reading Rockstar

    More Afterschool Activity / Clubs

    • Bookworms
      • Read Books
      • Write book reports
      • Visit the Library
      • Discount books at book fair
    • Future Scientists
      • Use the Chemistry Table
      • Grow common crystals
      • Make playdough (clay) - new shapes!
      • Urpy Burpy potion
    • Junior Space Cadets
      • Study Solar System
      • Use Telescope
      • Go to Space Camp - weekend adventure rabbithole
  • Vyo4's avatar
    Vyo4
    Seasoned Veteran
    12 months ago

    Learning Traits & Guidance System

    Create a well-rounded classroom that adds challenges to the Tutoring experience. Unique interactions between Tutor and Student with the goal to guide the Student through encouragement and motivation. Guide Students to overcome learning obstacles and improve their grades.

    Types Of Students that Tutors may encounter:

    • The Struggling Reader
    • The Unmotivated Learner
    • Teacher’s Pet
    • The College Prepper (Teens)

    Personality Traits

    Make teaching interesting. Provide challenges through new personality traits. These personalities tend to need more tutoring and guidance due to their innate behaviors and quirks. Guidance can include one-on-one attention, acquiring a new skill, becoming focused, etc.

    Defiant

    • Resistant and disruptive
    • Hates homework
    • Make messes, Parenthood
    • Empties trash can, deposits on floor
    • Spitwad

    Absent-minded

    • Easily distracted. Forgetful.
    • Queue will clear randomly
    • Daydreams / Zones out / Stops listening
    • Plays on Phone, Turns on TV, Stereo, plays Computer
    • Wander off

    Studious

    • Eager. Diligent. Earnest. Gifted.
    • Needs a challenge or will become bored and disengaged
    • Enjoys homework, studying, extra credit
    • Loves to play pretend school, help others

    Overactive

    • Hyper. Energetic. Animated. Bouncy. High energy. Impulsive.
    • Can’t sit still. Fidgety.
    • Talks too much. Interrupts class. Distracts others.
    • Random actions added to the queue.
    • Rushes through homework, makes mistakes
  • Vyo4's avatar
    Vyo4
    Seasoned Veteran
    12 months ago

    Academic Journey: New Ways to Learn

    Add variety to day-to-day schooling by offering options to the schooling experience. Give Players the opportunity to tell more stories and become inspired to create new households based on their Sims’ educational journey; much like how some households created are inspired by a Career path.

    Study Abroad / Exchange Student

    • Sign up Child to be an exchange student
    • Duration: 1 school week, Monday - Friday
    • Played Child disappears from Home Lot.
    • Exchange Student NPC from another household/world (postcard locations) temporarily live with the Played Family - similar to the Roommate system of Discover University.
    • Stay connected
      • Write letters / Send postcards - Become Pen Pals!
      • Call home, get homesick
      • Send emails / Chat online
      • Social Bunny, High School Years

    Boarding School

    • Send your children off-lot for formal education.
    • Abroad during school week, Monday - Friday
    • Home on weekends, Saturday - Sunday
    • Specialized skill learning
    • Very expensive. Add boarding tuition to weekly bills.

    Home School

    • Register to school from home
    • Daily tasks, Weekly exams
    • Online Learning, computer
    • Off-Grid, mail exam - slower results

    School Uniforms

    • New toggle setting
    • ON - students go to school in a “Career” outfit
  • thornwill's avatar
    thornwill
    Seasoned Ace
    12 months ago
    I loved eveything, including the students personality traits which are very cute. I'd suggest a way for us to finally wear backpacks, maybe a new CAS category that includes the baby carriers?

    I wish the team could use a pack like this to "fix" the fact that we're not able to hire more professors on High School. My idea is an interaction to old and new boards like: Link [sim] to this board or just spawn new professors for every board existing on the High School lot.

    Also not having active afterschool club meetings is really sad, not even an only-teens social club (Get Together) meetings on the school lot.
  • Briana2526's avatar
    Briana2526
    Seasoned Ace
    11 months ago

    Now I would like all this but I don't want active school because high school years is so buggy and limited and hollow, 

    I would also like fun/crazy school days 

    Like Dress as a Bear Day

    Crazy Hat Day

    Dress in a Color Day

    Costume Day

    Pajama Day

    On Pirate Day dress like a pirate. 

    Also instead of doing homework how about let's switch it up get active like have teens work on a fitness skill, cooking skills. Kids work on motor skill, communication skill and etc. Like make it fun. 

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