In Design and Technology, Year 5 has been sitting atop the topic of cushions! Yes, those popular funky furnishings that we all sit on, sleep on, kneel on and adore.

Creating mind maps, the children researched the history of cushions and were very grateful they hadn’t been Ancient Egyptians resting their heads on hard stone or wood structures. Instead, they were more partial to living in Japan where they could sit on a zabuton, a large rectangular cushion, which protected their feet and ankles from touching the floor. In the past, cushions were regarded as a luxury – the more you owned, the richer you were.

However, this all changed in Victorian times when, along with steam, the Industrial Revolution allowed for the mass production of cheaper cushions. Now everyone could afford to scatter them around their homes and the status of the cushion changed from functional to aesthetical. Year 5 surrounded themselves with a variety of cushions (in photo form) and comfortably investigated and identified their different purposes and materials.

From velvet and tassels, to plastic and leather, to fur and patchwork, cushions held their own and softly stuffed Year 5’s heads with ideas for their own cushion designs!