Give one of these students a cardboard box, and just wait and see what they can turn it into.
After going on a hiatus because of the ongoing pandemic, Philip Simmons Middle’s Cardboard Arcade came back strong on Thursday morning when students took over the school gym for a morning of games and treats.
This is normally a tradition at Philip Simmons Middle, held just before the winter break ensues. It is completely voluntary. For the past couple of weeks, students have taken a bunch of different sizes of boxes and decked them out to turn them into playable games for their peers to enjoy. All the games are inspired by what one would find in an arcade or at a fair; the middle schoolers made ring toss games, whack-a-mole games, skee-ball, bowling and other activities using solely cardboard and other recyclable items – as well as their imaginations. A few made up their own names of the games.
Principal Charla Groves said the school was excited to bring back the event this year; for most of the middle schoolers, this was their first time ever getting to do it.
“I really love seeing the students’ creativity and all the different design elements they incorporate,” she said.
This crafty event is also a way for the school to “sneak in” some engineering into the students’ learning, because not only do they have to piece together the games, but they have to make sure whatever they create can function as a playable game.
“They don’t give up until they get it just right,” Groves said.
Students went all out on this year’s activities. Since the event is taking place so close to Winter Break, a lot of the games were holiday-themed.
There was a 3D Pacman Game, a splatter-painted skee-ball display decorated with little model planets (and named “Space Ball”) and a very interactive “Whack a Hog” game inspired by the Angry Birds franchise. One group of boys took a giant box, hung up some multicolored lights inside and invited classmates to play a quick game of putt putt on a little putting green.
Another group commandeered a locker room, hung up color-changing lights, and invited classmates to knock over targets, decorated with printouts of the face of Drake the rapper, by tossing rolls of duct tape underhanded. There was a never-ending line for students to check out this particular game. Yet another group made an area for friends to slam-dunk a basketball.
A lot of game organizers handed out prizes to those who participated – mostly in the form of candy.
The first half hour of the event allowed for any student who provided a game to try out their classmates’ games. The school then rotated in each grade level so students could check out the arcade. Philip Simmons Elementary fourth-graders also checked out the event, and Philip Simmons High students brought out a cardboard-covered robot for students to test drive (as well as some additional games).
Groves wrapped up the event by praising her students for their teamwork and creativity.
“A lot of you worked together to build really great products and I think that we’ve had a very successful day today,” she told them over a microphone. “You used science, engineering – all of that. You may not have even known that you were doing it.
“I’m very proud of all you for the hard work that you have done,” she said.