Baldonnel holds 4th annual Cardboard Arcade

BALDONNEL, B.C. — Students in kindergarten to grade three at Baldonnel Elementary School got to enjoy some playtime at the school’s fourth annual Cardboard Arcade on Monday.

The arcade is made of cardboard games created by students in grades four to six, explained principal Christine Todd.

She said the students have been working on their projects in art class for the last month.

“So what happens is the intermediate classes made the arcade games, and then we set them all up in the gym, and then the primary students were able to come through and try out all the games,” Todd explained.

She said the younger kids loved the arcade, and their only complaint was that they wanted more time to play.

The principal explained that the idea came from Caine’s Arcade, a short documentary film released in 2012.

“I showed that video to the students, and then they did some research on a YouTuber or tried to find cardboard arcade games,” Todd said.

“They’d search up, and then they developed and designed their own cardboard arcade games.”

The principal said the arcade is hands-on, project-based learning for the kids and teaches older students leadership skills.

“When they have to explain the game and interact with them and help them out if they’re struggling with the game or encouraging them,” Todd explained.

“It’s a lot of different skills they get to develop.”

Though the arcade is over, the students’ next “event” will be an entrepreneurial endeavour in May, where students have to create a product to sell.