The One With Cardboard Creativity #slice2014

Every Tuesday, I participate in the Slice of Life challenge at Two Writing Teachers. If you want to participate, you can link up at their Slice of Life Story Post on Tuesdays or you can just head on over there to check out other people's stories. For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here. 

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Back in October, I visited a school that invited me to see (and play!) cardboard arcade games students created as part of the Global Cardboard Challenge. It was inspired by a boy named Caine and the arcade he created out of leftover cardboard boxes. You can visit the Caine's Ardcade website for more information and to watch the video I'm sharing here below. 

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I know we're going to have lots of cardboard rolling around. I'm going to save as much cardboard as I can and am asking my brother to do the same so that when his family comes to visit, my sons and my nephews can create their own cardboard arcade.

Seeing how Caine comes up with his own version of classic arcade games makes me think of the books Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell and Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light. Both are examples of characters creating their own fun and art instead of waiting for it to find them. 

I'm hoping to pair up a kiddo in our family with an adult and then to set the timer and see what we can come up with in a short period of time. It'll be an epic challenge and then we'll show off and play the games we come up with. I have no idea if this will work or if my family will be up to it...but I thought I would share in case you might want to save up some of your own holiday cardboard and have some good old-fashioned do-it-yourself type fun this holiday season. Maybe we'll have to also create some original artwork and have a gallery showcase a la Louise Loves Art. I know we're always looking for cost-thrifty ideas to keep the kids busy and to try and avoid the b-word....boredom. 

Have any arcade game suggestions for me to try and recreate? 

I'm leaning towards air hockey or foosball but am open to ideas!

If you do try this at home, I would love to hear how it goes!