Winnipeg students build a classroom arcade out of cardboard

A group of students at a Winnipeg elementary school came up with a creative way to have fun and raise funds.

Using only cardboard and other recycled materials, Year 4 and 5 students at Lord Roberts School created a classroom arcade.

“I brought up the idea of ​​building a car and the kids were really into it,” said Genevieve Brown, a Grade 4 and 5 teacher at Winnipeg School District. “Every day, as soon as they walked in the door, they would ask what time science class was.”

They had everything from a cardboard claw machine to pinball and foosball. The group also created several new games.

“I like that we all work on designs together,” said Hanyan, a fifth-grader. “We all came up with ideas for the games name and theme colors. We learned about simple machines and teamwork, which helped us succeed.”

After the projects were completed, families were invited to a special arcade night.

“Students wrote the rules of each game. They made invitations, they did advertisements and they wrote letters home,” Brown said.

Students received 25 cents per game or $4 for an unlimited game pass. They also hosted a soup kitchen, with all proceeds going to an animal shelter in Winnipeg.

Moving forward, Brown hopes to take his class to Park Alleys to learn about the technique behind pinball and bowling.