Jacks Valley Elementary School fourth graders in Tracie Moultrap created an arcade out of cardboard boxes and invited the school to play on June 6.
Fourth-graders at Jacks Valley Elementary School celebrated the end of the school year with a hallway arcade on June 6 which they created from cardboard boxes.
Teacher Tracie Moultrap said her students learned to think outside of the box by using their imagination, working together, and problem solving.
Moultrap said it was to inspire the kids to do something different, fun and positive while learning new skills and honing their creativity.
“It’s been a great escape from technology as the school year comes to a close,” she said.
Student created arcade style games such as, a wheel of fortune made with hula hoops, a grab claw magnet, a car ramp, and more.
Students said they enjoyed the challenge and learning how to create and enjoy games without an electronic in their hands.
One student said he overcame having to be a perfectionist and trusting himself, another enjoyed sharing the idea with their family, and many said it was a fun experience going as far as to say “better than video games.”
Moultrap said the inspiration came from Caine’s Arcade as a way to take a break from technology.
Caine’s Arcade was created by Caine Monroy in East Los Angeles in 2011. At the time, the 9-year-old built his own arcade from cardboard boxes in his father’s auto parts store, where he would spend his summers.
“It’s a really neat story and I showed the video about Caine to spark creativity and imagination,” said Moultrap.
Moultrap said she loved seeing all the different ideas students came up with and their ability to work together and problem solve.
A documentary about Caine’s Arcade can be found on YouTube.
