Tag: Imagination Foundation

Art, Creative Thinking, Education, Games, K-12, Student Products

Our Cardboard Collaboration Celebration

Terri Eichholz
Pinball Machine made with pieces from Makedo Image from: Imagination Foundation
Pinball Machine made with pieces from Makedo
Image from: Imagination Foundation

My 2nd grade GT class started working on their Global Cardboard Challenge projects yesterday, and I am so glad we are participating this year!

I mentioned the Global Cardboard Challenge in a recent post, and the kids were amazed when I showed them that Nirvan Mullick (the director of Caine’s Arcade, and one of the driving forces behind the Global Cardboard Challenge) actually commented on the post!

Mr. Mullick mentioned in his comment that Mattress Firm is delivering free supplies for the Challenge, and you can get more information at http://mattressfirm.com/Ads/CardboardChallenge.aspx or register to receive supplies here.

Fortunately, I have plenty of boxes and cardboard donated by teachers during the last few weeks.  September is an excellent time to get cardboard since so many people have recently moved over the summer!

I also received my Makedo set just in time, and the kids particularly like the saws and the “hole-punchers.”  I like that the students can be safely self-sufficient until I can come over to help them!

I brought my own box-cutters to help with the more refined cutting, and I also invested in a big roll of packing tape, which has come in very handy, so far.

The creativity amazed me.  So far, not one invention is anything like anyone else’s – and I still have 4 other grade levels yet to begin their projects!  One of my new students brought supplies to make his own ATM machine – including an old doorbell to use as a button, something to use as the camera, and monopoly money to push out of the slot.  Another student has an art machine all ready to generate a masterpiece for you if you just add a little paint.

What I really enjoyed, though, was seeing the kids help each other with their projects by problem-solving, lending supplies, and offering physical labor.

(You’re probably wondering by now, where all of the pictures are of these great creations.  I took a bunch, but then realized that I need to double-check their photo permissions before I post them on the web.)

I urge you to go to the Global Cardboard Challenge Site to get more information.  If you scroll down to the bottom, you will find some PDF resources.  Also, if you want to get some ideas, click on “See the Events” at the top.   For example, how about “The Pirate  Arcade” in Dripping Springs?  Or, the “Tech Trap Machine” in San Jose?  You could do a fun Geography lesson by checking out all of the countries participating in the challenge, too!

Art, Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Education, Games, K-12, Motivation, Videos, Websites

Imagination Foundation

Terri Eichholz
image from: Imagination Foundation

I’m posting about this a bit late, I’m afraid.  I missed the boat on the Global Cardboard Challenge on October 6th.  But, I still think it’s worth your while to view the video, which is a sequel to the Caine’s Arcade video.  And, there is no saying that you can’t organize your own Cardboard Challenge in your classroom or school on whatever day you like.  Imagination Foundation offers supporting materials, and even has some curriculum aligned with the original Caine’s Arcade video.  The mission of the Imagination Foundation is to “find, foster, and fund creativity and entrepreneurship in kids.”  It’s a relatively new site, but it looks like it has a lot of potential for engaging kids in re-connecting with good old-fashioned imaginative play.  And, if you are interested in sponsoring your own “Day of Play” in your neck of the woods, you might want to take a look at Kelly Tenkely’s description of  such a day recently held at her school, Anastasis Academy.