Montgomery Drive Arcade Game Challenge

It was a flurry of cardboard, tools, music, and making on the last day of school at the Montgomery Drive Campus as students were challenged to create their own arcade game from provided materials.

The inspiration behind the theme was nine-year-old Caine Monroy of Los Angeles and his “Caine’s Arcade” project. In the Summer of 2011, he constructed an arcade made of cardboard at his father’s used car parts shop in East Los Angeles. Little did he know that he would start a revolution of imagination that would last until this day!

Mr. Rick Funes, the Makerspace Facilitator at the Montgomery Drive Campus began collecting cardboard of all shapes, sizes, and thicknesses months in advance to prepare for the challenge. He also equipped the students, which were divided into homeroom groups, with glue, duct tape, and all sorts of odds and ends to make their creations come alive. Although it took a lot of preparation, the engagement from students made it all worth it. “Seeing students design something, collaborating, then making it come to fruition is the best part of my job,” said Mr. Funes.

After the building was over, students were treated to Kona Ice on the field while judging took place inside the Makerspace. Mrs. Jesenia Suarez‘s fifth grade homeroom came away victorious with their design, “Flaming Hoops,” which incorporated a spring-loaded ball launcher. The objective of the game was to get the ball into any one of six cups for points. 

Click here to view a video recap.