Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

FORTY-FORT — When it comes to cardboard, the possibilities are endless.

At least that’s what elementary and middle school students were trying to prove on Saturday.

The children were cutting, taping and building with the paper recyclable in the cafeteria of Wyoming Seminary Lower School as they took part in the Global Cardboard Challenge Saturday.

Seminary Communications Director Gail Smallwood said elementary and middle school students have been participating in the annual event as part of “STEM Saturdays” for the last four years. She said the event originated from a Los Angeles-based boy named Caine Monroy, who decided to spend one summer building an entire arcade out of cardboard in his father’s auto-parts store.

After a filmmaker saw the set-up, he created a documentary entitled “Caine’s Arcade” that quickly went viral, sparking a worldwide movement with the creation of the Global Cardboard Challenge, held each year on Oct. 1.

“So kids all around the world are doing exactly what these kids are doing today,” Smallwood said.

The event was free and open to all area elementary and middle school students.

Children could bring a project they’re working on from home, or create one from scratch at the event.

Games, costumes and characters are popular items to create; however, ideas were limitless.

Once the projects were complete, they were displayed in the gym for exhibit/use. While cardboard must be used, the students can include other items, such as tape, toys and more.

Wyoming Seminary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Director John Eidam says the event coincides with STEM’s fundamentals, allowing students to get hands-on learning.

“The idea of STEM is to get students to work collaboratively in a hands-on activity,” he said. “It sparks their interest, often getting them involved in an activity.”

Eidam said that he simply sets basic ground rules for the challenge and allows the students to choose the path they want to follow creatively.

A new addition to this year’s challenge was encouraging students to “go green.”

Students were encouraged to sign a “green pledge” at the event, created by the Wyoming Seminary Environmental Club, to help reduce, reuse and recycle, according to the school’s Science Chair, Jill Carrick.

As part of the initiative, participants could bring in a plastic bottle to use in their project. In exchange, they would receive a reusable “green” shopping bag.

Roughly 30 students were busy completing projects alone or in groups to share with their peers that ranged from robots to games, and even a character from “Dr. Who.”

Will Murray was helping his 8-year-old son, Ryan, fix a small opening on the center of his robot. It was created from three cardboard boxes, duct tape and paper-towel rolls. The Wilkes-Barre Township boy said he hopes to one day become a roboticist.

“I just love robots so much,” Ryan said as he fastened blue plastic, dart-like pieces to the robot’s head for eyes.

Ryan’s mother, Gina, said she’s glad the school allows all local children to participate and use their imagination.

“I think it’s nice that they open (the event) up to everyone,” she said.

On the other end of the cafeteria, 13-year-old Ian Pode, of Kingston, was busy placing neon-green duct tape on his suit of armor.

Pode said he participated in the challenge last year, making a game out of cardboard. This year, he opted for a costume instead.

“Last year, some of my friends did a costume, so I thought I’d do it myself,” he said.

His costume was complete with arm cuffs fashioned out of plastic light-sabers and a helmet made of duct tape and a ginger-ale bottle. Pode said his favorite thing about the challenge is that it lets students express themselves creativity.

Some of the participants took their creativity to the next level.

About halfway through the event, Kieran Sherry decided to take his project for a test drive.

The seventh-grader created his very own Dalek, a robotic character from the television series “Dr. Who,” for the challenge, standing about five-feet tall.

Clad in bright blue duct tape with gold button-like accents, the cyborg had a toilet plunger and Nerf gun for arms, which Sherry could move once inside. By sitting on a rolling stool inside the Dalek, Sherry was able to move his project throughout the cafeteria, drawing crowds of students to see his craftsmanship.

“I’ve been working on it at home, I brought it in today to finish it,” he said, adding that it took about a week to complete.

Colleen Ryan, 12, of Forty Fort, works on her project Saturday morning during the STEM event at Wyoming Seminary Lower School.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_StemSaturday2.jpg.optimal.jpgColleen Ryan, 12, of Forty Fort, works on her project Saturday morning during the STEM event at Wyoming Seminary Lower School. Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader

A.J. Innamorati, 9, of Bear Creek, and Doron Glynn, 7, of Kingston, work on a level-rolling game together.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_stem-saturday-4.jpg.optimal.jpgA.J. Innamorati, 9, of Bear Creek, and Doron Glynn, 7, of Kingston, work on a level-rolling game together. Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader

Mo Doherty, 7 of Kingston, works on her ‘Cat in a house’ project Satuday morning.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_Stem-Saturday-3.jpg.optimal.jpgMo Doherty, 7 of Kingston, works on her ‘Cat in a house’ project Satuday morning. Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader

Wyoming Seminary student Ian Poole, 13, of Kingston, works on his suit of armor.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_stemsaturday-1.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Seminary student Ian Poole, 13, of Kingston, works on his suit of armor. Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader

By Marcella Kester

For Times Leader

Reach the Times Leader newsroom at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.