Along with several similar school projects around the world, our Kairos Arcade is inspired by the acclaimed short film,  “Caine’s Arcade”, a tribute to a child’s creativity and the power of community. The film was such a success it instigated the formation of the organisation Imaginate.org, which: “imagines a world where creativity and entrepreneurship are core social values nurtured in schools, homes, and communities everywhere, where all children are taught to be creative thinkers and doers, and encouraged to make their very best ideas happen.”

Our school has a weekly “Partner Project” slot which consists of older mentors paired with younger mentees. Our preparation for the Kairos Arcade began during two of these mentor–mentee slots, during which children began to plan their own creations of an arcade game made of recycled materials like cardboard boxes, bottle tops, bits, old cans and so on. They planned their design visually on paper, listing the materials and equipment required, and then actually following through and converting the planned design into reality. 

Once the games were built, the children made advertising signs, decided on the rules, the fees and their prizes. While we emulate the idea of Caine’s cardboard arcade, we add the aspect that the children use their school Rosses (Kairos currency), instead of their usual use as a fun trading tool in an in-house school economy, rather as a tangible fundraiser for the school (at an exchange rate of K℞2 : ZAR1).

I observed the children having a blast during these sessions, the younger ones loving the making and painting while the older children guiding the construction and handling the more challenging tasks. It was beautiful to watch this symbiotic relationship developing. The mentors were not only focused on building the game, but also on how they could creatively motivate their younger partners to complete the project.

The various cardboard arcade games were as inspiring as ever. There was a Claw game (hook a beanbag inside a box); a game where one needed to twist a vertical succession of wooden rods to hand a marble from one bottle cap to another; a wonderfully creative homemade foosball table; an equally inventive cardboard pinball machine; and perhaps most conspicuous was a large box (which previously housed a fridge) serving as a bowling alley for tennis balls — the objective here was to send a ball into the correct hole, supported by children hidden within the box who returned the balls to the starting position. 

Just as the movie showed how Caine’s arcade in East Los Angeles had a ripple effect around the world, our Kairos children created games which had a tangible effect of camaraderie spreading to the event itself and back in the school that following Monday. 

The parents and visitors were so impressed with their creations when they had a go at the Kaleidoscope event. As teachers, we were proud of the dedication and creativity with which our pupils entertained us all.

~ Teacher Francesca