In 2012, when the documentary about Caine’s Arcade premiered, the world began looking at cardboard differently. But here at Makedo, having spent years elbow-deep in creations, we already knew there was something magical about cardboard. This resource, which most see as trash, is actually a simple, sustainable material that can transform any child into a creative engineer.

The Magic of Cardboard

When a child creates something out of cardboard, they transform trash into treasure. It’s such an amazing rainy-day activity and a great outdoor spring activity. Kids love games, but parents want screen-free options. So why not challenge your child or your students to make their own games out of cardboard, just like Caine? They won’t only be playing, they’ll be mastering physics, geometry, and the iterative design process.

DIY Games: Engineering Marvels

Some of our favourite engineering masterpieces are made from cardboard. With Makedo, children can create an arcade game, and if it needs tinkering or updates, they can undo and reconnect Scrus without destroying the cardboard or hard work they’ve already done! Unlike tape or glue, Makedo empowers real iterative design: kids can quickly detach and reattach parts with the reusable, sustainable Scru and Scru+, embracing the engineering mindset of learning through tinkering.

To encourage resourcefulness and teach students valuable skills in managing materials sustainably, introduce a maker budget for them to follow.

Maker Budget Tips

Give students a budget for cardboard: Rather than limiting creativity, this integrates resource management as a vital learning skill.

Planning and budgeting: Have students consider their sketched design and decide how much cardboard they need to build their games efficiently.

Token system: You could use a token system in which different sizes of cardboard cost a certain number of tokens. Makedo tools and Scrus can also be part of this system. Students can exchange tokens for tools and materials and learn how to budget appropriately.

 

Love these tips? Check out our gold-standard lesson plans for more maker management ideas!

Lesson Plans

Plus, when kids use Makedo to build an arcade, they are actively engaging in the full Engineering Design Process, building confidence and creativity every step of the way.

Kindergarten to 2nd-grade students follow NGSS standards for problem-solving when they ask, “Will this box be tall enough for my basketball game?” or “Is this ramp too steep for my pinball machine?” For example, these activities address NGSS K-2-ETS1-1 (asking questions, making observations, and gathering information about a situation people want to change) and also K-2-ETS1-2 (developing simple sketches and physical models to illustrate solutions). See the Teacher Corner below for more direct alignment with NGSS standards.

Older primary students will focus on defining simple design problems while being constrained to using specific materials like cardboard and Makedo tools as they contemplate:

“How can I build a Skee-ball game that returns the ball to the player using only these three boxes and Makedo tools?"

Middle school students can build arcade games as models to generate data for iterative testing, trying to achieve an optimal design.

Engineering complex mechanisms like a pinball machine or a rotating prize wheel using Makedo Spin-hinge or Makedo Roto-Ring directly aligns with NGSS standards.

Students can also apply cross-cutting concepts, such as designing a cardboard game that converts one form of energy to another, by building a cardboard catapult or flipper game that converts elastic potential energy into kinetic energy.

Community Inspiration: The Best Ideas Come From You

One of the core tenets of STEM education is collaboration and shared learning. By looking at how other students and educators have tackled the 'Arcade Challenge,' we can see the iterative design process in action.

For example, in a typical classroom arcade project, students might work in small teams to design and build a tabletop skee-ball game using cardboard boxes and Makedo connectors. They start by sketching the layout of their game, including the ramp, scoring holes, and a ball-return channel. Teams then prototype their designs, testing how well the ball rolls up the ramp and how accurately it lands in different scoring zones. As they build, students refine their structures, discovering how to reinforce the ramp for stability and adjust angles for better gameplay. At the end, teams set up their skee-ball games side by side, play each other's creations, and share feedback to inspire further improvements.

Below, we’ve curated a gallery of user-generated brilliance: real-world examples of how simple mechanics like levers, ramps, and pulleys are being brought to life by kids and students just like yours.

DIY Plinko Arcade Game

Why it works: This design uses a classic inclined plane to build momentum. The strategically placed Scrus serve as fixed pivots, creating the 'plink' sound and providing the perfect amount of variability for a high-stakes scoring challenge.

Love this design? Why not make your own?

Scru-Dot Games

Why it works: Not every arcade project requires a giant TV box and a week of planning. This guide to Scru-Dot DIY Games is the ultimate “hack” for both classroom stations and rainy-day living rooms. Perfect for early finishers, these bite-sized games teach the fundamentals of connection and mechanics in under 20 minutes. It’s a great way to build tool confidence, practice fine motor skills, and develop the spatial reasoning needed for more complex arcade engineering. Think of it as training before moving on to larger, more complex builds!

Discover more on the Makedo Inspiration Hub.

How to Make an Arcade Catapult

Why it works: This Arcade Catapult guide showcases one of our favourite Makedo 'hacks': using the Scru as more than just a fastener. In just 20 minutes, students can turn a few cardboard strips and an egg carton into a high-performance launcher. By using the Scru as an anchor point for a rubber band, a spring-loaded mechanism is created that is durable enough for hundreds of launches. Plus, it’s a super cool way to learn how to use an everyday rubber band to convert potential energy into kinetic energy.

This brilliant example showcases how Makedo tools allow for functional, moving parts that tape or glue just can’t handle. This design uses a classic inclined plane to build momentum. The strategically placed Scrus serve as fixed pivots, creating the 'plink' sound and providing the perfect amount of variability for a high-stakes scoring challenge.

Learn how to make your own on the Makedo Inspiration Hub.

Indoor Cardboard Carnival Game

Why it works: This isn't just a tossing game; it’s a lesson in rotational mechanics and tolerances. By using the Makedo Spin-Hinge, students can create targets that swing freely upon impact. The real engineering challenge here is 'clearance.' Learning to cut the target disc just slightly smaller than the opening so it can rotate without catching. It’s a hands-on way to explore how Spin-Hinge connections function in the real world while hitting the NGSS standard K-2-ETS1-2 through physical modelling.

Love this design? Why not make your own?

Host an open-ended challenge!

Challenge your students to design their own games with these Cardboard Arcade Lesson Plans.

Ready to Get Started?

We’re constantly blown away by what happens when a child, a collection of cardboard, and a handful of Makedo Scrus come together. The "Makedo Arcade" isn't just a project; it’s a global movement of young engineers turning their living rooms and classrooms into interactive wonderlands. From high-tech pinball machines to low-fidelity ring tosses, check out some of our favourite community creations that prove your next imaginative game is currently sitting in your recycling bin.

Ready to join the movement? Try building a simple cardboard game, such as a marble run or a mini basketball hoop, with your students this week. Or, inspire others by sharing photos of your class's arcade creations with the Makedo community. Together, let's turn imagination into creation, one box at a time.

For Teachers: Check out our 'Arcade Design Challenge' for your next STEM lab.

For Parents: Show us your weekend builds! Tag us for a chance to be featured in our next round-up.