Building Joy for Brave Kids in Hospital

We recently had the privilege of partnering with Starlight Children’s Children’s Foundation, an incredible organisation devoted to bringing smiles and happiness to seriously ill and hospitalised children and young people. Starlight supports kids of all ages- because every childhood deserves joyful, lasting memories, and a little happiness goes a long way.

With our headquarters based in Melbourne and our hands-on team ready for a creative challenge, we dreamed up something bold: transforming the local Starlight rooms at Monash Children’s and Royal Children’s Hospitals into an interactive and ever-evolving cardboard arcade - known more affectionately as a ‘cardcade’!

To kick things off, our Master Makers invited the Starlight team to Makedo HQ for a crash course in all things cardboard construction and arcade-making. Once everyone levelled up their Makedo skills, we stocked the Starlight rooms with plenty of kits, then rolled up our sleeves alongside Starlight staff and volunteers to launch the cardcades and share the magic of Makedo in action.

What followed was pure joy: moments of connection, creativity, and laughter as kids experimented with cardboard, transforming the Starlight rooms into a one-of-a-kind, ever-changing arcade!

For children who may be facing some of the toughest challenges of their young lives, the opportunity to laugh, play, learn and discover through cardboard construction was deeply empowering.

The smiles we saw will stay in our hearts forever, as a reminder that a spark of play, creativity, and fun can make even the darkest day a little brighter.
Huge thanks to Starlight for welcoming us so warmly, and to every young maker and family who joined in. Your bravery and resilience inspire us to keep building, playing and dreaming up a better tomorrow.

What’s Next?

Partnerships like this remind us why we do what we do. We love supporting kids everywhere to find joy, connection, and hands-on play through Makedo cardboard construction, and we continue to find ways to get our tools in the hands of those who could benefit from them the most.

You can support Starlight's amazing work through the donate link above, or grab a Makedo kit and bring a little cardcade magic to your classroom, living room, or local community. Check out our Hub for arcade inspiration to get you inspired!

Let’s keep making, playing, and spreading joy one cardboard creation at a time!