WEST HARTFORD--On Monday, students at Solomon Schechter Day School in West Hartford spent the school day working with only cardboard and duct tape.
Students used their imaginations to build a variety of structures as part of the "Global Cardboard Challenge." The challenge is designed to fuel students' creativity. It was inspired by a short film about a cardboard arcade created by a boy in Los Angeles.
Seventh-grader Brady Dulitski and his friends created a castle, complete with a drawbridge and a lookout area.
"It's good for protection," said Dulitski. "I feel accomplished that I could get all of this done in a short time."
Fifth-grader Eli Rotter helped to build a cardboard home complete with a sunroof, mailbox and outdoor basketball hoop. "I like building stuff and I like imagining new stuff, making creations," said Rotter.
Students also focused on the details within their structures. One group crafted a kitchen table for their home, topped with artwork and flowers made from plastic cups.
Another group of students created a sukkah, a special structure built for the Jewish holiday Sukkot, which is a celebration of the harvest and takes place in October.
Eighth-grader Eden Raviv appreciated spending the day doing something different. "It's more fun to do activities than sit in the classroom and listen to the teacher talk," said Raviv.
Head of school Andrea Kasper brought the idea to the school for the first time this year. "They're working collaboratively. They're being creative. They're thinking about engineering and structure," said Kasper.
