Child Development Center Students Hold Cardboard Carnival

Students who attend the after-school program run by Child Development Centers at Evans Ranch Elementary School in Menifee showed off their homemade creations today at a "Cardboard Carnival."

Skee ball games, bowling, football and basketball tosses, ring tosses and more were on display for parents and other guests to see what the students have been working on in recent weeks. The event was held in conjunction with the Global Cardboard Challenge, sponsored by the Imagination Foundation.

Youth groups around the world were invited to use their imagination in creating crafts and games out of cardboard and other recyclable materials. Today's Global Day of Play marked the second annual celebration of this program, which grew out of an idea a 9-year-old boy had in creating a cardboard arcade featured in the short film "Caine's Arcade."

As parents and volunteers arrived to help set up the projects and support the students, smiling boys and girls showed off their talents. There was everything from a tabletop basketball game using a ping pong ball (above), to a "dunk tank" where players could knock a rubber ball off a shelf (below) to a skee ball game and fishing for goodies in the "swag machine" (bottom).

Child Development Centers operates before- and after-school programs at several elementary schools in Menifee. Students are exposed to developmental programs in art, cooking, crafts, science sports and more. For more information, visit the CDC webpage.