A group of Grand Valley State University students will promote innovation, creativity and imagination when they open an arcade made completely out of cardboard on Feb. 26.

The arcade will be open from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at the Kindschi Outdoor Lobby on the Allendale Campus. Students, faculty and staff can purchase a $1 “fun pass” that allows for unlimited play.

GVSU’s arcade is just one of many around the world built in response to the Imagination Foundation’s Global Cardboard Challenge, an initiative that aims to promote creativity and entrepreneurship among children. All proceeds from the event will go toward fulfilling the mission of the Imagination Foundation.

The Global Cardboard Challenge was created following the viral documentary “Caine’s Arcade,” about a young boy from California named Caine Monroy who built his own cardboard arcade. After being discovered by the documentary’s filmmaker, Nirvan Mullick, Caine’s arcade soon gained an international following that encouraged children and adults alike to express their creativity.

John Kilbourne, a liberal arts professor, enlisted his LIB 100 class to create the cardboard arcade games that will be showcased at the event.

Kilbourne said having his class participate in the Global Cardboard Challenge allowed the students to take part in a great learning opportunity.

“I wanted the students to participate because it provides them with an opportunity to work together, to experience and utilize their playful creative skills, and to raise money for a very good cause,” Kilbourne said. “The Imagination Foundation is an organization dedicated to providing opportunities for children to play.”

Students worked in groups and were given three class periods to build games that are both original and resemble those found in classic arcades.

Brian Treger and Austin Lenar, two students in Kilbourne’s class, constructed a game they call “Triple Touchdown.”

“You have five chances to get cardboard footballs into the touchdown and field goal,” Lenar said. “You need to get three of them into the goal to receive a credit.”

Meanwhile, students Alexis French and Ally Folkert designed their own version of Skee-Ball.

“We created Lally Ball, which is a version of Skee-Ball,” French said. “We’re going to give people five opportunities to roll the ball up and then we’re going to add up their coins and determine how many points they need to receive a prize.”

Other featured games include cardboard versions of foosball, air hockey and duck on a rock. Winning players will receive coins they can later trade in for prizes.

This year’s Cardboard Challenge will be the third at GVSU. The event has raised $700 for the Imagination Foundation since it was brought to the university.

Kilbourne said creative play is important, as it prepares individuals to be more successful in their future endeavors.

“GVSU students will enter a world where imagination, innovation, risk taking, teamwork and creativity will be key to their success,” he said. “Reading about play and creativity, or having guest lectures on play and creativity is not enough. One must actually engage in active, hands-on playful creation of something for it to be creative.”