COVER STORY – Build it!
FAIR GAMES SPECIAL
SUMMER
Custom-made games are guaranteed to give your summer fair the ‘wow’ factor. Creator, engineer and PTA chair Richard Brigg reveals how to build games that will leave a
lasting impression By Carol Rogerson
I
started making games to help my in-laws with their local Christmas tree festival. The trees were always beautifully
decorated, but the kids wanted something they could touch, which often wasn’t allowed. So, I wanted to make something interactive that they could play with instead. First, I built a buzz wire shaped
like a Christmas tree. Whenever the loop touched the wire, the fairy lights went out. I also made a puzzle from metal bars that the children could assemble into the shape of a tree. After that, I built an interactive tree that resembled a character. Initially it ran an animated sequence
where only its eyes and eyelids moved, but later I found an old touchscreen at work and adapted it so that the children could press buttons to make the tree smile and blink. When my son started in
Reception, I told the Friends I had these Christmas-themed games. They were thrilled, and that’s how my relationship with them began.
Seek inspiration I’m always on the lookout for ideas
and I often browse Facebook groups such as the PTA Ideas and Advice Network to see what other PTAs have made. One that caught my eye
pta.co.uk SUMMER 2024 11
IMAGES: ARTISTEER; YGANKO; AARONAMAT; OMADBEK NABIEV/
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Build it!
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