July 2025 Workshop Games over Garbage Tracking Scores with Peers

Create different ways to track scores with friends!

What is Games over Garbage?

  • The Games over Garbage is a sustainable remix strategy that invites learners to break down the process of creating into an opportunity for play.
  • Turn STEAM activities into an opportunity for learners to create their own games and game pieces that learners would be excited to share with friends and family, rather than ones they toss out at the end of the library program.
  • Learn more about it here, in the PLIX Remix Strategies!

In this workshop, we share how to use this strategy with Paper Circuits, Data Gems, and Beautiful Symmetry!

Share your ideas, inspirations, resources and remixes below.

Links

Highlights

  • Amy C. shared that her library has a lot of donated board games, and is trying out ideas for a board game program with paper circuits.
  • Mike J. suggested that the leftover sticker chart for reading could be a nonogram game! Recycling at his island in Alaska is a challenge because it would have to be shipped out.
  • Jocelyn E. suggested using a button-maker on leftover paper scraps. She made a discreet tracker for neurodivergent people to track ways to take care of themselves.
  • Nisha C. shared considerations for using paper clay, which is great for using up shredded paper pieces, but takes a really long time to dry. The teen librarian is doing a competition of who reads more, and Nisha explored different ideas of making the competition more 3-dimensional with pool noodles pieces and race tracks.

Check out the inspiring ideas below!