The third week of an online competition has wrapped up with Dartmouth public school students making bridges, creating games, and dressing up pets or stuffed animals as superheroes, all while stuck at home.

Organizer Mary Waite came up with the competition idea for the “Dartmouth Parents 14.0” Facebook group, of which she is a member, to entertain the children for the first couple of weeks that schools were closed.

The competition was such a hit that Waite extended it for every week of school closures.

Each week, new creative challenges are announced for the kids to complete each day. Parents submit photographs to the group (after joining it) or by emailing maryewaite@gmail.com.

Guest judges — high school and middle school students who aren’t taking part in the competition themselves — look over the submissions and choose categories and winners, who get certificates emailed to them.

Waite said that membership of the Facebook group has grown since the start of the competition, as parents are looking for activities for kids stuck at home.

“I’ve had great feedback from the parents,” said Waite after the first week. “I have also posted pics on the Dartmouth Helping Dartmouth website, which members of the public seem to get a kick out of and enjoy seeing photos of their neighbors, friends and grandkids.”

Waite came up with the idea for the competition in part from her experience teaching high school and working in curriculum development. 

“But most of my inspiration came from my own kids and from volunteering in the schools,” she said. “Kids love projects and they learn so much from play.”

With all of the current stress around the coronavirus, Waite added, play is even more important.

“My hope is that these kids laugh a lot as they are doing these activities, test their creativity and then check out their friends and classmates’ photos,” she said.

This week was pirate and fairy-themed, with activities like building a castle and drawing a treasure map.

Thursday's challenge is to make a fairy garden or pirate hangout, while Friday’s challenge is to decorate an egg or a special stone with dye or paint and dress up like a pirate to show it off. 

The activities are designed to be accessible to all ages, and can be done indoors or outdoors. All of them also come with extension resources, like Bill Nye the Science Guy videos, and questions to get the students thinking in depth about each activity.