Winners announced

Nickelodeon’s global Let’s Just Play initiative, supported in NZ with partner Anchor CalciYum, challenged Kiwi kids and schools around the country to submit their own imaginative game or play ideas in the MY WAY TO PLAY competition.

Three winning MY WAY TO PLAY ideas have been chosen from a barrage of entries from all around NZ.

“We were overwhelmed with the calibre and creativity of the entries submitted in our MY WAY TO PLAY competition. Congratulations to all who gave it a go – we’ve been putting all your ideas to the test and we’re seriously impressed!” says Lauren Nola, marketing manager for Nickelodeon NZ.

From Nelson, Aimee Kersten of Hampden Street School submitted her ‘Catch & Run!’ MY WAY TO PLAY idea, which won the judges over with its simple equipment (one tennis ball) and great use of team work. Without being able to move their feet, one team must try and tag a player on the other team as they run through the stationary players on the field.

Karen Villareal from Karori’s St Teresa’s School had a winning MY WAY TO PLAY idea of ‘Pop!!!’ Skipping with a balloon between your legs around a chair before popping the balloon by sitting down on top of it seemed like a pretty creative and fun way to get out and play to the judges.

The creative entries submitted in the MY WAY TO PLAY competition have proved that kids enjoy coming up with new and creative ways to play that involve some form of exercise but aren’t official or organised sports or activities.

Nickelodeon and CalciYum­ hope that these sorts of initiatives will promote the essence of play to all kids no matter what their interests are.

Aside from receiving the enviable prize of a Nintendo Wii each, the three lucky winners have all won an afternoon of play at their school with the Nickelodeon and CalciYum crews.

Each afternoon will be filled with loads of awesome games and activities, including the CalciYum Challenge for the whole school to take part in. There may even be a suprise visit from a certain and rather famous Sponge…

Each winner will also star in a re-enactment of their award winning entry game idea – which will be filmed by the Nick crew and played back on Nickelodeon (SKY Channel 41)!