Clarence middle school students build fun ice cream shop for kids

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The only thing that could make the newest attraction in a kindergarten classroom at Clarence Center Elementary School more popular is if it actually served real ice cream.

“The kids are waiting and waiting,” said kindergarten teacher Boni McClaren. “We were talking about this play structure that was coming soon, but we just didn’t know when, and when it would arrive, the kids were excited.”

What made the fun ice cream stand even more special was that it was a hand-made gift from middle school students.

“We had the idea of ​​creating a play structure for structured play, something that was multi-use, that could be transformed from a post office to a flower shop or whatever they wanted” , said Daniel Tarnowski, technology teacher at Clarence Middle School. “I thought it was a really good idea for students to build for students.”

“I think it turned out a lot better than anyone thought,” said eighth-grader Mia Collins, who worked on the project. “It’s really nice to see, because you know it’s going to be passed down to people in the future, and I remember being in kindergarten and how much I loved playing, and I just hope that the children will keep this as a souvenir and will remember this in the future.

Working with Buffalo Construction, the plan is to create a playset for each kindergarten classroom.

“It’s just amazing because I know some of my students who are in 7th and 8th grade actually helped build this structure,” McClaren said. “So it’s pretty cool that it’s pretty cool that it’s come full circle for us at the Clarence Center.”