9-Year-Old's Homemade Arcade is Rad

9-year-old Caine Monroy loved arcades, so he built one in his father's auto parts shop in East LA. He made it out of cardboard and packing tape. The games include arcade-machine versions of soccer, basketball, and even a claw game. The "machines" dispense tickets (Caine has to roll them out a slot) and arcade patrons can then choose prizes, just like at a traditional arcade. In this short film, the first purchaser of Caine's "Fun Pass" ($2 for 500 plays) shows us the arcade, and a very special day for Caine's business. If this doesn't leave you grinning, I don't know what will.

Geekiest part: creative use of the Square Root key ("the checkmark" as Caine calls it) on the calculators.

For more on the film, check out its website. The film's creators are trying to raise $25,000 for Caine's college fund. In just a few days, they're already $10,000 of the way there. If you're in LA, and it's a Saturday, you can go play at Caine's Arcade.

Update (five hours later): Caine's college fund has now exceeded $35,000; a new target of $100,000 had been set. Good job, internet.

(Via Boing Boing.)