Eighteen holes of miniature golf just wasn’t enough, so Wantagh Elementary School fifth graders and their parents putted through 20 holes after school on April 9. It was the third annual Wantagh Mini Golf Open, a culmination of a STEAM unit in which students designed and built a mini-golf course.
Students worked in teams, with each of the five classes was responsible for creating four holes. Every class selected its own theme, which included apps, arcade games historical moments, movies and New York landmarks.
In the apps area, guests could putt through an Amazon delivery truck or around a maze of emojis. The New York section featured the Empire State building, while historical moments had a model of the Wright brothers plane and a NASA rocket. The arcade section was very nostalgic with holes representing the claw machine, Pac-Man and Skee Ball. The movie section included tributes to “Minions” and “Tou Story.”
During their STEAM classes, fifth graders worked on their projects for about a month. The primary materials were cardboard and duct tape, and they also added lights to their completed designs. Teacher Kaitlin Humphrey said the unit focuses on the four C’s – communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. 
For the Wantagh Open, the course was open to each fifth grade class for a half hour. Students played with their parents, siblings and friends. Balls and scorecards were available at the gymnasium entrance and putters were at each hole.
“It’s amazing to see it and to play it,” fifth grader Viviana Frisch said of the completed course. “It was great seeing how creative our friends were. Some of the holes are challenging.”
On April 10 and 11, the mini-golf course was open to all students during their physical education classes. It was the culminating activity in a corresponding golf unit with teachers James Brostowski and Christopher Wasson that emphasized basic skills and techniques.