Invention Ideas for Kids

Invention ideas for kids can change a boring afternoon into a whirlwind of fun. Inspire your kids with some great, educational suggestions. You can bring history alive by studying and/or copying past inventions, or turn your kids into budding scientists in your own kitchen or backyard with some innovative ideas.

We want to help you inspire the inventor in your kid!

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to inspire your kids to reach for ideas beyond their traditional realm of thinking. Invention ideas for kids will teach your child to think outside the box and look for new ways to improve the world they live in. Take a look at the world around you with your child. Talk about what might have inspired the invention of common household items, such as a knife, teapot, or microwave. Look for ideas that could inspire inventions. Each time you and/or your child struggle with some household task or activity, ask yourselves what would make that task a little easier. Brainstorm together about certain ideas, discuss why that idea would or wouldn’t work. These activities work great during kids' club meetings, too. We’ve found some great kids' invention Websites to get you started!

To look for ideas for your kids' inventions, first look at your child. What is she interested in? What are his hobbies? What does she find interesting or frustrating? If you start with your child's interests, you'll be more likely to find invention inspiration. Here are some ideas:

• If your child is interested in fashion, encourage her to invent some new kind of clothing. Zippers, buttons, ties, and pulls could all be improved upon. Perhaps your child has the way to do it!
• New and better kinds of jewelry are being created everyday. Two young girls became millionaires from finding a new way to make bottle cap jewelry.
• If your child has a hobby, help him find a way to make it easier, faster, or better.
• Does your daughter enjoy sports? Help her think of a contraption that can improve her skills or score.
• Maybe your child could think of a device to make pet care easier or more efficient. Ideas might be an automatic dog walker, a pet groomer, a new kind of pooper scooper, or a way to keep litter boxes fresher longer.
• Kids love to play, so encourage your child to create a new board game, video game, or toy. We always need new motorized toys and remote control cars, trucks, robots, and airplanes.

By Kids for Kids-This site’s mission statement says it all. “The company is committed to becoming the world’s leading enterprise that connects kids with industry under the By Kids For Kids™ umbrella. To inspire, stimulate, and motivate children while they earn significant self-worth, personal recognition and financial gain, using their imagination and creative expression.” There is no charge to any child, parent, or teachers for any of the site’s services. You’ll find lots of information about the process of inventing, examples of other inventors (kids and adults), and tools to help you create and expand your own inventing ideas.

Fact Monster gives examples of several kids who had wonderful invention ideas that they turned into the real thing! Of interest for moms is a section called “Mothers of Invention”, which gives information on mothers who’ve given us some truly innovative items!

Joe Ant-This site offers step-by-step ways to generate invention ideas for kids. You’ll find an up-to-date list of links to invention contests for kids.

Amazing Kids-This site boasts that they are “dedicated to inspiring excellence in children. We base this mission on the belief that every child has the potential to be amazing in her or his own way. We believe it is through the realization of this potential that children will be able to live more productive and satisfying lives.” At this site, you can find information on young inventors just like your kids. Their stories and inventions are inspiring!

Kids Invent-This Website has learning activities and ideas suitable for kids ages 7 to 15. The activities will encourage your kids’ natural curiosity, challenging them to create, problem solve, and apply their ideas to invent things they can keep and share with others. The activities are downloadable for a fee.

How can you help your kids become inventors? First, remember that no idea is stupid. It may need to be rethought, revamped, and redesigned, but if your kids think of something, give that idea your attention. After all, inventors typically had lots of ideas that never worked before they found success. The following tips may help:

• Take your kids seriously.
• Omit the use of the words “don’t” and “never”.
• Look for ways to make the idea work.
• If it just can’t work, discuss the problems and look for solutions.
• Write the ideas down. Once something is placed on paper, it is easier to rework it.
• Don’t ridicule your kids’ ideas, no matter how goofy they might seem!
• Discuss what features about the invention would make it desirable to others.
• Discuss how you might market the item.

Finally, keep in mind that virtually any activity you do could inspire some type of invention by your kids. Learn how to look at the world with an eye for creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving. Once your kids begin inventing, they may be unstoppable!

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