"Because inventing helped me exercise my creativity, now when I see a problem I’m able to view it in a whole new perspective."

Cassidy Goldstein, age 17
Inventor of the Crayon Holder

"The first time I rode Boogie2Boogie it felt awesome because I knew we were the first people ever to ride the waves together—and soon kids everywhere would want to do it! When you are inventing, you are doing something nobody has ever done before!"

Alyssa Hansen, age 10
co-inventor, Boogie2Boogie

"Inventing makes me wonder about how everybody has different ideas and how the world would be different if everybody worked together to make all their ideas become real inventions."

Nick Johnson, age 13
co-inventor, Boogie2Boogie

"Inventing makes me excited about finding out how to make new things work." 

Amy Hansen, age 10
co-inventor, Boogie2Boogie

"Inventing makes me think about how I want things to be. Inventing makes me have an open mind."

Kaycee Johnson, age 13
co-inventor, Boogie2Boogie

Have you ever dreamed of being an inventor?  Do you have some cool ideas that you wish you could become a reality?  Then this month's  Amazing Kids! of the Month story is for you! In keeping with an Amazing Kids! tradition started back in 2000, this month we once again turn the spotlight on some amazing young inventors. 

This is our third story about kids who invent, and the stories just keep getting more and more amazing!  This time, our story not only includes profiles on some amazing new up-and-coming kid inventors, but features an Amazing Kids! of the Month Alumni Update as well, with true-to-life success stories about some of the "Amazing Young Inventors" featured previously on our website! 

Many of these ingenious kids have been patenting their products and will be (or already are!) selling them in stores, thanks to the help of a company called By Kids For Kids (http://www.bkfk.com/).  Read their story below and who knows?  Maybe you'll be inspired to invent your own product that, much like the young Bill Gates of Microsoft, or the inventors of the Internet, or the Google search engine did, will some day change the world!

And don't forget, if you, or a young person (or persons!) you know, has an amazing project you are involved in, or a special skill, talent or ability you want to tell the world about, be sure to let Amazing Kids! know about it!  Teachers are invited to nominate their entire classroom and the amazing projects they are working on too!  Simply complete our online nomination form for the Amazing Kid! of the Month award, or email us! 

Table of Contents 

Amazing Young Inventors

• Natalie Brady, age 7; Inventor of Booster Buddies
• Alyssa & Amy Hansen, ages 10 and 13, and Nick & Kaycee Johnsen, ages 10 and 13; Inventors of Boogie2Boogie
• Matthew Ballick & Justin Lewis, ages 14 and 15; Inventors of FLIP-ITZ
• Jerrilee Geist, age 10; Inventor of Swipe It!
• Cassidy Goldstein, age 17; Inventor of Crayon Holders
• Justin “Justy” Euliano, age 17; Inventor of Aim N' Fish
• Scott Barnhill, age 13; Inventor of Security One Card
• Chandler Mococha, age 14; Inventor of  Wheelchair Backpack Swivel

One Young Inventors Story

Amazing Kids! Alumni Update

• Austin Meggitt, age 17; Inventor of the Glove and Battie Caddie
• Lisa Wright, age 18; Inventor of the "Auto-Off" (or "Wright") Candle
• Brandon Whale, age 15; Inventor of the Needle Beetle
• Spencer Whale, age 12; Inventor of the KidKare Riding Car

Natalie Brady, age 7; Inventor of Booster Buddies at age 3 1/2
At the age of 3 ½ Natalie Brady spent a lot of time in her car booster seat while traveling with her parents. She saw a problem... She needed a pillow to help her go to sleep in the seat but the pillow kept falling out of her reach. She had an idea...To make a pillow that would fasten to the car seat so it wouldn’t fall and would be in a shape that was fun and would help her sleep. She developed it...With the help of her mother, Natalie came up with the Booster Buddies. They are brightly colored, animal shaped pillows that fasten to the car seat to hold them in place and are fun to sleep with Her idea was a hit...The Booster Buddies have been sold in retail and on the Internet and Natalie has told her story on TV and in newspapers! Back to Table of Contents
Alyssa & Amy Hansen, ages 10 and 13, and Nick & Kaycee Johnsen, ages 10 and 13; Inventors of Boogie2Boogie at ages 10 and 12
Kaycee Johnsen and Alyssa Hansen, both 10, and Nick Johnsen and Amy Hansen, both 12, thought that children’s body boards, commonly known as Boogie Boards, were not well designed for kids. They decided to design a better version that was kid friendly. They saw a problem...There were no body boards that were designed particularly for kids. Older riders ride on the face of waves, farther out from the shore. Kids enjoy body boarding the breakers, the “white water,” near the shore. Kids needed a body board that is made specifically for riding that kind of wave, focusing on riding in the breakers near the shore—where kids like to ride! They had an idea...To create a Boogie Board that had a functional shape, that was fun to use and appealed to kids. They enjoyed “surfing” together and came up with a connector to attach to each board to the other so they could ride in tandem. Also, for parents who wanted a way of getting children’s attention when it was time to come in, the kids came up with a remote signaling device so that parents could signal them from shore. They developed it...The kids came up with the boomerang shaped design which was both fun and aerodynamic. Their parents along with local body boarding professionals helped them as they built a prototype out of Polyethylene, rubber leashes and Velcro. Back to Table of Contents
Matthew Ballick & Justin Lewis, ages 14 and 15; Inventors of FLIP-ITZ at age 8
At age 8, while at a youth basketball banquet, Matthew Ballick and Justin Lewis were getting bored, so they started playing with the lid supports from the pizzas that were ordered for a party. Soon, every kid and parent in the room was flipping them everywhere and the boys decided this would be a great toy. They had an idea...Why not use the lids to make a toy that is fun & easy to play with, collectable, easy game to take with you, portable, can be developed and packaged in themes and with favorite character designs and that uses children’s imagination and creativity. They developed it...The boys used a similar design to the plastic lid supports and added various colors and designs to it and they produced FLIP-ITZ. Their idea was a hit and a winner…FLIP-ITZ was in over 1,500 independent gift shops including Zany Brainy and Learning Express prior to their licensee closing their doors in 2003. FLIP-ITZ and the boys were featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal in 2001 and several other newspapers across the country. The boys were also invited to be on the Early Show and the Today Show and featured in a children's magazine called Scholastic News, which is given to over one million school children! Back to Table of Contents
Jerrilee Geist, age 10; Inventor of Swipe It! at age 9
At 9, Jerrilee Geist wanted to create a special birthday gift for her older sister who loved word games. She wanted it to be the best game ever! She saw a problem...How could she create a game that was new and fun? What type of game would involve words and be challenging? She had an idea...To somehow combine the best elements of both word and card games in a fast paced spelling game. She developed it...With the help of her mother, Jerrilee brainstormed ideas and developed Speed Spell, a fast-paced game of spelling and vocabulary. Speed Spell is a game in which the players race to complete words from multiple letter groups building from the inside out. The more words you complete, or steal, the more points you earn. The more cards left in your hand when someone goes out, the more points you lose. The rules contain several versions, and it can be played cooperatively or competitively, and in fact, it naturally has some of each built in. Her idea was a hit…All of Jerrilee’s friends and family enjoy playing the game. She is setting up Speed Spell Tournaments in schools across the country and making herself available to do Meet the Creator assemblies in Bay Area schools! Back to Table of Contents
Cassidy Goldstein, age 17; Inventor of Crayon Holders at age 11
At age 11, after struggling to use broken crayons, Cassidy Goldstein invented a device to hold the crayons and make it easier for her to draw. She saw a problem...Crayons break easily and become hard to manage in small pieces. Kids throw away their used crayons when they get too small to hold. Kids end up needing a whole new box of crayons for one color. She had an idea...To create a device that would hold the crayon and give the user something bigger to hang onto, enabling them to use their broken crayons rather than throwing them away. She developed it...Inspired by the plastic tubes used to keep roses fresh while being transported, Cassidy created a holder that would grab the small pieces of crayon. She experimented with various materials to make it work. Ultimately she designed a device that would grab the crayon securely regardless of its size. Her idea was a hit and a winner…She became a Student Board Member of the National Gallery for America’s Young Inventors, she has a 3-year License agreement to manufacture and sell her product, and she has been featured in various newspapers, magazines and television programs discussing her product. Her Crayon Holder is now available in Wal-Mart! Back to Table of Contents
Justin “Justy” Euliano, age 17; Inventor of Aim 'N Fish at age 16
Justin Euliano loved to fish as a kid but he had difficulty with casting. He saw a problem...One day while fishing under some trees he noticed all the tangled hooks and bobbins in the tree above his head. He thought it would be fun if there was an easier and safer way to cast a fishing line. He realized that all young anglers had problems casting with frustration of tangled lines and hooks that get stuck in unexpected places. Why couldn't you just aim your rod to where you wanted the hook to go? Fishing adventures often got cut short. He had an idea...He set out to create a new fishing rod that would cast for you. He developed it...He came up with a compact, fish-shaped rod and reel enhanced with an interior mechanism that could shoot the line out into the water 10-30 feet with the simple press of the trigger. No more flinging the rod and hook behind the head to cast. Justin designed his Aim 'N Fish specifically for kids to use who are between the ages of 3-12 years. His idea was a hit and a winner…Justin recently won the 2005 Chester Award winner in the By Kids For Kids Xerox National Invention Competition! Back to Table of Contents
Scott Barnhill, age 13; Inventor of Security One Card at age 9
At age 9, Scott was searching for the key card to get into his family’s hotel room. In order to find it he had to sort through all of the credit cards in his father’s wallet to find the right card for the hotel. He saw a problem...That there was a different plastic card for everything from airline mileage clubs to YMCA memberships to hotel room keys to movie rental stores. Even in school he had an I.D. card, a bookstore card and a door entry card. He had an idea...Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just add a new magnetic strip to one card, when you needed instead of having a new card for everything? He developed it...He designed a magnetic card system whereby a retail store or hotel could add an additional magnetic strip to an already existing plastic card of the user’s choice. The additional strip would contain the information for that store/hotel only. His idea was a hit and a winner…He won the 2004 LeTourneau University Invention & Design Contest, he was named 2004 “Innovator of the Year” by the Maryland Daily Record, and he won the 2003 Student Ideas for a Better America Competition. Scott has appeared on several television news programs. Back to Table of Contents
Chandler Mococha, age 14; Inventor of  Wheelchair Backpack Swivel at age 12
At age 12, Chandler saw his neighbor who is in a wheelchair struggling to get her belongings out of her backpack hanging on the back of her wheelchair. He saw a problem...Both disabled kids and adults who are confined to wheelchairs have this same problem. This is frustrating and forces them to always rely on help from others when in fact they are striving for independence. He had an idea...Chandler came up with the idea for his Wheelchair Backpack Swivel which aids wheelchair bound persons in retrieving their back pack or bag from the back of their wheelchair. He developed it...He came up with a brilliant prototype made of steel tube, elbow fittings, springs, nuts and bolts. This brings a sense of independence and control to those who are completely dependent on a chair and the people around them. His idea was a hit and a winner…Some of Chandler's accomplishments as a result of his invention include: Winner of the Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Contest Inducted into the National Gallery for America's Young Inventors Winner of the DaVinci Award for designing for accessibility Received endorsements from medical equipment industry experts

Back to Table of Contents

Related Links:

Amazing Young Inventors - Part I (Amazing Kids! of the Month, March, 2000):
 www.amazing-kids.org/kids3-00.htm#inventors

Amazing Young Toy Inventors (Amazing Kids! of the Month, January, 2002):
www.amazing-kids.org/akom1-02.htm#inventors

Famous Kid Inventors:  www.bkfk.com/inventions/kidinventors.asp

How to Invent:  www.bkfk.com/howtoinvent/

Links to Resources on Inventing:  www.bkfk.com/pedia/

By Kids For Kids website:  http://www.bkfk.com/

National Gallery for America's Young Inventors (on the Partnership for America's Future website):  www.pafinc.com/gallery/index.htm

Patent Cafe website:  http://www.patentcafe.com/

Inventors and inventing at About.com:  inventors.about.com/

Lemelson-MIT Program:  web.mit.edu/invent/index.html
Celebrating invention and innovation.

United States Patent and Trademark Office:  www.uspto.gov/