The Creativity Of Kids' Inventions

It is not without reason when people say that children have the most fertile imagination. Their creativity and power of imagination have given rise to many kids' inventions, which are awe-inspiring, to say the least. Their innovativeness which lies at the root of these amazing inventions can inspire any adult and in many cases have enabled the kids to start an enterprise! Need is not always apparent, at times it can be created. Looking at these kids' inventions, one cannot help but think, so there was a market for this too!

Take the example of Kathryn Gregory, a kid from Massachusetts who became an inventor and an entrepreneur at the tender age of ten. She invented and trademarked a protective winter gear in 1994 and gave it a brand name called Wristies. This piece of apparel is to be worn under your coat and gloves during winter. Wristies block snow, wind and cold and keep the body warm. She has even established an enterprise called Wristies Inc., and has made deals with McDonalds, Federal Express and Girl Scouts.

Then there was Chester Greenwood, born in Maine in 1858. When this school drop out was all of 15 years of age, he invented earmuffs. He gave them a brand name - Greenwood's Champion Ear Protectors. Then he patented an improved version of the earmuffs which had a steel band to hold the earmuffs in place. He went ahead and established his own company called Greenwood's Ear Protector Factory, which made a fortune supplying ear protectors to American soldiers during the First World War. Maine commemorates December 21 as Chester Greenwood Day to remember and honor the native son for his contribution towards protection from the cold. Chester Greenwood was awarded over 100 patents in his lifetime and the Smithsonian Institution has named him one of America's 15 outstanding inventors.

Suzanna Goodin was all of six years old when she discovered that she was tired of washing and cleaning the cat food spoon. So she invented an edible spoon-shaped cracker and won a prize at the Weekly Reader National Invention Contest.

The square-bottom paper bags which we use everyday to fetch groceries, was invented by a kid, Margaret Knight when she was only 9 years old. Margaret worked in a cotton mill when one day she noticed a steel-tipped shuttle fly and hit a worker standing by. This triggered her imagination and she invented a shuttle restraining device. She even invented the machine which makes the square bottom paper bags. The machine was patented in 1871.

Jeanie Low, an eleven-year old kid patented her first invention a Kiddie Stool - a foldable stool, which kids can open and close themselves. A kid will simply have to unfold it, stand on it, in case he or she can not reach the sink. She received the patent in 1992.