Kids Are Inventors Too!
When people hear the word "inventor" they normally think of an adult, not a kid. Well, I am here to tell you that the definition of inventor is "one who devises some new process, appliance, machine, or article," and that has nothing to do with age. I was eight years old when I first started getting ideas about how to change existing toys, and ten when I had my first invention.
The inspiration for my invention came out of personal necessity. When I was younger, one of my favorite games was "Miss Mary Mack," the hand clapping game, but there wasn't always someone to play with. So I invented the Hands On Hand Clap Game. It is an electronic board that players hang on a wall or hold on their laps. A pair of hands lights up when players clap against them in time to the music.
If you enjoy coming up with new ideas and inventions, here are some tips I'd like to pass along to you:
Be creative. Don't worry if your idea is a little strange or seems too different. Imagine how Ben Franklin felt when he was flying a kite in a thunder storm, with a key attached to it. I bet his neighbors thought he was a little strange! His discovery gave us electricity, which changed the world!
Stay positive. Don't get frustrated while you’re trying to figure out how your invention will work.
Persevere! Keep working with your idea. Inventing is a process where you will not only find challenges and obstacles, but creativity and fun too!
Always stay true to yourself. Don't allow others try to change or influence your concept or idea so much that it is not what you imagined. Focus on your idea, and the rest will follow.
Get a journal and keep it with you! Always write down your ideas and inventions. Keep it by your bedside. Some people have dreams of their inventions! Madame C.J. Walker (1867-1919) is in the Guinness Book of Records as the first female American self-made millionaire. She had a dream that gave her details on how to invent hair care products!
Enter contests. My first contest was in fifth grade. It was a class assignment to invent something new. I submitted the Hands On Hand Clap Game. The inventions were judged by the lower classes and I won! Winning gave me the confidence to enter the BKFK Invent-A-Toy World Games Contest! This contest not only helped me become a better inventor, but because of the experience it gave me, it helped me develop my creativity, self-esteem and confidence as a person and inventor.
Lastly, have fun! Enjoy the process and keep inventing! You may be the next Ben Franklin!
-- Ana Lingenfelder, Kid Inventor
At the age of 10, Ana thought up the Hands On Hand Clap Game – an electronic clapping game. Ana came up with a mobile board with a screen showing a pair of hands. Hands On Hand Clap Game allows a single person to play by following along with glowing lights on the hands. The player is free to choose the difficulty level of the game, as well as select which rhyme they want to clap along to. Ana even wanted the user to be able to input their own rhymes by teaching new hand clap patterns to the game. Ana's game won her first place in the By Kids For Kids Xerox 2005-06 Invent-A-Toy World Games.
WOW! Amazing! Good job Ana!
Comment #1 | Posted by: usmarshal55 on January 02, 2010 at 11:49 AM
Hey my name is anna too!!! Maybe i could do that.
Comment #2 | Posted by: Anya5 on January 02, 2010 at 12:08 PM
awsome, wow!, nice!
etc.,..............
Comment #3 | Posted by: nice! -yitzy avatar on January 02, 2010 at 10:45 PM
nice! wow! amazing! beatiful! etc., ...............
Comment #4 | Posted by: nice! -yitzy avatar on January 02, 2010 at 10:46 PM
hey peeps thanks
Comment #5 | Posted by: sweetandfunnylol on January 03, 2010 at 12:39 AM
wow!!! that is soooooo cool of you!! i hope one day i can invent something as cool as you did.
Comment #6 | Posted by: SuperSapphireSpy on January 03, 2010 at 11:31 AM
wow ana that is awsome i hope one day i get to do something like you very creative and cool i love miss mary mack but nooo one plays with me
Comment #7 | Posted by: grkgrl246 on January 03, 2010 at 05:25 PM
is this true or did you make this up?
Comment #8 | Posted by: zahra on January 03, 2010 at 09:33 PM
That is really neat, Ana! This story is very inspirational and makes me wonder what I can do! :)
Comment #9 | Posted by: wordshine on January 04, 2010 at 07:24 AM
that is so cool
Comment #10 | Posted by: d on January 04, 2010 at 12:43 PM
Wow. That's amazing. Thank you for the tips. :) Awesome!
Comment #11 | Posted by: purple_writer on January 04, 2010 at 07:59 PM
Congratulations Ana....this was a well written essay and you are really creative...
Comment #12 | Posted by: Julie on January 08, 2010 at 08:32 AM
Terrific article, Ana! You offered excellent suggestions to potential inventors. Keep up the great work!
Comment #13 | Posted by: Miss Megan on January 08, 2010 at 08:44 AM
I think you should consider writing a monthly inventor's column. Great Job
Comment #14 | Posted by: slm on January 08, 2010 at 12:38 PM
KEWL and AWESOME i couldnt do dat
Comment #15 | Posted by: Snooki on January 08, 2010 at 09:03 PM
Cool
Comment #16 | Posted by: bella on January 09, 2010 at 11:50 AM
I agree with all the others, Wow! Ana! Not only am I impressed by the game you invented, but your writing as well! Keep up the great work!
Comment #17 | Posted by: Karen on January 11, 2010 at 06:28 PM
wow thats... cool/great/amazing/wonderful/inpressive/exellent/talented and much more great job!
Comment #18 | Posted by: kitty on January 13, 2010 at 10:53 PM