Young problem solving third graders from Wilder Elementary joined me on my weekly television appearance to share their inventions from the annual Invention Convention at their school. Students must identify a problem and come up with a creative solution to solve their problem.
Nicole Fast invented the Piggy Hammock. Her guinea pig, “Piggy” would scratch her arms when picked up. Nicole invented the Piggy Hammock using a bandana to safely pick up the guinea pig while protecting her wrists from sharp nails.
Next up was Maddie Mitchell invented the Doggie Slobber Stopper. Maddie demonstrated how her dog, Barkley makes a wet mess when he drinks from his water bowl. Maddie made a ring of sponges to fit around the bowl to catch the slobber and splashes when Barkley drinks.
Scott Spangler does not like burning his tongue on hot soup, so he created the Spangler Tongue Saver. Using a magnet,
The world is filled with great ideas, but few people know how to turn an idea into a product. But that’s just the start of the uphill climb. Product ideas need money to grow from the prototype stage to the initial production run. Did anyone mention the creativity and capital needed to get consumers interested in the product? And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately, there are people like Thomas Frey, the mastermind behind the Colorado Inventor’s Showcase, the largest inventor show in the Rocky Mountain region. The annual event features inventions from 30-40 top inventors coming from Colorado as well as other states. Participants learn what it takes to become an inventor, and how to take their invention to the next level. You never know who might stop by your booth – patent attorneys, marketing gurus or maybe a potential source of funding. The staff selects a diverse panel of judges to evaluate the creativity, ingenuity and marketability of each of the inventions. The judges will even provide some one-on-one feedback and offer suggestions for making their
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