National Kid Inventors’ Day (January 17)
Check out the weird holiday National Kid Inventors’ Day on Jan 17. Learn the history of kid inventions and get ideas on how to celebrate.
One weird holiday on January 17 is National Kid Inventors’ Day. Check out the other weird January holidays!
History of National Kid Inventors’ Day
Today is the day of celebrating children who invent things! This date was chosen because it also happens to be Benjamin Franklin’s birthday, who was a renowned kid inventor. At the age of 11 (or 12 – reports vary), he invented swim flippers.
Over the centuries, kids have been making inventions that go all around the world! Some of the most popular kid inventions are trampolines (by George Nissen and Larry Griswold), water skis, ear muffs, popsicles (by Frank Epperson, age 11), and even the television!
Probably one of the most impressive kid inventor was Louis Braille, who invented the language that the blind use to read all over the world. Louis Braille went blind in an accident at three years of age, and in his teens he developed Braille while he was a student in Paris at the National Institute for the Blind.
According to Lee Ward (who created this weird holiday), children and teens invent over 500,000 gadgets and games every single year! So today is the perfect time to celebrate these kids and help the kids in your life make inventions themselves!
Ideas for National Kid Inventors’ Day
Here are some ideas for how you and your kids can celebrate – by making your own kid inventions!
LEGO Challenges and Activities for Kids
Challenge cards, island disasters, building upside, and more – check out these fun LEGO challenges and activities for kids of all ages on National Kid Inventors' Day!
DIY Stomp Rockets & Stomp Rocket Launcher
Kids can't build a real rocket on National Kid Inventors' Day, but they CAN build their own stomp rockets!
Make a kid-safe DIY lantern from recycled supplies
A little nod to summer camp days gone by, this DIY lantern craft is a super cute upcycled project & kids’ art activity all rolled into one! It’s useful, made from simple recycled items, is kid-safe, and has a fun modern look - perfect for National Kid Inventors' Day!
Hexagon Marshmallow STEM Building Challenge
Edible science is so fun for any age, and this Hexagon Marshmallow STEM Building Challenge is perfect! Architecture and engineering are amazing opportunities to explore for both art and science. Finding the perfect shapes for stability, strength and durability will challenge your kids to develop problem solving and creative thinking skills. So lets get to the building on National Kid Inventors' Day!
Make a DIY Nature Explorer Kit (from a Shoebox!)
Fall hides little surprises at every turn – from the corners of the backyard to the pond & park at the end of the street, or the marshy woods around the block. Inspired by the fun we’ve been having investigating the neighborhood, we decided to make this marvelous nature explorer’s trunk for outdoor escapades! It's a great activity for National Kid Inventors' Day!
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