11 Remarkable Creations by Young Inventors

You don’t need years of experience to come up with groundbreaking ideas. In fact, many of these young inventors have demonstrated that age is just a number. Whether it’s Braille or snowmobiles, these kids have given us innovations that have made a significant impact on the world.

1. Braille

Louis Braille lost his sight after a tragic accident at the age of three. What began as an injury to one eye soon led to the loss of vision in both eyes due to infection. For years, he struggled with a slow and cumbersome method of reading by tracing his finger over raised letters. However, at the age of 12, Braille discovered a system of silent communication originally designed for the French military. He adapted it and, in 1824, the Braille writing system was created.

Teenagers are continually transforming the braille system. In 2014, 12-year-old Shubham Banerjee used a LEGO Mindstorms kit to create a braille printer. Named the Braigo, this $200 device offers a far more affordable option compared to the $2000 versions available.

2. Christmas Lights

Before the invention of electric lights, many people decorated their Christmas trees with real candles. What could possibly go wrong with live flames on dry branches and brittle needles, all inside your home? Even when electric lights became an option, people were still more worried about fires caused by electricity than by the open flames.

By 1917, electricity had become a common part of daily life, and 15-year-old Albert Sadacca saw an opportunity. Before that time, anyone willing to risk electric Christmas lights had to spend the equivalent of $2000 in today’s money. Sadacca had the idea to create a more affordable set of Christmas lights and had them made by his parents' novelty lighting company. Thanks to his innovation, lights have become a staple of the holiday season.

3. Earmuffs

Maine winters can be freezing, so it’s fitting that the state has a day dedicated to Chester Greenwood, the inventor of earmuffs, who created them in 1873 at the age of 15. While skating on frozen ponds, Greenwood had a wool allergy that prevented him from wearing the typical warm hats with earflaps. Frustrated by his cold ears, he asked his grandmother to attach flaps of flannel or beaver fur to wires that he could bend around his head. Ten years later, he owned an earmuff factory that produced 50,000 pairs annually.

If you’d like to honor Chester Greenwood and his cozy invention, Chester Greenwood Day is celebrated on the first Saturday of December.

4. Transforming Toy Trucks

In 1962, 5-year-old Robert Patch put together a couple of shoe boxes and bottle caps to create a vehicle that could transform into three different trucks: a dump truck, a flatbed, and a box truck. His father, a patent attorney, recognized the invention’s potential and filed for a patent in his son's name. Little Robert Patch signed his name with an 'X,' as he hadn’t learned to spell yet. Though Patch was 6 by the time the patent was granted, he still became the youngest patent holder at that time.

5. The Trampoline

As a teenage gymnast, George Nissen and his coach designed a “bouncing rig” to help him generate the height and power needed to complete a back somersault. Initially made from scrap steel and tire inner tubes, the platform was later adapted into a portable version, which Nissen named the “trampoline.” Fun fact: In the 1950s, gas stations purchased trampolines to set up as “jump centers,” allowing kids to burn off some energy before reboarding the car with their parents.

6. The Water Talkie

In 1996, fifth-grader Richie Stachowski invented the Water Talkie, a device that enabled people to communicate underwater. The product became popular, prompting Stachowski to expand his brand, Short Stack. His new offerings included the Scuba Scope and the Bumper Jumper Water Pumper. By 1999, at the age of 13, this young entrepreneur sold Short Stack to a toy company based in San Francisco for a sum rumored to be in the millions.

7. The Snowmobile

Joseph-Armand Bombardier, a Quebec native known for his curiosity and mechanical skills, stunned his family on New Year’s Eve in 1922 with his latest invention. He had attached the engine of a Ford Model T to four runners, with a homemade propeller at the rear. Driven by Bombardier’s younger brother, the machine traveled over half a mile of snow before stopping. Over the years, Bombardier refined his snowmobile, adding tank-like tracks in 1935. By 1959, his invention evolved into the Ski-Doo, the first ultralight snowmobile.

8. Superman

In 1934, a restless teen named Jerry Siegel struggled to sleep on a hot summer night. As he gazed at the moon, his mind wandered to his favorite science fiction stories, and an idea suddenly struck him. Siegel quickly wrote down his thoughts and the next morning rushed to his artist friend Joe Shuster, who brought his idea to life through sketches. Four years later, they found a publisher, and today, Superman is one of the most iconic characters in the world.

9. Swim Flippers

In the early 1700s, an 11-year-old boy with a passion for swimming realized he could glide through the water faster with more surface area to push against. He crafted handheld swimming fins out of oval-shaped planks and made hand holes in the center. He also made fins for his feet but found the design clumsy and discarded them.

These fins were just one of many creations from the young inventor we know today as Ben Franklin. As an adult, Franklin went on to invent the stove, the odometer, the lightning rod, bifocals, and more. His lifelong love for swimming earned him a spot in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

10. Popsicles

Thanks to the distracted mind of 11-year-old Frank Epperson, we owe the creation of Popsicles. In 1905, while stirring a drink mix into water, Epperson was sidetracked and left the mixture on his porch overnight. By morning, the concoction had frozen into a delicious frozen treat on a stick. After sharing his creation with friends and family, Epperson filed a patent for it in 1924, turning his happy accident into a beloved treat.

11. Makin’ Bacon

You might remember the Makin' Bacon kitchen gadget from the 1990s or even still own one. This clever microwave rack was created by 8-year-old Abbey Fleck. One morning, while helping her parents make breakfast, they ran out of paper towels to absorb the bacon grease. Abbey had the idea to hang the bacon like laundry so that the grease could drip off, leading to the creation of a functional prototype using plastic hangers and dowel rods. Over time, she sold 2.7 million units through Walmart.