Young Inventor Challenge
"The Young Inventor Challenge was an opportunity of a lifetime for a kid like me, because the competition allowed me to create an original game, develop it, and show it off to top executives and companies. Victory and the prizes that came along with winning were overwhelming and full of valuable information and experience."- Nick Metzler, after his first Senior Category win in 2010.
"My main goal at the moment is to gain acceptance into Stanford University." "It's my hope that a second win in the YIC, as well as having my Challenge-winning game licensed by PlaSmart, will be a couple of strong positive factors influencing my acceptance and future career (in the professional world of the game industry)." - Nick Metzler, after his second win in 2011. Read more about Nick in Global Toy News
Hasbro talks about making toys and games
John Ratzenberger on Young Inventors
Nick Metzler on NBC Chicago
Congratulations to the Past Winners of the Young Inventor Challenge!
2012 Senior Category Winners
Charlie Davis and Ethan Hawker
2012 Junior Category Winners
Bryce Wiersma and Walker Ahluwalia
2011 Senior Category Winner
Nick Metzler
2011 Junior Category Winner
Isabella Miller and Simon Shifrin
2010 Senior Category Winner
Nick Metzler
2010 Junior Category Winner
Adrik Herbert
Read about it in Global Toy News
2009 Winner
Isabella Miller and Madison Yang
Read about it in Inventor's Digest
2008 Senior Category Winner
Joe Basile for King of Kingdoms
2008 Junior Category Winner
Hannah Allen and Ella Lambert
Read about it on Games for Educators
2007 Winner
Lenny Brahin
*** 2013 Registration will open in May ***
Calling All Kid Inventors!
The Chicago Toy & Game Fair (ChiTAG) and PlaSmart bring together imagination, play and inventive thinking with their fifth annual Young Inventor Challenge (YIC), to be held at the Fair on Saturday, November 17th at Chicago's Navy Pier.
Open to boys and girls ages 6 to 18 to come exhibit their own original toy or game invention. A Best of Show Winner and one runner-up from both Junior and Senior categories will be selected by professionals from the United Inventors Association of America (UIA), the largest organization of professional Inventors in the world. There will also be a People's Choice award selected by the popular vote of the Fair's 20,000+ attendees. Besides great prizes to be won, and fun give-aways, top toy and game industry representatives will be on hand to provide advice, recognition and encouragement to all young inventors to dream big and discover the possibilities of play! In fact, our wonderful sponsor PlaSmart, who licensed last year's Senior Category winning invention, will be there once again looking for the next big toy or game.
As always, there is no fee to participate in the Young Inventor Challenge. Participants and their immediate families are invited to be our guests with complimentary admission to ChiTAG for the whole weekend!
As always, there is no fee to participate in the Young Inventor Challenge. Participants and their immediate families are invited to be our guests with complimentary admission to ChiTAG for the whole weekend!
2012 Prize Package for Best in Show*
- Dinner for the winner(s) and their parents with a leading toy industry expert
- A feature in Inventor's Digest
- A one-year subscription to Inventor's Digest
- Creation Nation will place both category winners in retail outlets, free of charge, if they are manufactured
- Top-rated software to write a provisional patent application
- Trademark and copyright services, free of charge, from a prominent attorney for the Toy and Game Industry
- A VIP tour given by Bruce Lund of the Chicago workshop and offices of Lund and Company Invention LLC - a peek into Santa's Workshop!
2012 Bonus Prize*
Opportunity to present at the Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards at New York Toy Fair in 2013 (courtesy of the Toy Industry Association). Opportunity includes:- 2 night hotel stay in New York City
- Pre-show tour of New York Toy Fair
- Tickets to the Toy of The Year Awards
- The honor of presenting an award at the TOTY Awards
- *Prize Package and Bonus subject to change and availability. See Rules & Requirements for more details.
Trophies will be awarded for second place and medallions of participation will be given to all participants.
Get Started Now - It's EASY!
- Register for the 2012 Young Inventor Challenge. See top right-hand side of page.
- Print out our Inventor Workbook. In it you'll find easy-to-understand, step-by-step instructions on how to take part in the Challenge, plus guidelines on how to brainstorm and record your ideas, design and develop your prototype, and how to put your presentation together for display at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair.
- Don't forget to read the Rules & Requirements so you'll know how to prepare for the fair.
- Get tips from two-time YIC Senior Category winner Nick Metzler. Read Here about how he prepared for the Challenges and how his wins have inspired him on to a career in the toy industry. Also, get advice from the former Head of Global Product Acquisition for Hasbro on how to create and present a toy / game.
Organize Your Own Inventor Workshop!
"Playing and designing games teaches children problem solving, brainstorming, cooperation and creativity." - Beth Sagett-Flores, Principal, Lincolnwood School, Evanston, IL.Inventor Workshops are ideal for a classroom activity, school-wide competition, after-school program, summer challenge, scout merit badge-earning activity, even for library programming.
Use our Inventor Workbook as a Guide to help kids imagine, design, test, and create their own toy or game inventions. Whether you hold a one-day workshop or a series of workshops, use it to engage kids in a positive and challenging endeavor.
Once the toy and game are complete, don't stop there! The Young Inventor Challenge can then provide a means of taking their inventions to even greater heights, with professional critiques from our industry experts and the opportunity to show their work off to the public, toy industry, and members of the press.
Contact Us
"The Young Inventor Challenge is an excellent enrichment opportunity. Designing requires a combination of skills. Children must brainstorm, write, revise, edit, use critical and strategic thinking, and incorporate artistic skills. The result is a product that impresses, inspires and humbles teachers, parents and executives in the toy and game industry." - Karen Luciana, 5th Grade Teacher - Lincolnwod Elementary School, Evanston, IL
To get advice from the former Head of Global Product Acquisition for Hasbro on how to create and present a toy/game. Click Here
