When you become a parent you start spending more time, and by more time, we mean 24/7, with your kid. During this time, you learn many new things from your kid and understand that maybe in the past you underestimated kids in general. Turns out they are actually way smarter than you thought. Oftentimes they are creative, inventive, and innovative! If there is an obstacle, they will always find a way over it. In this article, we collected 40 examples of kids figuring it out and being creative. Some of these even have a real potential of becoming marketable products. So embrace your inner child and enjoy the creativity!
1. Shirt Hanger
When you are cooking you like to put your phone somewhere so you can keep an eye on that cooking show you love or watch your favorite episode of Friends on Netflix. But then you find yourself always moving your phone as you move along the kitchen.
Well, this girl found you a solution! She took a simple metal wire shirt hanger and wrapped it in the shape of her neck curvature. The hook acts as a phone holder and walla! Your phone is just hanging there. You might end up with some neck problems but you won't miss that show.
2. Berry Punch
This kid, who is 3 years old, complained that he is hot. He complained and complained so his big brother went to the fridge and grabbed him a freeze pop. The Berry Punch flavored pop almost did the trick.
But the kid was still hot and to make things worse, he was getting brain freeze from the big slurps he took! The older brother had enough and told him to deal with it. The 3-year-old figured out that if he bends the pop he will take smaller slurps and solve his heat problem by cooling his face.
3. Hydrated
Speaking of two brothers, these two are a funny bunch as well. The mother told the older one to make sure his younger brother stays hydrated. She instructed him to drink at least 3 glasses of water while she was away.
Not wanting to babysit, the kid thought of a way he can make his job more efficient and have the kid brother drink 3 glasses at once. He even decided to help him out with the drinking.
4. Cuddles
Staying on the subject of siblings, this boy decided to make a zipline for his sister. The idea was that she can get out of the house quicker and he can enjoy the peace and quiet.
Just like any responsible engineer, he ran some tests first. A crash dummy AKA Cuddles was going to test the zipline. Good thing the mother understood in time what was going on here and the Evil Knievel act was prevented.
5. Back And Neck
I explained to my daughter that staring down at her phone in a sitting position for the entire five-hour drive is not good for her back or neck. An hour into the road trip we stopped by a gas station to get some drinks. My daughter tells me “Mom, I want that balloon”.
Thinking this will cheer her up, I got her the balloon. As we got into the car she took the balloon off the plastic straw, stuck the straw under the phone case, and said “Now my back and neck will be straight”.
6. Technology
So when you look at this picture you might think “What’s wrong with the kid? The iPad cover has a built-in stand.” And yes it does, but you can’t just lie down straight and watch your movie.
The kid took some Windex, sprayed the table that has that nice oakwood stand, and wiped the glass so it’s shiny clean. The carpet is soft, the glass is spotless, and now he is enjoying the hands-free iPad “technology”.
7. Ultimate Comfort
This girl looks like an alien from the 1996 “Mars Attack!” movie. But what she really is, is a brainy genius that came up with a smart invention. When her school had a “Little Inventor Fair” she had no patience to come up with something.
She was wearing a hoodie and thought it’s comfortable, but what about a hoodie pillow!? Ultimate comfort. And just like that, the idea was born and the house was full of family laughter.
8. Kids These Days
Most of us, as kids, stuck our feet in between the wooden boards and kicked the mattress as hard as possible so our sibling felt it. But not this kid. He is not doing that.
He decided that he will use that space wisely and instead of striking his feet stuck his phone. Now he gets to sleep while watching his favorite shows. The only problem is making sure that the phone doesn't fall down and smack you right in the face.
9. Not In The Rain No More
The kid outgrew the car, his knees are almost pressing up against his chest at this point. But he doesn't care, he loves that car. So much so that he is driving it in the rain.
When his mom told him that he can’t do that anymore, he decided to figure out away. So he took an old TV antenna from the basement, taped it to the car, and threw a cardboard box on it.
10. The Trouble
Why go through the trouble of finding the perfect wooden plank and drilling holes in it when you can just take a plastic chair? That’s what this kid asked himself when he wanted to make a swing.
We are not too sure about the safety of this swing or how long it will hold up. But what we are sure of is that this kid is loving his creation. Just look at that smile!
11. Let’s Go Fly A Kite
Remember that “let’s go fly a kite” scene from Marry Poppins? Well right after seeing that scene this boy decided to make one and fly it in his backyard. But there was a little problem…
It was raining. Well, it didn’t stop the kid! He went to grab the balloon that he was gifted at yesterday's birthday party and tied it to a fishing rod that he took from his dad.
12. Private Cinema
Here is another example of hands-free technology. It might seem silly, but if you think about it, the kid had an idea and acted on it. And that is nothing to be laughed at.
This kid took some of his old toys, Lincoln Log specifically, taped it to the bill of his hat. Taped his phone to the logs plugged in that old-school headset and got himself a private cinema.
13. Icing On The Cake
This kid really wanted to surprise his mom on her birthday with a cake. The only problem was he didn't have a way to get it at the last moment.
This kid knew that it’s the thought that counts and not the cake. With that in mind and some creative thinking, he took out the watermelon from the fridge and stuck some candles in it. He even carved his Mom’s name into the “icing on the cake”!
14. Impressive
Our entire family was sitting behind the table playing Monopoly. There was a pencil that kept rolling off the table and falling on the floor. This happened about three times.
After the third time, my three-year-old niece silently took one of the fake money notes and started playing with it. She played with it for a minute and then wrapped the pencil in it so it stops rolling off. For a three-year-old, this is pretty impressive!
15. Few Inches
Trees and flowers are blooming, the weather is nice but if you have allergies you are out of luck. In this case, you'll just mostly have the sniffles. And this kid had enough of it.
He came up with the most ridiculous but funny way to fight allergies. He just taped a bit of white cotton cloth to his nostrils. If you are thinking why not just wear a mask, well there's a catch. He can pull the cloth down a few inches and have a respectable bow tie!
16. Balloon Car
Science class, some kids really love it and some just hate it. This kid just happens to be an A+ student, just look at that proud smile on his face.
The kids had a class assignment to make a toy-car from things they can find in class. This kid didn’t just make a toy car, he made one that is powered by a balloon! He even chose the same colors for the straw and the balloon.
17. Laziness
This one is great for all the couch potatoes out there. Just imagine laying there with this tool by your side. You can use it to reach the TV remote, your phone charger ,and so much more.
It can also come in handy for short people. Of course, it’ll be a problem if someone puts the "grab it all" tool somewhere high and you can’t reach it. But once you have it, embrace laziness!
18. Little Rebel
Don’t think for a second that this is a waste of perfectly good Pokémon cards. This kid is a genius. Not because he invented a hat from Pokémon cards but because he outsmarted the adults and the school system!
A bunch of 4th graders got into a fight over the cards and the school just simply banned them. When the same 4th graders went on a field trip they were told to bring hats. This boy who had nothing to do with the fight, as a sign of protest made his own hat.
19. The Future
We all know that kids are the future of this world. But this one really is the future! The poor kid would constantly drop his spoon into his cereal during breakfast.
Not that he did it on purpose, he would just get distracted for a second and the spoon just drowned. When his mom told him to do something about this, he did just that and taped a clothespin to the spoon.
20. PokeGLO
The older generation had lemonade stands, the kids of today are different. This kid sells safety pins but not any regular safety pins. His safety pins have a huge potential of becoming a massive product that can be marketed!
The kid even came up with a slogan "Don't GO without your PokeGLO '' and that's already a good addition to the marketing campaign he needs to start. We think he really should pitch the idea to the creators of the video game so they can sponsor him.
21. Fancy Technology
If your phone is not loud enough don’t rush to get one of those portable JBL speakers just yet. This girl here will have you covered. The speakers she makes even come with a phone stand.
Her phone wouldn’t connect to the huge living room speaker in the background. After a few tries, she gave up on the fancy technology. So just like any creative genius would do, she did what she had to and improvised.
22. Take Notes
If you want to become a multitasker on a professional level, take notes from this girl. She is eating, watching a cartoon, making a sandwich, carefully cutting away the crust, and holding an iPad at the same time.
This might not be a huge invention but it's still pretty creative. She freed up her hands and put her legs to good use. Now she can multitask while being super focused and she is, just look at her face!
23. He Took Notes
This kid must be the brother of the multitasking girl. He listened and wrote some notes down on how to be a multitasker. And just like her, he is using his feet to free up his hands.
If you were worried that kids are not getting enough time outside, don't be. This kid spent so much time outside that he is slowly becoming a little monkey. A cute one we must add.
24. Lazy One
A good engineer is a lazy one. And a lazy engineer will always figure it out. This 9-year-old girl didn’t want to stop playing her video game just so she could drink some water.
On that particular day, her mom allowed her to play her favourite video game all day as long as she drank her water. Amazed by such opportunity the girl quickly found a way to optimize her time playing the game.
25. Simple Invention
This is not the first example of a kid figuring out how to watch his cartoons handsfree. But this is definitely the first kid to do it while laying on the couch!
All he needs to do now is change the phone to a bigger screen, maybe an iPad. Another problem is that if someone calls him and he is not careful enough BONK! But other than that this simple invention is pretty cool.
26. Nascar
If you never understood watching cars drive in circles and called Nascar fans dumb, this kid proves that you were wrong. This kid is actually super creative! His father is in the U.S Navy and has told him many stories.
One of those stories is how the Navy keeps track of airplanes on the deck of Aircraft Carriers, they use toy planes. This kid loved the story that he decided to keep track of positions during Nascar the same way.
27. Mom
When you step on your kid's lego, don’t yell at them. Do what this mom did. She asked her kids to collect all of the lego pieces scattered around the house and make her something nice from them.
These kids just like they love their mom loved the task they were given and came up with this- a cool iPad kitchen holder. It even has a sign with a minimalistic font that reads “mom”!
28. Reader
If you like taking long baths, you probably like to read a book while taking one. And you have also probably experienced getting your book wet. This kid did, and he had had enough of it.
He took an IKEA suction cup hook, his poodle's retractable leash, and there you have it; an invention that simple. We bet this kid gets his inventive traits from being a reader. Or maybe he just saw a phone book in a phone booth in an old movie.
29. Cool Invention
This looks like a pretty cool invention. Since the ride is missing a few extra zip ties we assume it’s probably in the prototype stages. But it’s the idea that counts and this one is cool! It all actually started out as a punishment.
His dad told him that his punishment is mowing grass in the backyard all summer, and it was to be done with an old-school manual mower. Being a slacker actually worked in this kid's favor- he activated his inventive side and came up with this. In science class he had heard a story about a frontyard door Thomas Edison had, the door was connected to a manual pump that pumped water from a well. Everytime someone would open the door they would pump water for the entire house.
30. The Box
This kid would constantly get scolded by his mom for playing on his phone for too long before bedtime. She told him not to touch his phone when going to bed.
This kid is the type of kid to think outside the box, well not quite since this invention is, well, in a box. When his mom came into the room he yelled “Mom, look, no hands!”
31. Science Class
In science class, this one kid heard a story about Thomas Edison's front door. The door was connected to a manual pump that pumped water from a well. Every time someone would open the door they would pump water for the entire house.
The kid was so inspired by the story that he wanted to do something similar with his classroom door. With no well or a pump anywhere near he came up with this cool protractor mat. He gave his teacher all of the angles!
32. Skater Kid
Some kid crashed their skateboard into a glass wall in this school's hallway. This happened one day after another skateboard-related accident happened in the school, so the headmaster just banned them on school premises.
One skater kid who wouldn’t part with his skateboard pitched a skateboard-locker idea to the headmaster. The headmaster was so impressed with the idea and used the school's budget to order these.
33. Lanes
One teacher would always yell at the kids that were running up and down the stairs and those that would text while walking. Next thing you know one kid fell down the stairs because another kid was texting.
The kid that was texting sarcastically threw an idea that there should be dedicated lanes on the stairs. The teacher thought that the idea was actually not that bad. Now the entire campus has the stairs painted with three lanes.
34. Book Stand
We had a book fair on our school's campus. The kids could sell their bookstore any old books that they found in their house. The fair also featured a contest for the most original book stand.
One kid’s father had a vending machine business and served the machines at the school. Do you know the phrase “like father, like son”? This is exactly the case. This kid asked dad for some help, and the kid won the contest.
35. Jordan
If you ever threw a paper ball into a trash can and landed you probably felt like Michael Jordan. This fifth grader definitely did and that’s why he decided to add an extra element to that feeling.
The boy brought an old toy basketball hoop to art class and worked on repainting it. Once he was done he put it next to the class trash can. Now the kids can’t stop messing around with it.
36. Market Demand
This kid deserves an award of some kind. He understands what market demand is, there is a problem and he solved it! Everyone who eats chips out of these packages knows the struggle.
The hook might look like some sort of an inverted shoe shovel but who cares. Just look at that awesome drawing he made. He really needs to send an email to Pringles CEO as soon as possible!
37. Blind Date
Remember that contest with the Book Vending Machine winner? This one took second place. The kid had a brilliant idea of wrapping the books in packaging paper. We think this one is just super cute!
This idea is not only cute, it also adds interest to reading books! Kids nowadays are definitely missing the unique experience of reading. Hopefully, ideas like this one will change that and kids will learn to fall in love with reading once more.
38. More Fun
This kid probably got the idea for the gloves from a movie. Perhaps the scene where Tom Cruise is climbing the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol was the inspiration.
In reality, this idea is really great and can be turned into a real product. You can easily and seamlessly wash your pots and pans. And it also is just way more fun to do the dishes that way.
39. Cooking Show
This teacher was showing some experiments as he was teaching his chemistry class. One kid had a lot of trouble learning and following what was happening. Some people are just better at learning with some visual aid.
The same kid was a guest in the audience of a cooking show live taping one day and saw a mirror that was overlooking the counter. He told his chemistry teacher about the idea now everyone loves this class!
40. Calculators
This school library always had the calculators stolen from it. One day the headmaster had enough of this. He gathered all of his students in the gym to give them a long speech about how dissapointed he was.
The next day the students saw that all of the calculators were literally glued to wooden boards that were just way too big to fit into a backpack. Turns out that he got an anonymous email from one of the students with this idea.