Bringing inventions into your classroom and challenging your kids to create their own is a way to spark creativity and possibly bring out future engineers. It’s vital to teach your students about all of the fun ideas they can find deep within their minds. Encourage your middle schoolers to get in touch with their creative sides—integrate invention projects into your classroom this upcoming school year. Can’t quite find the right invention activities for your young minds? Don’t worry! Here are 41 different inventions that will enhance your learners’ engagement and inspire them to get creating.
1. Simple Motor
Knowing how to create a basic motor can open so many doors for your students who are interested in creating inventions and making them move. All they’ll need to bring this invention to life is wire tape, a C battery, paper clips, and a small magnet. Then, they can construct a plethora of different inventions that can be used to operate the motor.
Learn More: YouTube
2. Smart Shoe
Want to get your students to consider inventions that will help disabled people? @Vasptech on Instagram shared this smart shoe designed to help blind people detect obstacles. This idea could inspire your kids to consider ways to overcome sensory obstacles.
Learn More: Instagram
3. Paper Bag Inventions
Have you ever noticed that sometimes your kids are most creative within rigid parameters? Using limited resources, like paper bags and other craft items they can find in the classroom, challenge your middle schoolers to work together and see what they can design. You may even be surprised what they can accomplish!
Learn More: Instagram
4. Table for One
Table for One is a simple but realistic invention—it allows you to bring your own small working or eating space wherever you need it! Just showing your students this clever creation will get their gears grinding. Can they create something equally uncomplicated but practical?
Learn More: Instagram
5. The Most Magnificent Thing
Taking time to read aloud to students is important across grades, from story books to chapter books. Before beginning a unit on inventions or giving your kiddos extra time to get creative, sharing a book that dives into the joy of creating, like The Most Magnificent Thing, will help spark their interest and get their brains into creation mode.
Learn More: Instagram
6. Rube Goldberg Machines
Here’s a good way to inject some fun and whimsy into your inventing unit. Share some of Rube Goldberg’s cartoons—featuring humorously over-the-top contraptions—and then challenge your students to design and build their own. While they may seem silly, designing machines like this takes just as much—or more—engineering skill as something more practical; and there’s no better way to get your middle schoolers engaged in the process!
Learn More: Instagram
7. What Are Your Invention Concepts?
It can be tempting for kids to skip right to the fun, hands-on part of building their inventions. This is where teaching them the importance of slowing down and preparing their plans comes into play. Spend a day having your students create and refine concepts for their project ideas. To do so, get them to develop an idea and draw a detailed blueprint. They can then improve on their designs with the help of constructive criticism from classmates.
Learn More: Instagram
8. Invention Anchor Chart
Anchor charts are a classic way to compile information and keep it accessible for review—and this may be the perfect one to inspire your students to get going on their invention blueprints. Help them raise their brainstorming ability to new heights and keep them from getting discouraged with this inspiring anchor chart.
Learn More: Instagram
9. Life as an Engineer
Do your students ever wonder what it would be like to be an engineer? Here’s their chance to try it out! Try assigning clear, concrete tasks like “Invent a prosthetic leg” as a real-world way to challenge them and encourage their teamwork skills. Who knows—one of your kids may come up with a game-changing invention for someone who really needs it!
Learn More: Facebook
10. Create a Mechanical Hand
Many of the activities on this list focus on having your students design new concepts; this project, on the other hand, challenges them to follow set instructions to produce the expected outcome. Working in groups or individually, invite your learners to follow this instructional video to produce their own mechanical hands. Grasping and following a number of steps is an essential life skill—and they’ll love experimenting and playing with the finished product!
Learn More: YouTube
11. Straw Rockets
This is a simple device that can be made quickly with few materials—but one that also allows your middle schoolers to be aeronautical engineers! Let your students decide whether they want to follow the instructions in the video or create their own blueprints or formulate their own from scratch; they’ll surely be engaged either way.
Learn More: YouTube
12. Hand Sanitizer Machine
Designing theoretical inventions can be a great learning experience, but your kids will be thrilled to build something they can actually use every day in your classroom! This automatic sanitizer dispenser is the perfect option to directly involve your students’ creativity and talent in your daily routine.
Learn More: YouTube
13. Harvest Rainwater Model
Creating small models is a great option for getting your kids thinking about larger-scale inventions that you don’t have the skills, time, or resources to produce. Your students can develop and apply valuable design and building skills by putting together this working model of a rainwater harvesting device—it’s also a perfect way to help them focus on the importance of conserving and reusing natural resources, like water.
Learn More: YouTube
14. Bottle Vacuum Cleaner
I love this bottle vacuum cleaner. This design is a little more complex than a lot of the activities on this list, but your more advanced builders will love the challenge of constructing a working vacuum cleaner using a recycled plastic bottle—and you’ll all love the real-world payoff.
Learn More: YouTube
15. Global Warming Challenge
Never forget that your kids are the future leaders of our world—so get them thinking now about ways they can use their creativity to better our planet! Challenge your middle schoolers to invent something based on the real-world theme of preventing or slowing down global warming. Your students will love having the freedom to think outside the box to try and solve real-world problems.
Learn More: YouTube
16. Create Your Own Invent It Challenge
An invention challenge is great for everyone! Creating your own challenge as a class is a great way to work with your students on inventing something that interests them. You could set them up in groups or challenge another class. While this may be an invention challenge, there’s no need for you to reinvent the wheel—make things simple by modeling your classroom challenge on an existing contest.
Learn More: YouTube
17. Simple Pen Slingshot
I probably don’t need to tell you that your kids love causing a ruckus with the materials they use daily. If your students are known for flinging rubber bands or pencils across the room, it’s time to capitalize on that “hobby”—get them to invent some slingshots. These simple devices are easy to construct and are also an excellent way to model physics properties.
Learn More: TikTok
18. Butter Invention Challenge
Invent an easier way to butter bread! Using this humorous video as an example, challenge your students to invent a new way to prepare their morning toast. Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the most fun and engaging!
Learn More: TikTok
19. Invent a Product
When it comes to inventing, more than just technical skills may be needed at times. This clever activity will challenge your students to come up with a new product and consider how they will market it. By asking your middle schoolers a series of questions about their invention concepts—like how much it would cost, whole the ideal customer would be, and so on—you’ll get them thinking about different aspects of product development and sharpening their complementary skills.
Learn More: TikTok
20. Failed—Yet World-Changing—Inventions
This list is filled with inventions that will spark interest and engagement from your kiddos. But what kind of educational list would it be without showing the failures? Learning that some of the most innovative and well-intentioned inventions failed at one point might help boost your student’s confidence in their own inventions and ideas. This video features inventions that failed in some way but still had major impacts on the world—a great way to remind your middle schoolers that failure doesn’t have to be the end!
Learn More: YouTube
21. Invention Rubric
Don’t underestimate what a good rubric can do. Rubrics lay out the map of exactly what you’re looking for—without diminishing your students’ creativity. This rubric will guide your learners by highlighting important aspects of a high-quality invention to follow; helping them to best prioritize their time and energy.
Learn More: Mensa for Kids
22. Invent a Board Game
I LOVE having my students invent their own board games. It may seem simple, but it takes a lot of planning and design skills as board games are a very accessible way to get your learners into an “inventing” mindset. I usually plan these kinds of activities for novel studies or assign them as other big research projects. Whether you have them base their game around a certain topic or just let them create freely, you’ll be amazed at what your kids come up with.
Learn More: WikiHow
23. Water Challenge
Okay, this one is tough—but seriously important. Work with your students or let them do some research and figure it out on their own. The objective? To invent a way to clean dirty water using recycled materials. It’s hard to deny the real-world applications of this project!
Learn More: Excited Educator
24. Desktop Greenhouse
If you don’t have enough room for a garden at school, have your students invent their very own desktop greenhouses! These are easy to produce, are an excellent model of biology and physics principles, and are a great opportunity for your kids to put their own creative spin on a project. Once you’re done, you have a great nature-based activity ready to go—class plants!
Learn More: One Less Thing
25. Invention Graphic Organizer
If you’re giving your students an invention project, it might be beneficial to provide this graphic organizer directly after the brainstorming phase to help them get all of their ideas out. This is more than just a space to write their notes; it’s a gentle guide and reminder of the steps they should be following whenever they try to design something new.
Learn More: ISL Collective
26. Conveyor Belt Invention
This simple yet engaging conveyor belt craft would be a useful way to kickstart discussion in your classroom—sure your kids can all follow the directions to make the conveyor belt; then what? This simple machine could have all sorts of real-world applications—on its own or as part of a larger construction. Challenge your students to come up with a few; we bet you’ll be amazed at how many they uncover!
Learn More: Pink Stripey Socks
27. Invention & Inventors Research Project
Are your kids looking for inspiration for their own inventions? Turn to the masters! Assign projects that require your learners to research successful inventors—they’ll learn history while also picking up tips and encouragement for their own inventing journeys. If you really want to engage your kids, be sure to pick an unconventional way to have them share their findings—for example, your students could create storybooks they can read to the class or to students in another grade.
Learn More: Mr. Wrights Class
28. Smartphone Projector
Your students will love this invention from the beginning to the end—invite them to fabricate their very own projector using a box and a simple lens from a magnifying glass! It’s simple, requires few materials (that are all easily sourced), AND can be used with their smartphones once assembled.
Learn More: YouTube
29. Ping Pong Pickup Challenge
This activity gives a whole new meeting to a “pick-up game”! Using only a few common supplies—paper, tape, and string—have your students compete to create a tool that can pick up a ping pong ball from the furthest distance. Divide your class into small groups or let them work independently. Start by distributing the supplies and explaining the objective. Then, give them a set amount of time to complete the task—when the time is up, test out each student’s invention and see who can pick the ping-pong ball up from the furthest distance.
Learn More: Science Buddies
30. Grabber
This activity could be a good follow-up to the previous one if your kids struggled with the challenge—give your students step-by-step instructions to successfully build an articulated grabber! With a list of simple supplies as well as a linked video for instructions, your students will love to make and use this grabber to pick up different items.
Learn More: Instructables
31. Da Vinci’s Flying Machine
Although Leonardo da Vinci is often known as an artist, he was also a brilliant inventor—why not have your middle schoolers follow in his footsteps? Start by teaching your kids about da Vinci’s work and legacy—in particular his designs for various types of flying machines and his anemometer. Then, see if they can create their own—challenge your students to design, build, and test their very own flight machines and anemometers!
Learn More: Teach Students Savvy
32. Make a Barometer
This invention would make a lovely addition to a weather unit. Introduce the concept by teaching your students about weather changes and atmospheric pressure changes. Then, invite them to create their own barometers to measure the level of air pressure. All they’ll need to create a barometer is a can, a balloon, a rubber band, a thin straw, a paper clip, and glue. Your middle schoolers will love this simple invention that will help them predict the weather!
Learn More: KC Edventures
33. Balloon Car Challenge
Who doesn’t love playing with balloons? Challenge your students to create a balloon-powered car. Distribute different supplies, such as straws, plastic lids, toothpicks, tape, balloons, popsicle sticks, and glue. Then, give your kids a certain amount of time to create their balloon-powered cars. They can be as innovative as the like—the only limitations are that the car must use the balloon’s power to move and it must have four wheels.
Learn More: Teaching Science
34. Bucket Tower Challenge
Have your students get creative by putting them into groups and distributing tape, string, and straws. Next, give each group a small plastic cup that will act as a bucket. Your middle schoolers must brainstorm together to design and construct a tower capable of holding up a bucket. At the end of the appointed time, test out the inventions by slowly filling the buckets with coins or other small items—how much weight can they hold?
Learn More: Teachers Are Terrific
35. Create Your Own Animation
Here’s a chance to let your little artists blend engineering and artwork! With a pie plate, scissors, tape, a ruler, a pencil, and paper, your students can create their own zoetropes—a moving animation! On their white piece of paper, your kids will draw a sequence of simple images. Next, they’ll attach the drawings to a spinning base—in this case, a foil pie plate. When they spin the pie plate, it will look like their pictures are moving.
Learn More: Share it! Science
36. Build A Satellite Tower
Looking for a way to connect your lesson to the real world? See if your kids can work in teams to recreate something they probably see every day—satellite dish towers! This challenge is all about engineering and teamwork. Your middle schoolers will use popsicle sticks, rubber bands, tape, straws, cups, and/or paper plates to construct towers and dishes that meet the required criteria.
Learn More: Teachers Are Terrific
37. Build a Recycling Sorting Machine
Here’s another great demonstration of how learning about STEM can help us solve real-world problems. Task your middle schoolers with constructing this inventive recycling sorting machine. Using a paper roll (like a paper towel or toilet paper tube), tape, cardboard, a water bottle, and magnets, your kids can create this eco-friendly invention, either on their own or in small groups.
Learn More: YouTube
38. Toy Car
If you liked the balloon car challenge, you’ll love this activity. Let your more advanced students build this toy car! Using a few supplies such as rubber bands, batteries, lids, and popsicle sticks, your students can create their own fast-moving cars. But will they be road-ready? When everyone is done, have your kids race their finished cars and see which one travels the farthest.
Learn More: YouTube
39. Popsicle Fan
This simple machine will help your students get a good idea of how things work in the world—specifically different machines. With a water bottle, string, a dowel, scissors, and popsicle sticks, your kids can replicate this hand-pulled popsicle fan. For extra fun, invite them to color the popsicle sticks and the bottle.
Learn More: YouTube
40. Electricity Generator
This is a more advanced project—but well worth the effort. Your older students will love the opportunity to create their own electric generators. These step-by-step directions will instruct them on what they need to do to create the machine—and create their own electricity! This is an engaging lesson on engineering and physics that is sure to have a lasting impression on your middle schoolers.
Learn More: YouTube
41. Continuously Flowing Fountain
This fascinating hydraulic machine features a continuous water fountain—with no pump or electricity. With three water bottles, a hot glue gun, a drill, and scissors, your students will learn about—and harness—the power of gravity and air pressure to produce this invention. Drilling two holes in the water bottle lids, and one hole at the bottom of one of the bottles, you make a space for the straws. Then connect the two bottles and thread the straws through. Attach the third bottle and add water!
Learn More: YouTube
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