My son wants to invent! Any ideas.

[historylass]

My seven year old son really wants to be an inventor. He's always asking me of little projects he might be able to do. I don't really have that sort of mind, but I was wondering whether anyone have any good ideas for projects that might be good for a seven year old. He's very intelligent.

[micsaund]

Being an inventor is not really something that you can try to be, IMO. It's a way of thinking.

One thing I try to do is force myself to pay attention to my thinking. Whenever I say "I wish ...." or "I hate...." I try to step-back and realize that there's an opportunity for invention in fixing those hates/wishes.

For a kid of that age, it's probably important to make them ask questions like that instead of just accepting "that's just the way it is" as our society typically teaches. You could also encourage him to build projects by giving simple hand tools and offering supervised use of power tools. My Dad gave me my own set of hand tools and workbench area in the basement when I was young and I used them to take everything apart and study how things worked. Yeah, sometimes things broke and once in a while, I pinched my finger or shocked myself, but I survived and learned a lot from it. By giving your kid his own tools to make and build things, he will feel open to go and experiment without having to constantly ask permission to use your tools. You'll be amazed at what he'll come-up with on his own when you give him a workbench of his own with some tools, wood, screws, etc. And that will teach him to think creatively and come-up with his own ideas on how to solve problems/etc.

Mike

[palefrost]

I would buy him alot of science kits to help him learn the mechanics of developing items and concepts behind how things work. This would be a good ground foundation to help him.

[Mike]

He/She might like this (http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20061008/the-discovery-electronic-gadget-lab/) gadget; you can create all sorts of interesting things (even a radio, I'm pretty sure).

[micsaund]

I had a similar electronic experimentation kit like that when I was a kid. It was a Radio Shack 50-in-one kit, similar to this more modern and plastified one (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102913&cp).

These kits use small springs which you bend over and insert real wires into. I'd prefer a kid who's really interested in tinkering to get something like that over the "lego" style device (although I must admit that's a pretty cool implementation!) I think that seeing the wires, connecting metal to metal, etc. will help the child learn more "real world" aspects of the hobby, although I'm sure either will work.

I used to spend hours and hours building the circuits that came in the book as well as hooking things up and seeing what happened. I'm surprised that I never blew the single transistor my kit had out. I guess that as long as you keep to the battery voltage, the components are pretty durable :D

My kit let you build a simple radio, sirens, light blinkers, and all sorts of very basic, but entertaining stuff. I'd highly recommend that any child be given one of these if they have the least bit of interest in electronics.

Mike

[Case]

well if he really wants to make things or get his gears turning it helps to be able to wrap you head around some of the tools or inner workings of some of the things he can use to apply to a problem to solve... yea sounds hard for a young kid... but here's some building blocks to start him off.

Worlds simplest motor kit http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/1872
Solar science lab kit http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/1525
another solar kit http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/1772
electronics kit http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/1638
Battery science kit/book http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/1635

Id say these kits are for ages 7 to 8ish and definitely something you can take part in. Seven is a tough age, if you can get him to use these kits and learn whats happening in the little things they teach you, maybe you can get him to think about how to apply it to other things... that the idea.. When i was a kid that's what i did with Lego mindstorms... yea i made a bunch of the things in the book that came with them but than once i learned how to make them do basic things i wanted to make all sorts of crazy things on my own with them and i kept trying till i did... that's the idea here get him a super basic skills he can learn...

[ninikins]

Sit him down and ask him if there are day to day things that he has trouble with. Write them down and think of solutions that would make those tasks easier.

[paperclip]

Sit him down and ask him if there are day to day things that he has trouble with. Write them down and think of solutions that would make those tasks easier.

That sounds like a good solution there. My son is on the same boat. He likes projects and making stuff up. He has a huge electronic kit, but I'm gonna try this approach as well.

[Softsmile]

"Imagination is better than knowledge".....remember that.Good thing my son is very imaginative....

[tqualizerman]

cool thread going on here.

My only input would be to ensure that you do your best to make sure he's always got the basic necessities in the house to document his ideas.

When growing up, a friend of mine was so naturally inclined to think like an inventor, he would build all of his ideas out of LEGO!! As we got older the LEGO of course got more and more advanced, including motors and computers, etc.

Would you believe, when he got his first robotics job, that he built a prototype from his LEGO sets that was used in the sales pitch to the client.

It worked, and they secured the order for production of the real thing!

[ArmchairCruisers]

At age 6 my parents bought me an erector set. At age 9 they bought me the advanced erector set. I loved that toy more than any other. It wasnt a toy but rather a tool. I learned things that I carry with me today. I played with it everday for probably 5 or 6 years. I cant say enough about how it helped me. I kept both sets until recently when I handed em over to a learning disabled young man. The sets were almost 3o years old and still in near perfect shape. Encourage the boy in any way you can. Every ounce of education is a building block for the future. I build some pretty cool things now that you could see at www.ArmchairCruisers.com Good luck with the boy. I wish you the best...
Dan

[dill]

historyglass:

Here are a few things I think you should do:

1. Buy/collect all sorts of "junk" that could be used for his projects. Things like wheels, magnets, bolts, washers, batterys, dowel rods, etc. Just let him keep a box of parts he can use to make cool things.
2. Make sure he has the basic tools to build things, like a hammer, some screwdrivers, glue, and if he's old enough some saws and whatnot.
3. Perhaps show him sections in the public library that have good science projects/ crafts books but never make him read anything.

[Johnathon Mersey]

Sometimes i think i am just too judgemental- does anyone else ever feel like this