Posted: 4/12/06
Young inventors
 Kayla Nelson, left, and Taylor Naumann display several styles of their Fuzzy Wuzzy Pedal Protections, the first-place invention at the Jacobson Elementary Inventorís Fair last week. |
By MaryHelen Swanson
Youngsters who like to ride bike barefooted may have a new product to protect their toesies from cuts and scratches.
Kayla Nelson and Taylor Naumann, students at Jacobson Elementary School in Rush City, walked away with first place at the annual Inventorís Fair last Friday. Their invention, the Fuzzy Wuzzy Pedal Protector, is a soft cover for bicycle pedals that makes it much more pleasant to take a ride on a summerís day.
It was Kayla Nelsonís misadventure that brought the need for such an invention to the mind of these two young ladies. And in talking with their friends, others had similar incidents on bikes that will make this invention valuable for them. too. The two girls, in fact, are strongly considering selling their Fuzzy Wuzzy Pedal Protectors.
Coming in second last week was the invention of Ryan Lind and Willy Meis. It is a solution to those households that have children who clog up the toilet by using too much toilet paper. Itís called a Toilet Paper Counter for Kids. A roll of toilet paper is equipped with a weight and placed inside a wooden box. The weight allows only three sheets to come out with one pull.
There was a tie for third place: Jacob Tauerís, The Timed Pill, and the Ice Fishing Boot Buddy, invented by Jonathan Chinn and Andrew Heavirland.
Tauerís invention involved attaching a watch with an alarm to the top of a medicine bottle. In his second year of inventing, Tauer crafted this product to help his mother remember when to take her pills.
The specially created ice fishing boots had all manner of safety measures attached including a small flashlight and a well-equipped survival kit. The product was the results of difficult situations encountered by the two inventors. As Heavirland noted, ìWhen I was six I had a little incident on the ice.î His foot had gotten caught in a hole that had been covered with snow by a departing fisherman. The items in their emergency kits can help with a number of incidents on the ice.
The three judges, Karen Melin, Harold Lind and Rick Koslovsky had a difficult job to do Friday morning.
They had to decide if the student identified a purpose for the invention and if was there was sufficient evidence that the invention would work, among other criteria. Nervous young inventors were also judged on their oral presentation and how well they informed and sold their inventions to the public.
Others entered in the fair included:
Molly Ringer with her Homework Helper, a portable desktop that can be used to do homework in various places around the home;
Steve Waters with his The Easy Feeder, a multi-purpose bird feeder;
Jessie Bottomley and Alissa Mell with their Smart Cart, a grocery cart makeover with separate holder for breakable items and basket underneath held in place by a wooden stopper for those big items like cases of pop;
Kyle Nelson with his Strap on Supplies Holder, which is meant to make it easier to carry around school supplies in school. It ties around the waist;
Elizabeth Wolf with her Handy Book Cover, a cloth cover with a pouch to hold those small things like pens and pencils so you arenít always dropping them;
Brooke Hein and Katie Rayer, the Double Brush, a combined a hairbrush and a toothbrush making these back to back chores easier;
Brandon Koehnoe and Blake Cook with The Better Bag, adding special velcro attachments to a large hockey equipment bag that makes carrying pucks and sticks easier;
Jeff Lofgren with his Dressing Duos, a solution for those who ask for both French and Thousand Island dressing. Two bottles are attached and when squeezed, they combine the dressings to be put on the salad;
And finally, Samantha Herberg, a second-grader who has had trouble keeping her room clean. Her invention? Gotta Hang Up - a metal hangar that easily picks up jeans that have magnets inserted in the waistbands. Her purpose? ìTo make it easier for kids to hang up their pants.î
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