People of Play knows that kids are the future, especially in the toy industry.
Last month, People of Play held its Young Inventor Challenge for kids ages 6-18 to show off their toy-building prowess and pitch it to industry inventors and executives.
“After two years of hosting the event and awards virtually, it felt great to be back in person,” says Jazmine Darden, director of the Young Inventor Challenge. “There were so many great ideas this year. Congratulations to all of our winners and we can’t wait to see even more entries next year!”
In the past, winners have had their inventions licensed and sold at major retailers. This year, 89 entrants presented their ideas both virtually and in-person at Radio Flyer Headquarters in Chicago.
2022 Winners include:
BEST GAME – Sponsored by Mattel
- Senior Winners: Chicken Scratch by Avalinn Olson (7th grade) of Lebanon, Illinois and Ainsley Turkington (8th grade) of Caseyville, Illinois
- Junior Winner: The Flibbertigibbet by Paula Juzenas (4th grade) of Palos Park, Illinois
- Honorable Mention: Micro Golf by John Kampwerth (8th grade) of O’Fallon, Illinois and Eric Rybak (8th grade) of Collinsville, Illinois
MOST CREATIVE – Sponsored by Crazy Aaron’s
- Senior Winners: Water Bottle Maze by Grant Middleton (8th grade) of O’Fallon, Illinois and Jacob Portera (8th grade) of Caseyville, Illinois
- Junior Winner: Flicking Village of Madness by Robert Fala (4th grade) of Palos Heights, Illinois
- Honorable Mention: Rocket Building Spree by Jeremy Dugan (4th grade) of Skokie, Illinois and Wilson Emidi (7th grade) of Chicago
BEST PITCH – Sponsored by People Of Play:
- Senior Winners: Rock Paper Scissors Brawl by Max Gramelspacher (5th grade) and Oliver Middleton (5th grade) of O’Fallon, Illinois
- Junior Winners: Optimism for Autism by Isabella Slack (4th grade) of Palos Park, Illinois
- Honorable Mention: Hide and Beep by Braxton Holland (10th grade) of Trophy Club, Texas
