We are thrilled that you want to invent! The Young Inventors’ Program is all about YOU, the inventor. We collect materials, presentations, and tips to help you succeed at bringing your ideas into working inventions — even if there are a few stumbles along the way.
How Do You Want to Invent?
The Young Inventors' Program offers several options for how and what students invent. You may wish to design and build your own original invention to solve a problem of your choice, or you may take a different route to design a unique and complex contraption to perform a simple task by making a Rube Goldberg Machine. YIP provides hands-on activities with instructions and resources to guide you on either journey to help fuel the spark of innovation no matter how you decide to invent.
Design Your Own Original Invention:
YIP's flagship activities will introduce you to each step of the invention process as you explore the STEM concepts essential to invention. Use our activities to create your very own original invention to solve a problem of your choosing.
Students who develop an original invention must participate in the YIP Independent Student Invention Fair to be eligible to compete in the Northern New England Invention Convention and may be selected for the Invention Convention US Nationals.
Design Your Own Rube Goldberg Machine:
The all new Rube Goldberg Machine activities provide an alternative approach to inventing. With tips from Rube Goldberg Machine experts at Zach's Contraptions, you will explore simple machines and turn them into chain reactions. Use our activities to design a device that is deliberately over-engineered to perform a simple task in a complicated and comical fashion.
Students who create a Rube Goldberg Machine must participate in the YIP Independent Student Invention Fair to be eligible to compete in the Northern New England Invention Convention and may be entered into the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest World Championships.
Email: Zach@RubeGoldberg.org for questions or registration.
Inventor Activities and Resources
You may choose to use the following activity plans to help guide you through your invention journey.
Activity Plans
- Indepdendent Activity 1: The Invention Process
- Indepdendent Activity 2: Problem Solving
- Indepdendent Activity 3: Ideating a Solution
- Indepdendent Activity 4: Designing from Research
- Indepdendent Activity 5: Building, Testing and Refining Cycle
- Indepdendent Activity 6: Communicating- The Pitch
- Indepdendent Activity 7: Communicating- The Display Board
Inventor Resources
- Indepdentent RGM Activity 1- Who Was Rube Goldberg?
- Indepdentent RGM Activity 2- Simple Machines
- Indepdentent RGM Activity 3- Design a Rube Goldberg Machine
- Indepdentent RGM Activity 4- Contest Rube Goldberg Machines
Inventor Resources
- YIP Rube Goldberg Machine External Resources Guide
- Google Slides RGM Lesson 1: Who Was Rube Goldberg?
- Google Slides RGM Lesson 2: Simple Machines
- Google Slides RGM Lesson 3: Designing a Rube Goldberg Machine
- Google Slides RGM Lesson 4: Contest Rube Godlberg Machines
- Examples of YIP Rube Goldberg Machine Presentations
- 2025 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest Grade Level Requirements
Inventor’s Journal
The YIP Inventor’s Journal and YIP Rube Goldberg Machine Inventor's Journal provide space for you to brainstorm, plan and document your invention journey. All students competing in the Northern New England Invention Convention and Invention Convention U.S. Nationals are required to present an invention journal or notebook that documents their process.
You may request a printed journal on our Inventor Sign-Up page.
More Resources for Inventors
The YIP staff will continually add items to this page to help you with developing your invention, presenting your project, competing, and learning what other inventors are doing.
You can also contact us to subscribe to our newsletter and receive updates about upcoming webinars, events, and programs. Please ask your parent or guardian for permission to subscribe.
