Live From the Licensing Show: By Kids For Kids Awards Four Children for Innovation
Four enterprising young children were honored with the Chester Award yesterday for their unique inventions of toys and games.
The awards were given for their participation in the By Kids For Kids Xerox National Invention Competition, which included thousands of applications from young inventors looking to break out with the latest game, toy or sport.
The winners received a licensing contract from BKFK, legal support to patent their invention (if patentable), professional expertise to bring the product to market, and a Xerox Phaser printer, worth about $1,000. In addition, each winner named a teacher who had been a mentor and inspiration to them to receive a $1,000 savings bond.
“One invention can make a huge difference,” BKFK CEO and founder Norm Goldstein said yesterday at the awards ceremony in the Jacob Javits Center.
The winners were:
Justin Euliano, 17, from Oceanside, NY, for his “Aim ‘N Fish” fish-shaped rod that allows young anglers to cast without hooking themselves or their friends. The spring-loaded rod and a press of a button allows the angler to cast the line in any direction.
Kirsten Martin, 10, from Novato, CA, for her “FroBow”, a flying disc that carries a marker and writing surface so, as Kirsten put it, “I can send a message to my friend and she can send one back.” Kids can send messages or play games like tic-tac-toe as the disc flies back and forth.
Kevin Lim, 15, from Rochester, NY, for his “Customizable Water Blaster.” Given its name, this toy probably needs little explanation, but is a colorful water shooter loaded with all kinds of blasters, hoses, nozzles, side panels and other fun stuff to get kids wet.
Taylor Hernandez, 10, from Cincinnati, OH, for her “Magic Sponge Blocks,” which are large building blocks made from sponge so kids can’t get hurt when building tall building that can’t be reached with a single bound. The blocks have embedded magnets to hold them together and they compress down for easy storage.
Child actors and siblings Jenna Boyd (starring in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and her brother Cayden Boyd (starring in The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D), presented the awards to the winners.
By Kids For Kids is new venture dedicated to inspiring the innovative spirit in children. It is based in Stamford, CT.
