1.  Find out how things work by taking them apart.

Collect old things from around your house. Ask before you use any item. Carefully take the objects apart to see how they work. What's inside common appliances like a coffeemaker or an old tape recorder? Looking inside old appliances can teach you some design ideas that you may apply to future inventions. Read David Macaulay's book, The Way Things Work, to learn more about  machines, tools and appliances. SAFETY ALERT! Don't tinker with an electrical appliance that is plugged into a socket!

2. Observe 100 common items and find another use for them.

Carefully observe common items around your house or school. List other ways in which you may use the items and record your ideas in your own inventor's notebook. Some of these ideas may actually be solutions to problems.

3. Learn how to make something like Silly Putty and then experiment with the formula.

Combine 2 parts Elmer's All Purpose White Glue with one part liquid starch. Add color to make it interesting. Test your modeling clay and continue to play with the ingredients. Did you create something new? Write down any successful changes or things that went wrong in a notebook. Play with other formulas.

Books for inventors that like to have fun:

Weiss, Stephen. Wings and Things: Origami That Flies. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1984.

Zubrowski, Bernie. Building and Experimenting with Model Timepieces. New York: Beech Tree Books, 1988.

Zubrowski, Bernie Raceways: Having Fun with Balls and Tracks. New York: William Morrow, 1985.