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EngineeringTechnology

Invention Patent Office

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Grades 3-560-75 minSource: Creative Dad Company

Kids play patent examiners, testing whether classmates' invented gadgets actually do what they claim before deciding whether to grant a pretend patent. It turns peer feedback into a rigorous, funny, and genuinely useful testing process.

Choose your version

Every level teaches the same core idea — pick the one that fits your time, budget, and energy today.

Prep: 10 minActivity: 45 min1 session~$2/groupOne table or a clear section of floorBeginner-friendly

Setup

Place common or recycled supplies for Invention Patent Office on one work surface and choose a safe area for the test. Read the four activity directions aloud; drawings, paper models, and household substitutes may replace specialized materials, and no digital tool is required.

Activity

  1. Write a patent claim for an invented gadget, predicting exactly what problem it will solve and how well it will work.
  2. Build the invention using available craft and recycled materials to match the patent claim.
  3. Test the invention in front of the patent office, then redesign a part when it fails to do what the claim promised.
  4. Hold a patent hearing where each inventor demonstrates the final version and the office votes to grant or deny the patent.

Done when: The group produces the Invention Patent Office solution, completes the described test, makes the revision called for by the evidence, and supports its final explanation with an observed or measured result.

Materials

assorted craft and recycled materials, index cards for patent claims, tape, stopwatch, an approved stamp or stickers

Shown for the Quick Start version — switch tabs above to see what changes.

Disclosure: Materials links below go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Steps

  1. Write a patent claim for an invented gadget, predicting exactly what problem it will solve and how well it will work.
  2. Build the invention using available craft and recycled materials to match the patent claim.
  3. Test the invention in front of the patent office, then redesign a part when it fails to do what the claim promised.
  4. Hold a patent hearing where each inventor demonstrates the final version and the office votes to grant or deny the patent.

Standards it satisfies

  • NGSS · 3-5-ETS1-3

    Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.