Celebrate National Inventors Month! Grab your gear and get creative with our STEM Scavenger Hunt + Build Challenge! Hunt for everyday items, tackle a fun invention challenge, then show off your masterpiece at the Inventor’s Showcase. Ready, set, invent!

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Step 1: Scavenger Hunt

Your Mission: Find as many of these items as you can. Check them off as you go!

• Popsicle sticks
• Rubber bands
• Plastic spoon
• Marbles or small balls
• Pom-poms or cotton balls
• Foil balls
• Paper cup or lids
• Ruler
• Hardcover books or chairs
• Index cards
• Cardboard strips
• Aluminum Foil
• Toilet paper rolls
• Tape or glue
• Coins
• Straws
• Paper clips
• Clothespins
• String or yarn
• Pipe cleaners

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Step 2: Build Something Awesome!

Pick a challenge—or invent your own!

Build a Bridge

Goal: Span a gap between two books or chairs and test its strength.

Materials: • Hardcover books or chairs • Index cards, cardboard strips, or popsicle sticks • Tape or glue (optional) • Small toy or coins

Steps:

1. Set the Span: Place books/chairs 6–12 inches apart.
2. Create the Deck: Use cardboard or index cards. Fold edges up for strength.
3. Lay the Bridge: Overlap each support by at least 1 inch.
4. Test: Place a toy or coins in the center.
5. Tweak & Try Again: Reinforce or try new materials.

Launch a Catapult

Goal: Build a simple catapult to launch a marshmallow or foil ball.

Materials: • 7 popsicle sticks • 4 rubber bands • 1 plastic spoon • Marshmallows, pom-poms, or foil balls

Steps:

1. Build the Base: Stack 7 sticks, rubber band both ends.
2. Make the Lever: Stack 2 sticks, band one end.
3. Assemble: Wedge the base between the lever sticks. Attach the spoon to the top stick.
4. Launch: Load, press, and release! Try aiming at a paper cup or measuring distance.

Make a Marble Maze

Goal: Design a maze that guides a marble from start to finish.

Materials: • Shoebox or cereal box • Drinking straws • Scissors • Glue or tape • Marble

Steps:

1. Prep the Box: Cut off the top to make a tray.
2. Design the Maze: Cut straws to size. Lay out a path corner to corner.
3. Glue the Walls: Secure straws in place.
4. Play: Tilt the box to guide the marble. Add tunnels, dead ends, or decorations.





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STEP 3: Hold an Inventor’s Showcase

Fill out your invention card below & present your invention:

Name of Your Invention: ___________________________

What materials did you use?

What was the hardest part?




If you could improve it, what would you change?

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STEP 4: Awards (Circle any that apply!)


• Most Creative
• Strongest Structure
• Most Likely to Be Patented



• STEP 5: Prizes

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  • Books like “If Not You, Then Who?” series – Stories that inspire young inventors.
  • STEAM Activity Books – Packed with puzzles, challenges, and experiments.
  • Custom Trophy or Medal – Engraved with “Top Inventor” or “Most Creative.”
  • Inventor Lab Coat or Goggles – To dress the part.
  • Gift Cards - For crafts or a toy store.



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