Catch the idea.
Keep the discovery.
A simple place to think on paper. Copy these prompts into a notebook, or use your browser’s Print option to make your own worksheet.
My next invention
You can draw, write, or ask a grown-up to record your words. There is no right way to fill this in. Keep your notebook with you; nothing needs to be uploaded.
1. What do I notice?
A problem I want to solve or a question I want to explore:
2. Who could this help?
What would make things easier, more useful, or more fun for them?
3. What could I try?
Sketch a few possibilities. Circle the one you want to build first.
4. What do I need?
My materials, tools, and the adult help I’ll need:
5. What do I predict?
I think my first version will…
6. What happened when I tested it?
What I tried, what I kept the same, and what I observed:
7. What will I change?
One improvement I want to try and why:
8. What am I proud of?
A new question, a useful mistake, or something I learned:
Label each sketch Version 1, Version 2, and so on. Looking back at what changed can be just as exciting as looking at what you made.