The Klutz Book of Inventions - A FamilyMint Book Review

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My 9 and 12 year olds were laughing so hard in the back of the car they had tears in their eyes.  The kind of laugh that just makes you laugh along with them even though you have no clue what's so funny. It was a few days later, as I plopped exhausted on the couch after a long day, that I picked up our copy of The Klutz Book of Inventions that just happened to be sitting on the coffee table.  A few pages into it, I started laughing.  A few more pages, I was laughing so loud my wife sat down next to me to see what was so funny.   A few pages later and we were both dying.

The Klutz Book of Inventions by John Cassidy and Brendan Boyle is 198 pages of ridiculous product invention ideas that have just enough potential practical application that each one makes you smile and wonder about real-world applications at the same time.  Just by reading it, my kids' creative juices got flowing and I could see the powers of innovation at work in their minds.

This book shows how the processes of invention, ideation, and innovation can be and should be fun.  That creating something new sometimes means potentially looking silly in the eyes of others.  That there is no such thing as a dumb idea when brainstorming new ways of doing things.  I could almost hear the authors and contributors laughing as they thought up the crazy ideas in this book.

Some of our favorite:

  • The PogoPlunger - a toilet plunger on the end of a pogo stick
  • Lawnmowing Tricycle - a kids trike with a set of push-style lawnmower blades between the rear wheels.  Set junior loose in the back yard and never mow yourself again!
  • Coin Return Couch - a couch with a coin return slot on the side for the loose change that inevitably slips out and between the cushions
  • Zip-Back Zipper - a spring-loaded zipper that automatically zips back up, saving you from those embarrassing moments

I could list so many more but I'd ruin the fun.

The Klutz Book of Inventions is a laugh-out-loud way to ignite an entrepreneurial spirit in your kids.

Have you read it yourself?  Share some of your favorite inventions in the comments.

Get a copy for yourself here: The Klutz Book of Inventions