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About this time last year, I shared the stories of several influential women in science (read that post here). I focused on women to celebrate National Day of Women and Girls in Science. This year, I want to do a similar post but with a different focus. I want to stay in the world of STEM, but instead of women, I’m going to showcase some child inventors in honor of National Inventors’ Day (also February 11).

As you may have picked up on by now, girls in STEM is something I am passionate about. There are far fewer women in STEM, and that all begins with when and how girls are exposed to STEM topics. But, just because there are more men in STEM, that doesn’t mean we should ignore boys in STEM. The earlier any kid gets involved in and falls in love with STEM, the bigger difference they can make, in their own life, and potentially the lives of countless others. So, this year I’m celebrating girls and boys in STEM. And believe me when I say, these kids are amazing!

You’ve probably never heard of most of these kids, but their inventions have definitely changed your life. Check out ten things you probably didn’t know were invented by kids!

1. Ben Franklin invented swim flippers at age 11. (Early 1700s)
2. Louis Braille invented Braille at age 12. (1824)
3. Chester Greenwood invented earmuffs at age 15. (1873)
4. Frank Epperson invented the popsicle at age 11. (1905)
5. Albert Sadacca invented affordable Christmas lights at age 15. (1917)
6. Joseph-Armand Bombardier invented the snowmobile at age 15. (1922)
7. George Nissen invented the trampoline at age 16. (1930)
8. Robert Patch invented toy trucks at age 5. (1962)
9. Abbey Fleck invented the Makin Bacon microwave dish at age 8. (1993)
10. KK Gregory invented Wristies at age 10. (1994)

I hope these young inventors have inspired you and your kiddos. Just think, what amazing things might the kiddos in your life accomplish? The sky is the limit! The possibilities are endless! Pick your favorite inspiring phrase!

It’s January, so everyone is thinking about New Year’s resolutions. One that I hear a lot among my mom friends is wanting to read more, whether it is them personally, or their kids. I have been an avid reader since, well, since I learned how to read. So, I never had the issue of being expected to read more while growing up (if anything, my parents probably wanted me to read less!) But I know it is something many of us want for our kids. With my own experience as a mama to wiggly, impatient kids, and the brief stint I worked for Usborne, I’ve come up with 5 tips to help get your kids reading more, and actually enjoy their time spent reading!

1. Make time for reading.
   I know everyone is busy, but anyone can find just five minutes in their day to set aside for reading. The important thing is to pick a time and add it to your routine. Maybe you will read one book right before bed, or right after dinner. Pick whatever will fit best into your family’s schedule. Of course, impromptu reading time is great as well, but if you have a specific “book time” you know you will get it done.
2. Make it easy.
   By this, I don’t mean that reading isn’t hard. I just mean remove any obstacles to getting to the point of reading. Making time to read is harder to do when you have to go out of your way to find something to read.
   -Have books in several rooms of the house (or all the rooms!). We have books in the living room and the boys’ bedroom on purpose. We also end up with books in the kitchen almost 100% of the time, and Sam will often take a book to bed so he can sleep with it.
   -Take advantage of the different formats. If you love the feel of the book in your hands and turning physical pages, make sure your bookshelves are stuffed. If you are a family that uses tablets and e-readers, or don’t have a lot of room (hello apartment living), make sure you have tons of ebooks downloaded onto devices.
3. Make reading fun.
   There are so many ways to do this.
   -Poet Maya Angelou said, “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” Start by finding books on topics your kids enjoy. In my house, it’s dinos, trucks, and dragons. And whatever other thing has their attention for the week. Let your kids read things that they can get excited about! Take them to the library, get them their very own library card (a very big kid thing to have!), and let them pick out the books they want to take home.

   -Make reading a family activity. For younger kids that don’t know how to read yet, reading aloud to them can be a special bonding time. But even with older kids, you can either read your own book next to them or, if they will let you, read aloud to them. Studies show there are many benefits to reading aloud to kids years beyond when they learn how to read themselves.
   -Do fun voices, let your kiddos act out the story with their stuffed animals, or let them take the lead in turning pages. These are all ways to bring your child into the story more.

4. Be patient.
   Especially when reading to younger kids, patience is very important, and often very hard to hold on to.
   -Don’t make them sit still through the whole story. Typical story time at my house involves the boys running around playing with other toys. I know they are listening though, because I get yelled at if I stop.
   -If your kiddos DO sit with you and want to turn the pages, let them. Even if they turn three at a time. Kids LOVE getting to be in charge, and if you just need to get the full story, you can read it again after they are on to the next activity. (I’ve reread my share of picture books that the boys don’t let me fully enjoy!)
   -And finally, don’t get upset if you can’t finish the book. We all know kids can jump to a new activity in moments. They will come back to the book when they are ready, or it can just wait until next time.

5. Don’t make it a chore or punishment.
   How children view reading comes in large part from how those around them treat reading. If they see you reading for fun, they are more likely to want to read for fun. If you use reading as a chore (you HAVE to read 5 minutes every day) instead of a fun activity, they will not view it as something enjoyable. If you have rules like ‘you must read before you can have screen time’, reading is practically a punishment. Though I would love to have that be a rule in my house, I’d rather that my boys choose to read first, or know that they will read later, because they have been shown how enjoyable reading is.

I hope you found something useful for your New Year’s reading goals. And though this was geared more towards getting children to read, just about all of these can be applied to us adults, too!

I’d love to hear any other tips you have, or what works with your family. Send me an email or comment below!

1. What do you call a group of dinosaurs that sing?
   • A Tyranno-chorus!
2. Which is the dinosaurs’ least favorite reindeer?
   • Comet!
3. What do you call a dino who hates losing?
   • A saur loser!
4. What did dinosaurs use to make their hot dogs?
   • Jurassic pork!
5. What dinosaurs are the first to respond to a crime scene?
   • Tricera-cops!
6. What kind of dinosaur will you always find at the rodeo?
   • A bronco-saurus!
7. What kind of dinosaurs make the best professors?
   • Philoso-raptors!
8. What do you call a dinosaur fart?
   • A blast from the past!
9. What do you get when you cross a dinosaur with a firework?
   • Dino-mite!
10. What is a dinosaur’s favorite quote?
    • “Jurassic times call for Jurassic measures!”
11. Why was the stegosaurus such a good volleyball player?
    • He could really spike the ball!
12. Which dinosaur had to wear glasses?
    • Tyrannosaurus specs!

And finally, I had to save the best for last. This one actually got a laugh out of me, rather than just a chuckle. And every time I tell it to someone, I end up laughing before I can even get to the punch line. So, the best dino joke of all time…..

Three dinosaurs stumble across a magic lamp. They rub it, and a genie appears. “I have three wishes, so I’ll give one to each of you,” the genie announces. The first dinosaur thinks hard. “Alright,” he says, “I’ll have a big, juicy, piece of meat.” Instantly, the biggest, juiciest piece of meat he’d ever seen appears in front of him. Not to be outdone, the second dinosaur thinks even harder. “I know! I’ll have a shower of meat!” Immediately, huge pieces of meat rain down around him. The third dinosaur, certainly not to be outdone, thinks even harder than the previous dinosaurs. “I’ve got it!” he cries, “I want a MEATIER shower!”

So, which was your favorite? How many times did you roll your eyes? Did your favorite dino joke make the list? If not, leave it in the comments, I’d love to hear it!