People of Play honored 12 young people at the Young Inventors Challenge (YIC) International Championship. The tournament celebrated its 19th anniversary earlier this month at the Chicago Toy & Game Expo (ChiTAG). This year’s recipients include children ages 6 to 18 from 18 states and five countries, including Canada, Spain, Mexico and Guyana.
The challenge allows participants to express their ideas while improving their skills. Participants receive guidance from industry experts.
Winners are judged on original toy and game inventions and selected based on their concept, publicity and potential for success. The judging panel is made up of industry professionals who spent more than 200 hours online scoring, reviewing and providing feedback to young candidates.
“Our judges were deeply impressed by the passion and ingenuity displayed by each inventor,” said Ahren Hoffman, Director of YIC People of Play. “These young inventors not only demonstrate tremendous talent, but also determination to turn their ideas into reality. We are honored to support their journey and thank the judges for their commitment to helping each participant grow.
2024 Young Inventors Challenge International Championship winners include:
Best Pitch — Amazon Sponsored
- Senior Winner: Skirmish-Battle-War, by Gideon Koffman, 6th grade, Toronto, Canada
- Junior Champion: “Aliens and Cows,” Elliott Anderson, fourth grade, Palos Park, Illinois
Most Innovative – Sponsored by Mattel
- Senior Winner: MetroNet, by Keegan Franck, ninth grade, Belmont, MA
- Youth Category Winners: Makenix by Claire Drapa, fourth grade, Palos Heights, IL; Richard Lee, fourth grade, Palos Park, IL
Most Attractive — Sponsored by Crazy Aaron’s
- Senior Winner: Ultramons Board Game by Palash Bhasin, 6th Grade, Issaquah, WA
- Junior Champion: Calming Cuddlees by Maria Schwartze, 4th grade, St. Charles, MO
The most original – sponsored by The Op
- Senior Winner: Wizard Quest, by Andrew Hebdon, ninth grade, Virginia Forest
- Junior Champion: Splader by Hyacinth Speropolous, 4th grade, Palos Hills, IL
Best Selling – Sponsored by Jill and Tom Ballard
- Senior Winner: Battle Blox, by Bella Mulligan, 6th grade, Rolla, Missouri
- Junior Winner: “Chopstick Chef,” by Nate Tellone, fourth grade, Palos Park, Illinois
Best Potential — Sponsored by People of Play
- Senior Winner: Tenball by Alex Kirsch, 11th grade, Scarsdale, NY
- Junior Winner: “Smack It!” by Olivia Scheetz, 4th Grade, Palos Park, IL
For more information about the Young Inventors Challenge, visit peopleofplay.com.
