Kid inventors get creative with Bubble Wrap

[Marilyn. 340]

Second annual competition received over 1,400 entries from students

TRENTON, N.J. - It's the stuff that many people find addictively fun to pop after opening a fragile package.

But for a group of young inventors, Bubble Wrap is more than something to stomp on, it's a source of inspiration. To 11-year-old Kayla Weston, it's a building material for shock-absorbing flooring for dancers; 11-year-old Max Wallack used it to create wrist cushions for carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers.

"What's better than resting on air?" asked Wallack, of Natick, Mass.

Wallack is among 15 semifinalists competing in the second year of the Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors, sponsored by Sealed Air Corp., the Elmwood Park, N.J.-based creator of the packaging material. More than 1,400 entries were received from students in 39 states.

Wallack said he spent months creating Bubble Wrap-filled socks with elastic and fabric fastener to tie around the wrists of people with carpal tunnel syndrome. He asked his grandmother to try out his prototypes.

"I wanted to help her because she had all these cumbersome splints, things that didn't help at all," Wallack said. "Before she had surgery, she was wearing it and it usually helped."

The contest, administered by the Akron, Ohio-based National Museum of Education, was promoted in schools across the country, and was limited to students in grades five through eight. Contest entries had to be original inventions that incorporated the use of clear Bubble Wrap brand cushioning. Company officials say it's possible some of the student inventions could be used to create new products.

The competition encourages the type of inventiveness demonstrated by Sealed Air's founders 47 years ago, when they realized a decorative wall covering they had designed actually made good cushioning for items being shipped, according to Rohn E. Shellenberger, a company manager.

Other semifinalists used Bubble Wrap to create a coin bank, a kite kit, a plant shelter, a teaching tool for blind people learning Braille, and wallpaper designed to engage and stimulate children with autism.

"What better way to celebrate a great invention than to try to encourage America's youth to take the product and try to reinvent something else out of the same product?" said Shellenberger, who manages the company division that includes Bubble Wrap.

Founded in 1960, Sealed Air sells a variety of packaging products around the world. The company had about $4.3 billion in revenue during its fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2006, with profits up 7.2 percent to about $274 million.

All 15 semifinalists will at least get a $500 U.S. savings bond. Sealed Air, along with the National Museum of Education, will announce three finalists in January, with a grand prize winner receiving a $10,000 U.S. savings bond at a Jan. 28 awards ceremony in New York City.

Weston, of Longwood, Fla., sandwiched Bubble Wrap between two sheets of plywood, and nailed a frame around it to create a shock-resistant floor for dancing.

"Right now, my dance studio is a warehouse, so we just have wood, so when we're landing it's a very hard floor. So with the Bubble Wrap, it would be able to able to absorb all of the landings and it would give everyone a cushion," Weston said.

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[Marilyn. 340]

Semifinalists in the second annual Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors:

Olivia Snarr, 13, of Kaysville, Utah — “Bubble Wrap Braille Practice Popper” — A tool designed to assist the blind in learning Braille.

Max Wallack, 11, of Natick, Mass — “Carpal Cushion” — Wrist cushions to help avoid and/or recover from carpal tunnel syndrome.

Kayla Weston, 11, of Longwood, Fla. — “Dancing on Air” — Shock-absorbing flooring designed to minimize the wear and tear on dancers.

Dylan Curvey, 11, of Middleton, Mass. — “Bubble Wrap Car Door Cover” — A removable protective covering for the doors of parked cars.

Andy Boler, 9, of Richardson, Texas — “Bubble Wrap Plant Shelter” — A lightweight, collapsible shelter to protect outdoor plants from the winter cold.

Hannah Haas, 13, of Charlotte, N.C. — “Sensory Wallpaper” — Wallpaper designed to engage and stimulate children with autism.

Manoah Burden, 11, of Akron, Ohio — “DNA Model” — A three-dimensional model of a DNA double helix.

Grace Abernathy, 13, of Noblesville, Ind. — “Lap Popper” — A pad designed for Alzheimer’s patients who find comfort from the sound and repetition of popping.

Nicolette Mann, 13, of Christiansburg, Va. — “Transformable Bubble Wrap Kite” — A kit for constructing multiple types of flying kites.

Lauren Strickland, 10, of San Angelo, Texas — “Bubble Wrap Cushy Wheelchair” — Cushions providing added comfort to wheelchair-bound individuals.

Elizabeth Rintels, 12, of Keswick, Va. — “The Bubble Bank” — A fun way for people to save, store and display coins.

Tanner Post, 12, of Liberty, Utah — “Safe T Wrap” — An all-in-one, multi-purpose home safety/first-aid kit.

McKenzie Iverson, 12, of Lenexa, Kan. — “The Popping Servant” — Enables people who cannot speak to more easily communicate their basic needs to others.

James Gentry, 12, of Federal Way, Wash. — “Medical Bubbles” — Tiny bubbles used to dispense medicine slowly through the skin and avoid the pain of needles.

Kelly Seaver, 13, New Canaan, Conn. — “Child’s First Counting Game” — A fun game designed to help children learn to count.

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