Twelve-year-old Kaia Minn of Jamaica Plain recently won the Best Pitch Award at the 20th Annual Young Inventor Challenge at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair (CHITAG), the largest youth invention showcase in North America. The Young Inventor Challenge connects youth creators directly with leaders from major toy and game companies, giving them a platform to share their innovations.
Kaia’s winning project, Alpha Centauri Quest, is a space-themed board game she designed from scratch. It invites players on a journey through space, where luck and curiosity about the universe are key to reaching Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to our own. The game weaves NASA-sourced facts into the gameplay, making space science engaging and accessible for kids. Judges praised not only the creativity of her game, but the clarity and confidence with which she delivered her pitch.
A tinkerer by nature, Kaia has been sketching, prototyping, and experimenting with ideas since early childhood. Her Young Inventor Challenge win follows her recognition as Massachusetts’ State Merit Winner in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge earlier this year, where she developed biodegradable seed pouches made from food waste to support reforestation.
“I love learning about science and the environment,” said Kaia. “Whether it’s helping our planet or wondering if there could be life on others, such as Alpha Centauri, I like finding fun ways to connect my ideas to the real world.”
This year, 180 young inventors submitted a total of 127 toy and game creations to the competition, representing 8 U.S. states, as well as countries including Mexico, Switzerland, Italy, and England. The Young Inventor Challenge continues to expand its international reach, offering a platform for young inventors worldwide to share their ideas.
The competition’s judges, made up of professionals across all corners of the toy and game industry, collectively dedicated more than 200 hours to reviewing, scoring, and providing thoughtful feedback for each participant. This review process helped identify winners across the six categories, representing the best in innovation, originality, creativity, and market potential.
“It’s incredible to see what happens when you give kids the tools, encouragement, and platform to bring their ideas to life,” said Ahren Hoffman, director of the Young Inventor Challenge. “For two decades, the Young Inventor Challenge has empowered young creators to dream big, think boldly, and believe in the power of their own creativity, and this year’s participants truly wowed our judges with their imagination and ingenuity. Congratulations to all the young inventors who took part in this milestone year!”
For more information about the Young Inventor Challenge, visit www.chitag.com/yic.