Do you have a million-dollar idea for a toy or game? Maybe it’s a wacky board game your friends love, a genius puzzle you made from scratch, or a never-before-seen gadget that makes playtime way more fun. Well, now’s your chance to show it off to the world, and maybe even see it on store shelves!
The 2025 Young Inventor Challenge® (YIC), hosted by People of Play, is officially open for submissions from kids and teens ages 6–18. This is no small deal, it’s the 20th anniversary of the competition, and entries will be accepted now through October 26, 2025.
If your idea makes the cut, you could win prizes, get your invention published, and even have it manufactured for sale in stores like Target. More than a dozen past YIC winners have already seen their creations hit the market.
What is the Young Inventor Challenge?
The YIC is an international toy and game invention competition where young creators dream, design, and pitch their ideas to industry professionals. Over the past 20 years, inventors from the U.S., Canada, Germany, Mexico, Spain, Guyana, the UK, and beyond have participated.
The grand finale happens November 8, 2025, at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair (CHITAG) — North America’s largest consumer toy and game event. Even if you can’t attend in person, you can still win!
Ahren Hoffman, YIC’s Director and a certified play expert, says this is the ultimate opportunity for kids to bring their wildest ideas to life. “For 20 years, this program has unlocked the doors to the toy industry for young creators, and this year promises to be our most inspiring yet.”
How to Prepare for Your Big Idea Moment
Not sure where to start? From January through October, regional YIC events are hosted by retailers, camps, clubs, libraries, and schools to help kids refine their ideas. These events are a great way to get feedback, test concepts, and build presentation skills.
You can even encourage your school or community group to host its own event using the YIC Regional Event Toolkit….everything you need to inspire young inventors in one place.
What You Can Win
Each year, one junior and one senior invention is awarded in each of these categories:
- Best Pitch – For the best presentation and storytelling skills
- Most Innovative – For an idea that truly breaks the mold
- Most Engaging – For a product that draws players in and keeps them coming back
- Most Original – For something fresh and unique
- Most Marketable – For an invention that could sell in stores right now
- Best Potential – For a design with room to grow into something huge
Judges like Tony Serebriany, VP of Inventor Relations at The Op/USAopoly, can’t wait to see what’s next: “YIC participants are the next generation of game changers and game makers.”
In 2018, Lily Brown and Tate Hansen won with their game Betcha Can’t, which went on to hit retail shelves!
Who’s Behind the Magic
The Young Inventor Challenge is powered by People of Play™ (POP), a global toy and game community and a division of The Toy Association™. POP is known for connecting inventors, brands, and play enthusiasts, and runs events like the Toy & Game International Excellence Awards, the Toy & Game Inventor Pitch Conference, and of course, the Chicago Toy & Game Fair.
The 2025 event is made possible by sponsors including Disney, Astra, Amazon, Mattel, Hasbro, Crazy Aaron’s, Educational Insights, Revenew Sales, Fun in Motion, Zigazoo, and many more.
How to Enter
- Come up with your original toy or game idea, it can be a prototype or a working model.
- Register online at chitag.com/yic before October 26, 2025.
- Prepare your pitch. Think about what makes your idea unique, how it’s played, and why kids would love it.
Submit your entry and wait for the big reveal on November 8.
If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a toy inventor, this is your moment. You don’t need to be a professional designer, you just need an original idea and the passion to bring it to life.
With prizes, industry exposure, and the possibility of seeing your creation sold in stores, the Young Inventor Challenge could be your first step toward making play history.
Ready to turn your imagination into reality? Register now before October 26 and let the world see your invention!
