What do earmuffs, water skis, and flippers all have in common?

Other than being awesome, of course.

They were invented by someone just like you, a kid, and these inventions are just some of the things that we use today that were dreamed up by, uh, you.

But first, what is an invention, and how does one go about making one?

An invention is something that introduces a new way of doing things or improves the way something is done.

It can be made on purpose or by accident.

It can be practical or just for fun.

And inventing something is definitely a process.

It starts with an idea and some brainstorming, which leads to coming up with the design and then building a simple model of your idea called a prototype.

With lots and lots of trial and error, testing, and experimentation, changes and improvements are made before it's considered final.

Throughout history, we have kids to thank for innovating, experimenting, and using their imaginations to make life more fun.

Take flippers, for example.

Benjamin Franklin, one of the leading inventors from early American history, loved to swim, and when he was just 11 years old, he decided he wanted to figure out a way to swim faster.

He began experimenting with a pair of wooden paddles that he built called swim fins.

Young Ben discovered when he attached them to his hands and feet, he was able to move through the water more quickly.

Ben Franklin's discovery eventually led to the swim flippers we know and love today.

Another, more modern inventor?

Look no further than Abbey Fleck.

When Abbey was 8 years old, she was making breakfast with her family, and they ran out of paper towels to blot up grease from their morning bacon.

Abbey wanted to find a better way to cook her bacon, one that wouldn't require any blotting at all.

She wondered, "What if you could just hang it kind of like laundry drying so that the fat drips down on its own?"

With her father's help, she built a prototype that eventually led to her invention, the Makin' Bacon, a kitchen gadget used in the microwave where the bacon hangs and the grease collects in a dish below as it cooks.

So do you have an idea for something new?

Is there a problem you'd like to solve?

Well, then you've come to the right place.

Because today is Kid Inventor Day on "Camp TV."

We're celebrating the achievements of kid inventors from the past, present, and future, including you, so get dreaming.

Oh, and get going.

It's time for your first activity.

See you in a few.