Inventing is about spotting problems and creating new solutions. You'll learn from real inventors, think about how ideas are protected, and design and build a prototype of your own. It's a great badge for curious minds and tinkerers.
Why it's worth it
Every invention starts with someone noticing a problem and refusing to just live with it. This badge teaches you to think like that: spot what's broken or annoying, sketch fixes, build something that works, and keep improving it after it fails. You'll also learn how inventors protect their ideas. Whether you end up an engineer, an entrepreneur, or just the person who figures out a better way to pack a tent, it's a way of thinking you'll use all your life.
Start this week
- Keep a "problems" list on your phone or in a notebook this week. Every time something frustrates you, write it down.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of an Inventing counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Pick one piece of camping gear that annoys you, like a tent bag that's too small or a stove that's hard to light, for requirement 5.
- Gather a box of building materials: cardboard, tape, rubber bands, string, straws, and anything else safe to cut and glue.
Stay safe
- Use power tools, hot glue guns, and craft knives only with an adult supervising, and wear safety glasses while you build and test.
Requirements · 9
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2025).
- Requirement 1
Define inventing in your own words, then do 1a and 1b
Tip: Make a list of inventions you use every day and pick a few that made life better for many people.
For example: Pick three inventions that changed lives and explain who they helped: the light bulb lets people work and study after dark, the refrigerator keeps food safe, and the smoke detector saves people in house fires.
- Requirement 1a
Explain to your counselor how inventors and their inventions have helped the U.S. economy grow
- Requirement 1b
List 3 inventions and say how each has helped people
- Requirement 2
Learn from inventors. Choose 1 of 2
Tips for this section: Look for a local inventor through a maker space or college, or read about three inventors at the library.
Example for this section: Read about three inventors with very different stories, like one who worked in a big lab, one who invented as a teenager, and one who turned a hobby into a product. Note what problem each solved and how many tries it took.
- Requirement 2a
With a parent's or guardian's permission and your counselor's approval, interview an adult who invented a useful item or process, and report to your counselor what you learned
- Requirement 2b
Read about 3 inventors, choose the most interesting one, and share with your counselor what you learned
- Requirement 3
Intellectual property and patents
Tips for this section: Learn the difference between patents, trademarks, and copyrights, and why inventors protect their ideas.
- Requirement 3a
Define intellectual property. Explain which government agencies protect it, what kinds can be protected, how they're protected, and why protection is needed
- Requirement 3b
Explain the parts of a patent and the different kinds of patents
- Requirement 3c
Find a patent number on camping gear you've used. With a parent's or guardian's permission, look up the patent online, compare the item to the patent's claims and drawings, and report to your counselor
- Requirement 3d
Explain to your counselor what patent infringement means
- Requirement 4
Discuss with your counselor which kinds of inventions are fine to share with others and why. Tell about one invention that was never patented and how it has affected society
Tip: Talk about when it makes sense to share an idea freely and when to protect it.
For example: Think it through with a scenario: you invent a better tent stake. If you share it freely, everyone benefits but you can't sell it. If you patent it, you can sell it but it costs money and time. Discuss when each choice makes sense.
- Requirement 5
Pick a store-bought product you've used on an overnight troop campout. Suggest ways to improve it, sketch your ideas, and discuss them with your counselor
Tip: Think about camping gear that frustrates you, like a hard-to-pack tent, and suggest how to make it better.
For example: Pick a camp chair that tips over in sand. Recommend wider feet that snap on, a lighter frame, and a pocket for a water bottle. Sketch your idea and explain who it helps and what it might cost.
- Requirement 6
Come up with an invention that would fix a problem for your troop, family, community, chartered organization, or a special-interest group. Keep a notebook of your progress as you do 6a–6c
Tip: Sketch your idea from different angles, then build a simple model from cardboard or craft supplies.
For example: Design a cable organizer for your backpack. Sketch it from the front, side, and top, label the materials, and build a model from cardboard and rubber bands to see if the size feels right.
- Requirement 6a
Talk with people who might use your invention to learn their needs. Then write a description of the invention and the problem it solves, with a detailed sketch
- Requirement 6b
Make a model of the invention from clay, cardboard, or other handy materials, and list the materials you'd need for a working prototype
- Requirement 6c
Show your idea and model to your counselor and possible users, and write their feedback in your notebook
- Requirement 7
After your counselor approves the plans you've shared, build a working prototype of your requirement 6 invention. Test and evaluate it, considering cost, usefulness, marketability, looks, and function. Describe how it compares to what you first imagined, and have your counselor critique it
Tip: Build a working version and test it several times. Write down what goes wrong and keep improving it.
For example: Build your working prototype, then test it at least three times. Keep a log: "Test 1: clip broke. Changed to a thicker plastic. Test 2: held, but slipped. Added a rubber grip. Test 3: worked."
- Requirement 8
Inventing in action. Choose 1 of 2
Tips for this section: Look for a robotics team, invention club, or science museum that features inventors.
- Requirement 8a
Take part in a club or team that builds something useful, such as a robotics team or a science or engineering club, and share the experience with your counselor
- Requirement 8b
Visit a museum or exhibit about an inventor or invention, and make a presentation about your visit for your troop, patrol, or a similar group
- Requirement 9
Discuss with your counselor the range of skills, education, training, and experience inventors need, how you can build your creativity to solve problems at home, school, and in your community, and 3 career fields that use an inventor's skills
Tip: Think about skills like creativity, persistence, and teamwork, and which ones you want to grow.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A maker space or school engineering lab
You can see 3D printers, laser cutters, and hand tools in use and talk with people building prototypes.
How: Have a parent check for youth nights or open houses and go together. Ask whether a member could show you how they built a project.
A science or technology museum
Exhibits show famous inventions and the sketches, models, and failures that came before them.
How: Check the museum's website for hands-on invention labs or youth programs, and go with your family or patrol.
Where it can lead
- Mechanical engineerDesigns machines and products and tests them before they're made; needs an engineering degree.
- Industrial designerShapes how everyday products look and feel so they're easy to use.
- Machinist or prototype technicianBuilds first versions of new parts and products; trained through technical programs or apprenticeships.
- Patent examinerReviews new inventions to decide whether they're truly new and can be patented.
- EntrepreneurTurns an invention into a business by finding customers and making the product.
Ask yourself
- What problems in your daily life do you wish someone would solve?
- How did you feel when your prototype failed, and what did you do next?
- Who gave you the most useful feedback, and what did they notice that you missed?
- What did you learn about yourself as a builder and problem-solver?
- Which skill do you most want to get better at to invent the next thing?
Good questions to ask an inventor, engineer, or maker space mentor
- How do you decide which ideas are worth building?
- What's an invention of yours that failed, and what did it teach you?
- How do you test something to know it really works?
- When should an inventor think about patents, and when is it better to share an idea?
- What tools or skills should I learn first if I want to build my own inventions?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Host an invention night where Scouts brainstorm and build quick prototypes from everyday materials.
- Encourage Scouts to see failed tests as part of the process.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (opens in a new tab) — Learn about patents and inventors.
- National Inventors Hall of Fame (opens in a new tab) — Stories of famous inventors and their work.
- Local maker space — Tools and mentors to help build your prototype.
- FIRST (opens in a new tab) — Robotics and invention teams for students, from elementary school through high school.
- USPTO: Patent Basics (opens in a new tab) — Plain-language guide to what a patent is and how inventors get one.
- NASA STEM (opens in a new tab) — Engineering challenges and stories of how NASA invents tools for space.
Pairs well with
Into this? Explore more
Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.