Fun stuff that's been designed for kid

                    Edison, Bell, and the Wright Brothers - sure, their inventions changed the world, but they never seemed to think up anything for the kids. If they had, there might have been a big payday waiting for them. In 2009, the toy industry generated more than $21 billion in revenue despite a down economy, and that figure doesn't include candy, clothing and all sorts of other things made specifically for kids.Inventing for kids can reward more than bank accounts. For instance, Ralph Baer, known as the "Father of Video Games" for inventing the first video game console, was awarded a National Medal of Technology by President Bush in 2006. 

                  Starting our list of inventions with a bang - or a pop, at least -- is the toy balloon. Blow one up and bop it around or fill one with helium and watch it fly. You could make a strong case that balloons, at just a few cents apiece, provide the highest fun-to-cost ratio on the planet.Although toy balloons have been made from latex since the early 19th century, the first toy balloons were made of something a little harder to stomach -- animal intestines. After cleaning them out and stretching them, they could be filled with air, just like the balloons you buy at the store. In fact, the Aztecs even created balloon shaped like animals this way as part of certain religious ceremonies.

                    Thankfully, manipulating animal entrails is no longer a part of the balloon-making process. Instead, balloon molds are dipped into vats of pigmented latex and allowed to dry. Once the latex is pulled away from the mold, the balloon is ready to hit the shelves. Fortunately, balloons are extremely cheap to produce. Otherwise, balloon enthusiasts like Tribe Henning wouldn't be able to create the massive spectacles seen at events like the Olympics and the Super Bowl. Henning certainly wouldn't have been able to coordinate the world's largest balloon launch for the United Way, where he released 1.4 million balloons at once. But whether you have a million balloons or just one, you're in for some fun.

                     When car seats were first created, they were designed more to keep children from crawling around the car than for safety. Fortunately, car seats have come a long way since those early days. Today's models cut the likelihood of a fatality resulting from a crash in half when used properly, saving hundreds of lives every year in the process. So even if you don't live in one of the dozens of states that hand out heavy fines for car seat violations, you should always strap your child into a car or booster seat no matter how short the trip.

                       Of course, you'll also need to make sure you're using the right type of car or booster seat for your child and that you're using it properly. A study of 1,000 Canadian drivers found that up to 80 percent of parents use their car seats incorrectly, placing children in the wrong type of seat for their age, not tightening the straps properly and making a number of other potentially dangerous mistakes.

                     In addition to following the car seat manufacturer's instructions, make sure to remember the general guidelines for keeping your kids safe in the car. For instance, infants should be placed in rear-facing car seats while toddlers should ride in forward-facing seats, and whenever possible. The Kellogg brothers invented corn flakes after letting a batch of boiled wheat go stale. Percy Spencer invented the microwave oven only after accidentally melting a candy bar while tinkering with vacuum tubes.

                     In the case of the Hula-Hoop, Wham-O toy company founders Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin didn't have to do much inventing at all. In 1958, after hearing about Australian children playing with bamboo hoops during gym class, the two decided to recreate the bamboo hoops out of a then cutting-edge plastic called Marlex. The rest is history. Wham-O's hoop sparked a craze that swept the nation, with 40 million selling in the first year alone, and international orders pushed the total over 100 million in the following years.

                    While the Wham-O founders had a great eye for new toys, their business sense wasn't quite as strong. The demand for Hula-Hoops dried up as quickly as it had grown, leaving Wham-O with warehouses full of hoops and no buyers. In the end, Knerr and Melin netted only $10,000 in profit from the whole experience. The experience wasn't a total loss, however. Only a few years later, they would put their knowledge of toys to good use when they marketed their next big invention, the Frisbee.