Creativity bubbles up at annual competition

Sealed Air, the maker of Bubble Wrap cushioning material, has long said its "pop-ular" product has many uses besides protecting shipments from damage. In fact, you can get quite creative with the bubbly stuff.

That's the point of the annual Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors. This nationwide competition invites students in grades six through eight to submit inventions that incorporate the air-filled cushioning material.

This year's grand prize winner was Lillith Bulawa of Ava, N.Y. Bulawa's winning entry was the "Floating Garden of Bubble-On," a garden that floats on water with the aid of Bubble Wrap cushioning. The self-watering garden, designed to help save crops in flood zones, sits in a box atop a raft that's made buoyant by Bubble Wrap material.

The second place winner was Autumn Trogdon of Windsor, Calif., who designed a protective cell phone case made of Bubble Wrap.

Third place honors went to Mackenzie Conkling of Massapequa, N.Y., for her "Uber Bubble Glove," a glove insulated with layers of Bubble Wrap to help people affected by ailments like Raynaud's Disease keep their hands warm.

The Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors is administered in conjunction with Scholastic, the children's publishing, education, and media company. To read more about the winners and their designs, visit www.bubblewrapcompetition.com.