Every year, Google holds a children’s art competition called Doodle 4 Google in which kids from Kindergarten through high school are invited to draw their own Google Doodle. The grand prize winner gets their doodle featured on Google’s homepage for a day along with a $30,000 scholarship and a $50,000 Google for Education technology grant for their school.
This year, kids drew their concepts to make the world better under the theme “If I Could Invent One Thing to Make the World a Better Place…” A winner from each state has been chosen, with ten winners in each of five age categories.
Here are some of our favorite doodles from the finalists…
Healthy Kids
Emily Stockand, Thomas Jefferson Elementary, AR, K-3
The picture shows how schools can have gardens and they can take the food they grow and it can be used in their cafeteria so it is healthy.
Space Traveling Tunnel
Hailey H. Kim, Providence Spring Elementary, NC, K-3
I want to see many things and family on the other side of the earth. By inventing space tunnel to travel quickly, many people can meet, talk, love, and touch face to face. Like google did using internet. I want to connect the world.
The Thought Spirit
Matthew Huang Lei, Forest Park Elementary School, OR, K-3
If I could invent one thing to make the world a better place I would invent the Thought Spirit. By using this machine people could see what people, animals, even trees, etc. think about!
Submarine Car
Carver Bleyenburg, Sioux Falls Christian, SD, K-3
I would invent a submarine car that you can drive on land, but also drive in the water.
Cloud Plow
Vinessa Verheyen, Greenville Elementary, WI, K-3
If I could invent one thing to make the world a better place… It would be a cloud plow. It can get rid of clouds to make it sunny out so people can use solar energy. It also can push the clouds to areas that need rain.
The Trashformer
Connor Heagy, Forest Dale Elementary, IN, 4-5
If I could invent one thing to make the world a better place, it would be a machine that turns trash into clean water and flowers.
Ocean Cleaner
Hannah Hu, Logan Elementary School, MI, 4-5
The Machine that I invented to make the world a better place is an ocean cleaner. It helps to clean the trash and pollution that people put into the ocean, and releases fresh and clean ocean water. So the animals that live in the ocean can be very happy, healthy, and strong.
The Crop Box
Angelica Varughese, Warnsdorfer Elementary School, NJ, 4-5
The world would be a better place if we could find a better way to get food to starving people after a disaster. The crop box has good soil and seeds and can grow anywhere. Just open and water.
Underwater City
Layla Lee, Park Junior High School, CA, 6-7
This doodle is about inventions that allow us to live and move underwater. It includes tunnels for transportation and sea creatures.
The Universal Nexus
Ryan Shea, Creighton Middle School, CO, 6-7
The doodle displays the invention of a Universal Nexus: a connection between humans to humans and worlds to worlds. The nexus- which, by definition, links places and ideas- would allow us to explore the universe to its absolute potential and create junctions between our past, present, and future.
Friendship
Esther Park, Cab Calloway School of the Arts, DE, 6-7
To make the world a better place doesn’t mean we need more technology, it needs more friendships. True friends are basically a part of your family; they care, they forgive, they make you happy, and love you with all their heart.
G.O.O.P.
Robert Tanner McAfee, Carl Albert Middle School, OK, 6-7
My invention to change the world is a Gas and Oil Organic Purifier, or G.O.O.P. It drives over oil spills and sucks up oil, then the oil is filtered out into fresh water.
Natural Light-Powered Flying Car
Tracy Zhang, Desert Mountain High School, AZ, 8-9
Because it runs on natural light, not only will this invention keep the environment cleaner, but it could also put an end to the oil crisis. Transportation would also be quicker, easier, and definitely loads more fun! People would be free to explore wherever and let their imaginations run wild.
Tornado Sucker
Lucy Zhu, Marquette High School, MO, 8-9
Each year, thousands of tornados hit around the world, taking many lives and billions of dollars. What I want to invent is a solar-powered machine that can harness tornadoes before they hit cities and take them to stations to transform them into electricity and water.
The “Green” Machine
Lincoln Young, Manhattan Christian School, MT, 8-9
The “Green” Machine is an object that turns waste into nutrient rich dirt that fertilizes the soil, creating a greener planet.
Looking through another’s eyes
Yanming Wen, Southern Lehigh High School, PA, 8-9
I feel like the world would be a better place if one could invent a way of understanding others’ viewpoints – the girl here is using these glasses to view the world from the little boy’s perspective.
The Heart Reader
Aaliya Jaleel, Brighter Horizons Academy, TX, 8-9
Some people tell us that what they are doing is for our benefit when it’s not. The heart reader “reads” a person’s heart and reveals their personality and true intention.
Brighter World through Binoculars
Renaise Kim, Lake Washington High School, WA, 8-9
I invented magical binoculars that would allow people to see the world more optimistically and be grateful for living in a bright and beautiful world. Wearing these binoculars would also enhance their attitude, resulting in happier and healthier lives and relationships with others.
Veggies to Dessert
Justin Whitehead, Meridian Technical Charter High School, ID, 10-12
If I had to make one invention that made the world a better place, I would invent a spray that changes the flavor of any food to your favorite dessert without changing nutrition. This would not only help to reduce obesity around the world, but would be enjoyed by many people (especially kids that don’t like to eat their veggies)!
Holographic Imagination
Augusta Thacker, Westside High School, NE, 10-12
This is a depiction of a holographic book. This projected image provides submersion into the text and further illumination of confusing topics. Holographic images would not be limited to children’s stories. The users of technical books, cookbooks, and text books would also benefit greatly, sparking imagination and passion for learning.
30-Day Plastic
Bronte Mock, Olympus High School, UT, 10-12
30-Day Plastic is a product to replace plastic that will biodegrade within a month. This invention will change the world for the better. It will provide the same benefits as plastic without consuming the landfill, emitting hazardous waste, and other environmentally impacting issues.
Visit Doodle for Google to see the rest of the competition and cast your own vote.