Best Inventions of 2024

Every year, TIME magazine makes a list of the year’s best inventions. Some of the inventions solve problems. Others make life more fun. TIME for Kids has chosen eight of them here. Which one is your favorite?

Earth-Friendly

People who like the outdoors care about the planet. This is why Nemo Equipment created Endless Promise camping equipment. It’s good for the environment. It includes backpacks and sleeping bags. The items are made from polyester. That’s a recyclable material. And the company promises to repair, recycle, or resell the equipment. They will take it back when customers are ready for something new. —By Jeff Wilser

Grow and Glow

Firefly Petunias look like normal white flowers. But they glow in the dark. The flowers aren’t magic. They are from a company called Light Bio. The company created the flowers using science. It started with petunia DNA. Then it combined that with DNA from mushrooms. These mushrooms naturally glow. Now the flowers glow, too. —JW

Water for All

Everyone needs clean water. But not everyone has it. That’s why Ogilvy Colombia, Baylor International, and Filsa Water teamed up. They made Filter Caps. The filters go on the top of a water bottle. Users can fill the bottle from a well or river. The cap filters out dirt and germs. That makes the water safe to drink. —By Chris Norris

Bots on the Job

Imagine having a robot as your coworker. Some companies are making that a reality. That’s partly thanks to Digit. Digit is a bot created by Agility Robotics. It looks a bit like a person. Digit is trained by AI. It can do many tasks. In 2023, Amazon announced that it would train the bots to work in warehouses. Digit bots work away from humans. This is for safety. But the robots may someday work with people. —By Chris Stokel-Walker

Dazzling Disc

Have you ever thrown a Frisbee? The Tosy company wants to make the game brand-new. The Flying Disc has 36 colorful lights. They can create millions of colors. The lights turn on when you throw the disc. The toy also has a battery. It keeps the lights on. The disc has a “lost mode.” That way, you can find the disc if you throw it too far. Tosy has sold 600,000 Flying Discs since 2022. —CS-W

Read in Color

It used to be hard to read graphic novels on an electronic reading device, or e-reader. That’s no longer the case. Rakuten Kobo’s Libra Colour has a color screen. It gets illustrations just right. The device is small. But its colors pop. That makes comics and graphic novels look just like they would in print.  —By Raymond Wong

Inclusive Exercise

Treadmills help people walk or jog in place. But people who use wheelchairs also need exercise equipment. Wheely-X is a special treadmill. It is made for wheelchair users. It pairs with fitness apps. It offers workout games. These get people moving. Wheely-X was created by Kangsters. The company makes technology for people with disabilities.  —By Jamie Ducharme

In the Game

All video games need a screen, right? Not the Tecno Pocket Go gaming system. It has two parts. There’s a controller. And there’s a pair of augmented-reality glasses. The glasses show whichever game you’re playing. Players feel like they’re part of the game. It’s great for gamers on the go, or those with limited space. —By Ashley Mateo