Invention is a natural part of the human condition. It does not exist outside everyday activities, and it certainly does not come like a bolt out of the blue. The prepared mind, as always, is favored for success. Setting the stage for invention is as important as carrying it out. Good corporate leaders know this--as does any astute technology education teacher. Real-world problem solving delivers the high-value goods in the classroom. Unstructured problem solving, a little trial and error, and flying by the seat of one's pants seems to burn lessons into a young mind so much more effectively than reading about it. (This is where technology education has it over the other subjects--heads and hands work together to create powerful learning paradigms that far outlast the rote memorization and testing associated with day-after-day recitation.) This article provides some ideas, inspired by activities from the author's childhood, for fostering inventiveness in technology students. (Contains 4 figures.)