Of course protecting your idea from being stolen is always an issue, the first order of business may be a patent search to see if the idea has already been done.

http://patft.uspto.gov/

Getting a patent can run into thousands of dollars, mailing yourself a registered letter with a detailed plan could possibly be of some value in establishing the origination date in a court action.

Selling the idea to an established company with established manufacturing and distribution channels is often the best idea, you probably need to create a working prototype to show around to perspective buyers or to get a patent.

Just to mention an alternative, Quirly.com the "crowd product inception" site has earned some inventors pretty good royalties, your sort of consumer product? might fit well, the site is free to join and charges $10 for consideration of a concept (I saw it profiled on PBS, seemed legit)

Professional inventors will tell you that good ideas alone are a dime a dozen, with the great majority going nowhere, good luck sticking with it.

Alibaba.com is the massive marketplace for Chinese manufacturers where you might identify a company with the capabilities (most don't involve kids) you probably need a special education on how to business with Chinese manufacturers, again just selling the idea to a business in the know would be a lot easier.

Some information on those inventor assistance companies, who are willing to take thousands of dollars from anyone with an idea.

Comprehensive article on Invention services by Patent Attorneys

http://www.bpmlegal.com/pinvmktg.html

http://www.wini2.com/ Unbiased evaluations Evaluation $250, Product Assessment $270

"Invent Land" in business for 18 years http://davison.com pr5 down to pr4

A complaint and company response.

http://www.getpayback.com/inventions-inv...

http://www.complaintsboard.com/byurl/dav... complints

http://www.similarsitesearch.com/alterna...

just know the vast majorities of invention ideas cost people thousands with nothing to show in the end, hence it's easy to find complaints against such companies

If you have a VIABLE invention then it is a good idea to protect it.

Do you know about the Provisional Application for Patent? It only costs $65 and was designed by Congress to give individual inventors a chance at bringing their inventive ideas to market easily. It is SUPER EASY to do..

If a provisional application for patent looks like the right thing for you to do then take a look at a website that shows EXACTLY how to file one using a video format. Either Google or YouTube Provisional Patent Video or PM me and I will give you links to consider. I notice you do not have your email turned on in Yahoo or I would have sent it to you..

I do not want to put links in here because lawyers delete my posts when I do.. go figure! They do not want you to know how easy this is! You can email me at dave.korpi@gmail.com too if you want as well!

There are LOTS of ways to move forward with your invention. I would caution you away from paying ANYONE ANYTHING until you COMPLETELY understand what and when they will give you what you want.

DO NOT pay anyone $5,000 to start your invention... Not even invention companies until you COMPLETELY understand exactly what they will do for you. I have talked to way too many folks who have spent from $1800 to $5000 to get nothing.

Not to worry.. there are ways to get what you want ant YOU can do it yourself, for the most part, and it is fairly easy to do everything. Just know the USPTO is a branch of the Federal Government and the Federal government wants YOU to be a millionaire so you can pay taxes. Therefore, the Federal Government, via the USPTO, makes it EASY to file a Provisional Application for Patent. Extremely easy.

First, get a patent on it. You actually might be able to do it yourself. If not, it's not difficult to find people to help for a small fee. (Don't pay one of these invention companies that advertise on TV. They're just rip-offs.)

If it's really a great idea, once you've got the patents, you can just sell the patents for a nice chunk of cash. Otherwise, you can have some prototypes made (most likely in China) for not too much money...though you risk the theft of your intellectual property. Then you have to raise money to go into production.

Hope that helps.

Get engineering students to take it on. Or an engineer. So far it is just an idea not a working product.

Get it patented but you need the engineered details.

a key element is to do market research ....because....

lots of inventors make stuff and they need to work decades

to get people to try it.........

--a SMARTER solution is to ONLY make products that

have a huge market waiting.........

...example.........I am putting together a team........not all together yet--to make a drone competitor....my research is 12 yrs and

going so far....my competitor gizmo can go 600 mph

and it can carry ANYTHING........

I already know there is a need for this........I am "just" minus

a team and my engines..........

So I have a great Idea for an invention that will revolutionize the world. (lets say for an easy example I want to make this unique sprinkler) So I want to make this cool sprinkler that waters your lawn blah blah blah. How do I get it made? I have the best idea and now what? Do I go to china and ask some Chinese kids to build it or what?