This year's is the second annual Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors, sponsored by Sealed Air Corp. (NYSE:SEE), the product's maker, the Hartford (Conn.) Courant reported.

The inventions include converting bubble wrap into a flooring that is less stressful for dancers. "Dancing on Air" was the invention of 11-year-old Kayla Weston of Longwood, Fla.

Then there's Andy Boler's "Bubble Wrap Plant Shelter." The 9-year-old from Richardson, Tex., came up with a light-weight collapsible shelter for outdoor plants to protect them from the cold.

Hannah Haas, 13, of Charlotte, N.C., came up with "Sensory Wallpaper," to stimulate children with autism. Grace Abernathy, 13, of Noblesville, Ind., devised the "Lap Popper," an activity for people with Alzheimer's disease.

On a more frivolous note, Nicolette Mann, 13, of Christiansburg, Va., invented the "Transformable Bubble Wrap Kite."

The three finalists are to be selected in early January. They will get a trip to New York for the Grand Prize selection on Jan. 28, Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, the newspaper said.

The annual contest is sponsored by Sealed Air Corp., the Elmwood Park, N.J., company that makes Bubble Wrap.