Our pick of the best UK Art Competitions for kids and young people in 2024. Open to children of various ages up to eighteen…
Most of our UK Art Competitions are for artists eighteen and over so I’m excited to start an alternative version for children and youths. Get in touch if you know of any more UK art contests for juniors and I’ll add the best ones here.
Winning Mickey Mouse comic’s weekly competition with my cartoon of Goofy at the Olypmics was as big a thrill as a creative kid could get. I hope this list leads to similar creative landmarks, good luck everyone!
Never Such Innocence Art Competition
Worldwide competition for 9-18 year olds to reflect on the realities of war and create an artwork on the theme of ‘How Does War Affect People’s Lives?’.
| Close: | 24th May 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | This year’s theme is ‘How Does War Affect People’s Lives?’. Art can be produced in any medium. |
| Ages: | 9-11, 11-14, 14-16, 16-18 from around the world. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Harriet Kelsall Design Competition
Design a bespoke keyring celebrating a special father figure for a chance to see it brought to life by a goldsmith at Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery.
| Close: | 24th May 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery are inviting local young artists to design a bespoke keyring with their special father figure in mind. Whomever they choose, they can dedicate their design to the ways they inspire them or what they love about them. Perhaps it’s a den for a Dad who builds them in the living room, a potted plant for a green-fingered Grandad or a selection of favourite things that their favourite person loves. Once they have a design in mind, they can get creative and draw it on the design template. This can be collected from the St Albans Studio and Shop, or can be emailed directly to you. |
| Ages: | UK based children of all ages |
| Site: | Enter Here |
YouCreate Competition 2024
Kent and Medway Collaborative Outreach Programme (based at UCA) asks young people age 11-18 to respond to the theme ‘Chaos’.
| Close: | 31st May 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | This year’s theme is ‘CHAOS’. Your challenge is to think creatively when exploring what the theme means to you. Artwork can be submitted in any medium, from film and photography, to sculpture or painting. |
| Ages: | Students who are aged 11 to 18 years old, living in the United Kingdom. To enter you must be in Years 7-13 or an FE equivalent, and born between 01/09/2005 and 31/08/2012. |
| Site: | Enter here |
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TALP Open – Young Artist of the Year Award
Featuring a Young Artist (under 18) category run by The Artist and Leisure Painter magazines in partnership with Patchings Art Centre.
| Close: | 9th April 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | 2D works in any media including drawings, paintings, printmaking and digital artwork. |
| Ages: | Under 18 (UK & International, £5 entry) |
| Site: | Enter here |
Y Talent Award
International visual arts competition to celebrate the creativity of exceptional young artists between the age of 13 to 18 from all around the world.
| Close: | 12th May 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | The judges are looking for a blend of creativity, technical prowess and emotional resonance. Like the works of Yue Minjun, they will seek artworks that demonstrate a unique and innovative approach to the medium, pushing the boundaries of traditional aesthetics and challenging the status quo. Originality and a distinctive artistic voice will be highly valued, as well as the ability to convey a compelling narrative or message through the visual language. Technical skill and craftsmanship will also play a significant role, with attention to detail, composition, and use of materials being key considerations. Furthermore, the judges will look for pieces that evoke genuine emotions, provoke thoughtful reflection, or spark a visceral response in the viewer. |
| Ages: | Young artists age 13-18 from around the world. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Ocean Awareness Contest
The 13th annual (US based) competition invites 11-18 year olds from around the world to create art that addresses the climate crisis.
| Close: | 10th June 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | 2024 Theme: ‘Tell Your Climate Story’. Encouraging you to become a climate witness and share your own unique climate story. Creatively express your personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about our changing climate reality. Use this opportunity to learn about the climate crisis and how it impacts your family and community, and to examine your individual responses to our evolving world. |
| Ages: | Junior 11-14, Senior 15–18 years old (UK & International) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Tabernacle Art Competition
Annual exhibition at MOMA Machynlleth, Wales. Artists can enter one piece of new work inspired by the theme ‘On a Windy Day’. 12-17 and under 11 age groups.
| Close: | 14th June 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | This year’s theme is ‘On a Windy Day’. Any 2D work allowed, including photography. Max size with frame: 36 x 48 inches (914 x 1219 mm). £5 entry fee for under 18s, purchase in advance here. For UK & International artists. |
| Ages: | 11 and under, 12 – 17 |
| Site: | Enter here |
Junior Sketch For Survival
More than 35,000 species are threatened with extinction, submit your animal or wildlife art for exhibition & auction to help raise funds & awareness.
| Close: | 30th June 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Original signed two-dimensional A4 or A3 size work. The main focus of your artwork can be anything in the following categories from the IUCN red list – Vulnerable (VU), Endangered (EN), Critically Endangered (CR) or Extinct in the Wild (EW). |
| Ages: | The competition is open to anyone aged up to 16 years old. You can live anywhere in the world. There are three age categories: Up to 7 years old, 8-12 yearsold, 13-16 years old |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Write on Art
Annual national writing competition sponsored by Art UK and the Paul Mellon Centre to encourage an interest in art history among young people.
| Close: | 30th June 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Choose an artwork from the Art UK website that interests or intrigues you. Write about it in a way that would persuade people to share your interest and enthusiasm. (400 or 600 words depending on age category) |
| Ages: | England & Wales: Years 10 & 11 / 12 & 13, N. Ireland: Years 11 & 12 / 13 & 14, Scotland: S3 & S4 / S5 & S6 |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Embracing Our Differences
Annual international outdoor juried art exhibit featuring 50 billboard-size images celebrating diversity and inclusion.
| Close: | 2nd July 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Submit your interpretation of the theme “Embracing Our Differences.” Your art should be horizontal and fit an aspect ratio of 12.8” (325.12 mm) wide by 8.8” (223.52 mm) high. |
| Ages: | All ages, international (13 and over can submit their entry online, 12 and under must submit by mail with parental consent.) |
| Site: | Enter here |
Challenge for PANS PANDAS UK
Volunteer led charity art competition for UK based children to enter on the theme “Challenge”. To be judged by a panel of professional artists.
| Close: | 21st July 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | “Artists should be inspired by the theme CHALLENGE. Children are free to produce a drawing inspired by this theme using any materials or medium that they like! Challenges can take many different forms. Perhaps artists will depict a sporting sensation, a personal triumph, or a more abstract depiction of emotion. The art competition is free to enter, however, donations are welcome to our volunteer-led Just Giving Page.” |
| Ages: | All 4–16-year-old UK based children are eligible to enter. Age group prize categories: 4-7, 8-11, 12-16. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Spirited Arts Competition
Join hundreds of schools from around the world using poetry, drawing, painting, video, sculpture or other media to explore RE themes.
| Close: | 31st July 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | Entries can include: Art (painting, drawing, sketching, etc), Poetry, Photography, Dance, Music, Drama, Sculpture. Pupils can create entries individually, in pairs or groups, or as whole class, year or school entries. 10 entries accepted per school. |
| Ages: | Pupils from ages 3 – 19 |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Happy DEGART
International kids art exhibition and contest hosted by DEGALLERY, Texas.
| Close: | 1st September 2024 enter now! |
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| Rules: | The main theme is “WORLD PEACE“. Any medium is accepted: pencil, charcoal, watercolor, oil, etc. Pastels or charcoal entries must be properly sprayed to prevent smearing. Photographs and computer-generated artwork will not be accepted. |
| Ages: | Age categories: 4-7, 8-11, 12-14, 15-17 |
| Site: | Enter here |
Young Railway Photographer of the Year
The National Railway Museum and the Railway Photographic Society celebrates 200 years of railway history with the second outing of their annual awards.
| Close: | 31st January 2025 enter now! |
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| Rules: | 2025 marks a significant milestone in railway history: the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world’s first passenger railway service. Creatively respond to celebrate two hundred years of passenger rail travel, past, present and future. Captured moments of the UK railway in its broadest sense, and this may include, but is not limited to: Architecture and structures, Tracks and routes, Signalling and signage, Railway and carriage design, Travel experiences, Railway landscapes, Heritage and nostalgia, Innovation and ingenuity. |
| Ages: | Two age categories: 18 and under, 19 – 25, UK based. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Currently Closed
RSPB Kids Wild Art 2022
Create a piece of art inspired by nature and let your imagination run WILD in this kids art competition from the RSPB and the Cameron Bespolka Trust.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Create a piece of art inspired by nature, 2022 themes to be announced. |
| Ages: | Under 8s, 8-12, and 13-18. |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Advent Calendar Design Competition
The wellness brand for dogs Pooch & Mutt is handing over the reins to dog-loving children across the UK to help design its 2022 advent calendar.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Download and print the design template from the website link below. Give the template to your young artist to get creative with paint, pencil or crayons. Take a pic of the finished design and email to competition@poochandmutt.com. Keep the original design safe. The winner will be announced on Instagram on 28th May and will need to post it to Pooch & Mutt. |
| Ages: | UK based young artists up to the age of 16 |
| Site: | Enter here |
Postcards from the Trafalgar Way
Create an artwork based on a feature on the historic Trafalgar Way route (Falmouth to London) prizes in three age categories: 7-11, 12-16 and 17-adult.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Take a stunning photograph or create a two-dimensional artwork (including digital art) of a scene along The Trafalgar Way (size range: A6 to A1) |
| Ages: | 7-11, 12-16, 17 to adult |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Thank A Teacher Day Competition
Create a piece of artwork of your favourite school team/member of school staff, portraying how brilliant they are for a chance to win £100 of vouchers.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Create a piece of artwork of your favourite school team/member of school staff, portraying how brilliant they are. Send a photograph of your special creation with an explanation about why you want to thank them to competitions@teachingawards.com and illustrator and author Rob Biddulph will choose his favourite. |
| Ages: | No age specified, most likely UK only |
| Site: | Enter Here |
The Fleming Collection Young People’s Art Competition
Create a painting, drawing, sculpture, assemblage, photograph or performance inspired by one of the artworks in the Fleming Collection.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Create a painting, drawing, sculpture, assemblage, photograph or even performance that draws from one of the hundreds of artworks in the collection. To find inspiration, search the collection online and discover artworks from the 17th Century to the present day. Winners announced in early August. |
| Ages: | Under 11s, 11-16, 16-18 year olds (UK residents) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
The Dorset Art Prize
Bournemouth & Poole College invite Dorset based artists from primary school age and older to submit their artworks on the theme ‘Messages’.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Free to enter pen submission for all Dorset artists, designers, art students and makers working in all media forms to submit their artworks. The theme for the 2022 Dorset Art Prize is “Messages”. Entrants are encouraged to interpret and explore this theme in broad and figurative ways, as well as more literal considerations on the theme. |
| Ages: | Primary school to adult |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Space Foundation Art Contest
The Annual Space Foundation International Student Art Contest opens in January for registration and artwork submissions.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Create an original, space-oriented artwork (drawing, painting, mixed media or digital) based on the theme: “Living, Working And Playing On The Moon”. |
| Ages: | Eight age groups: 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18 (UK & International) |
| Site: | Enter here |
Awakening Festival Art Prize Draw
Make a piece of art to show how you have been helping climate and nature for a chance to win an AR Globe, for ages 4-11.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Last closed 28th February 2022. Get creative and make a piece of art to show how you have been helping climate and nature. Perhaps you’ve made your garden more wildlife-friendly? Or have taken part in a citizen science survey such as the British Trust for Ornithology’s Big Garden Birdwatch? How about making a sculpture out of the plastic you’ve used in one week? Your artwork could be: A photo, collage, sculpture, drawing, painting, mosaic, use your imagination! You will need to upload it on their webpage as an attachment no bigger than an A4 piece of paper. For example, if you’ve made a sculpture, take and upload a photo of it! Please also describe in no more than 100 words what action you have taken to help climate and nature and how you’ve turned it into a piece of art. |
| Ages: | You need to be aged 4-11 to enter and you’ll need to ask your parent/guardian to submit it |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Logo Lift Off
Design a logo that showcases the role of small satellites in measuring climate change for a chance to have your logo on a rocket in space!
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | 1. Design a logo (you can enter alone, or with up to three teammates). 2. Make sure your logo helps people understand the role of small satellites through the activities on the Logo Lift Off website. 3. Download your entry form and answer a few short questions from the judges. 4. Submit your entry on the website. |
| Ages: | children aged 4-11 in the UK only |
| Enter: | Enter Here |
Britain’s Best Young Artist
Do you love drawing, painting, collage or anything in between? CBBC want to hear from creative 10-14 year olds for its second series.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | To apply, choose three of your BEST pieces of art. You must have created this art yourself and have your parent/guardian’s permission. Once you’ve chosen your art, get ready to make your application video! Full details in the link below. |
| Ages: | Children aged between 10 and 14 on 1st September 2022, in the UK |
| Site: | Enter here |
Cairngorms Nature Art Competition
Show your love for the nature of the Cairngorms National Park for a chance to win some fantastic wildlife watching prizes. 2020 winner above.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Draw, paint or model a piece of artwork showing your favourite wildlife found in the Cairngorms National Park. |
| Ages: | Open to all primary school aged children (UK) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
My Little Masterpiece
You could win a £500 Holiday voucher, £250 Bumper Little Artist Pack and a 12-month supply of My Little Sudocrem.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Upload a photo of your little one’s masterpiece to enter using link below. You can also enter via Instagram, Facebook or Twitter by using #MyLittleMasterpiece and tagging @Sudocrem |
| Ages: | Children aged under 16, UK based |
| Site: | Enter here |
Hidden Gallery Kids Art Competition
Create your own masterpiece inspired by an artwork on the Hidden Gallery website for a chance to win a limited edition art print.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Recreate one of the artworks from the Hidden Gallery website with an environmental twist. You could transform banksy’s bomb hugger (2003) into a tree hugger, or andy warhol’s saint apollonia (1984) into david attenborough. It can be a drawing, painting, sculpture or any other medium you like. |
| Ages: | Three age groups: 0-8, 9-13, 14-17. |
| Enter: | Enter Here |
World Space Week Kid’s Competition
The British Interplanetary Society are running a creative children’s competition to inspire the next generation of space explorers.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | 4-6 YEARS OLD: ARTWORK: Create a piece of artwork of women in space. Develop your own ideas of what ‘Women in Space’ means to you and express it in a creative way. 7-10 YEARS OLD: VIDEO: Create a celebration video of women in space, to be shown during WSW2021. Celebrate a specific ‘woman in space’ who can be a role model to others 11-16 YEARS OLD: WRITING: Write a Wikipedia entry for a woman in space who doesn’t already have one. The aim is to highlight the less well-known inspirational women in the space industry. |
| Ages: | There are three separate categories (suggested age ranges below in brackets) although each competition is open to all ages between 4-16. You can only enter one of the three categories: Artwork (ages 4-6), Video (ages 7-10) and Writing (ages 11-16). |
| Site: | Enter Here |
D31 Young Hope Exhibition
Open to young artists age 16 and below for a cjhance top be selected for an exhibition at the Doncaster based gallery this Autumn on the theme “Influence”.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Theme: “Influence”. Accepted media: Paintings, digital creations, drawings, photography, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, architectural models, crafts and any creative endeavor. Let your imagination soar! |
| Ages: | Young artists worldwide age 16 and below. |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Brandon’s Best Upcyclers Competition
Competition aimed at primary school-aged children to see which youngsters across the country have the magic touch when it comes to upcycling.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Submit a drawing showcasing your upcycling idea. Be as imaginative as you like! You can send your entry to Brandon on Facebook or Instagram, or email it to competitions@brandonhirestation.com. |
| Ages: | Primary school-aged children. UK residents only. |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Asda Design a Christmas Card Competition
Christmas is coming early as Asda asks children across the UK to create the most Christmassy Christmas card ever!
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Design a card that represents the most Christmassy Christmas ever, a card design that you would love to give to your family and friends. The more fantastically Christmas and imaginative the better. A card design that uses a variety of colours and Christmas characters and/or items. A card that is designed, drawn and decorated by hand and does not use computer software in it’s creation. The judging panel want to see fun and imagination sparkle with everything Christmas in an innovative and original design. Once your child has completed their design, please scan and upload their artwork to the form below and fill in all the details to qualify for entry into the competition. One parent/guardian can enter more than one child, but only one entry per child is allowed. |
| Ages: | UK based primary school children (ages 4-11 years) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Paint a Pumpkin Competition
Instead of carving your pumpkin get your paints out and decorate your Halloween pumkin for a chance to win a £50 voucher.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Instead of carving a pumpkin Whistlefish have decided to paint one! Whistlefish will judge for the best painted pumpkin they see for a chance to win a £50 Whistlefish voucher to spend online. Competition closes Sunday 30th October at 12:00am. The Winner will be announced on Monday 31st October! |
| Ages: | No age group specified. UK entries only. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Design a Rugby Kit
Get creative this Halloween and design a rugby kit for a chance to win an art set from Kukri Sports.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Get creative again this Halloween & design your own sports t-shirt! For your chance to win a fantastic art set print out the free template, send in a photo of your completed design to competitions@kukrisports.com |
| Ages: | No age group or location specified |
| Site: | Enter here |
Create a Comic Competition!
Create your very own comic strip for a chance to get published in Storytime magazine and win a bundle of book goodies!
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | To enter, you can photocopy or cut out the form from your latest issue of Storytime, or download it from this link here. Then draw your comic strip on it and fill in your details. Email your entry to win@storytimemagazine.com or post it to: Create a Comic!, Storytime Magazine, 61 Bridge Street, Kington, Herefordshire HR5 3DJ. |
| Ages: | Children aged 4 to 9 |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Design a House for an Animal!
Design a house for your favourite soft toy or pet in celebration of the new book ‘Olivia the Architect’ by Pat Guy.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | To enter you need to design a house that reflects the interests of the animal you’ve chosen. E.g: For a penguin: an indoor swimming pool, fish design wallpaper and a walk-in fridge. For a dog: a ball throwing machine, bone shaped bed and a garden full of lamposts. Let your imagination run WILD! |
| Ages: | Three age categories: 7 and under, 8-11, and 12+ years. UK only. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Keeping Fit Poster Competition
Design a poster and have it displayed nation-wide on digital screens & win some great prizes including an Art/Design tablet for the winner in each age category!
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Design and create a portrait poster to persuade and inspire young people to become more active and fit during the summer months. Your design could be about a particular sport, activity or challenge – or a combination – that you love or an activity that is more easily pursued during the summertime. |
| Ages: | 8-10, 11-14, 15-18 categories. UK residents only. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Create The Card Competition
Your art could be selected as the special Black Card that will be displayed in cinemas before every single UK showing of Puss In Boots: The Last Wish.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Design a unique Black Card for Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. Bright, colourful designs that fill the box will produce the best results. Use paint, felt tip, crayon, inks and coloured pencils. As the design will become the real Black Card, please remind your class to leave a space for the BBFC logo and the title of the film. We will add in the other important information. You can download the template here. |
| Ages: | Children aged 4-11 based in the UK |
| Site: | Enter here |
Art in the Stars
Send your students’ artwork into space! Boeing and Space Foundation created Art in the Stars to allow student artists to do just that!
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Create and submit original artwork that answers the question, “Which historical space pioneer inspires you?” Consider the diverse historical figures who broke boundaries to become a “first” or blazed trails for those who came after them. |
| Ages: | Ages 3–18 from any country |
| Site: | Enter here |
Toyota Dream Car Art Contest 2023
Global competition inviting children 15 and under to let their imagination run wild and design their dream car of the future.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Flying cars, zero emission hoverboards, space buggies for moons and planets… who knows what the future of mobility will look like? Toyota are inviting children across the UK to share their wildest, most imaginative car design. Acceptable media includes computer generated pictures made using a pc, tablet or phone, as well as scanned in or photographed images of your handmade artworks. |
| Ages: | Category 1: Under 8s. Category 2: 8-11. Category 3: 12-15. (UK only) |
| Site: | Enter here |
Invent your own animal!
Booktrust’s writer and illustrator in residence asks you to let your imagination run wild for the chance to win a signed bundle of Nick’s books.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | “In my brand new book, Unicorn Moonicorn, schoolgirl co-author Phoebe Tinkler and I have imagined extraordinary beasts like the Barbeque-nicorn, the Choo-choo-nicorn and the Tu-whit-tu-whoo-nicorn. Now’s your turn to get creative and invent your very own animal! Entries should take the form of a picture, showing just what your creature looks like. It could be a drawing, a painting, a collage… any kind of artwork. To create a name for your animal you could mix up words, like Phoebe and I have done; maybe you could combine two animal names together, but however you come up with your animal’s name, it must be original and your own invention.” |
| Ages: | Three age categories: Nursery and Reception aged children, Years 1 and 2, Year 3 upwards. UK only. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Snowman Competitions
Asks children aged 4-16 to create their own snowman-themed picture or write a short story inspired by Raymond Briggs’s original picture book, The Snowman.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Use Raymond Briggs’s famous Snowman as inspiration and draw or paint your own snowman-themed picture. All we ask is that you feature a snowman in your design… you can include more than one if you like! |
| Ages: | Categories: 4-7 years, 8-11 years, 12-16 years |
| Site: | Enter here |
OrchardWorld Children’s Art Competition
Design an OrchardWorld family mascot featuring an animal and/or fruit and you could be the winner of a £500 holiday voucher.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Design an OrchardWorld family mascot that’s bright and colourful that demonstrates the OrchardWorld values and engages families. List of animal/fruit you can create or even a combination: Bee, Lady Bird, Butterfly, Rabbit, Farm dog, Orange, Apple, Lemon, Lime, Plum. Sticking to the brand colours: Orange, Green, Blue, White. Your character must be given a name. |
| Ages: | Categories: under 5s, 6-10, 11-16 years olds |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Flair Open Art Prize
Invites 13-16 year olds to present a piece of artwork along the theme of ‘Identity’ exploring ‘Who am I?’ and ‘This is Me.’
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Present a piece of artwork along the theme of ‘Identity’ exploring ‘Who am I?’ and ‘This is Me.’ We are asking entrants to use their art to express themselves. Artworks can be made of any materials; anything from a painting, sculpture, photograph or installation. Submit a photograph of your artwork and a short written statement explaining why you have created your work and what it means to you. |
| Ages: | 13-16 year olds, UK based |
| Site: | Enter here |
Elizabeth Tower Competition
Construct your own tower, inspired by the Elizabeth Tower, using any medium you like – matchsticks, building blocks, clay, Minecraft, or even cake!
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Construct your own tower, inspired by the Elizabeth Tower. Things to think about: – What does Big Ben mean to you? – What would you like UK Parliament to focus on in the future? – How does your design and material represent the UK or your area? You can use any medium you like – matchsticks, building blocks, clay, Minecraft, or even cake! To enter, you will need: – A photograph of your creation and 50-100 words to explain your design and the material you chose to use. |
| Ages: | The competition is open to UK residents aged 7-12 on 30th January 2023. There are 4 categories: – Individuals aged 7-9, Groups (of up to 5) aged 7-9, Individuals aged 10-12, Groups (of up to 5) aged 10-12 |
| Site: | Enter here |
New Life Art Competition
Park Gallery, Cheltenham’s Christian Arts Festival and Cheltenham Education Partnership invite young people to create art on the theme ‘New Life’.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | The theme is ‘New Life’ and all successful artworks will need to creatively embrace this idea. Painting/drawing/mixed media/sculpture are all accepted. Entrants will be judged on how well the theme has been incorporated into their artwork. Consideration will also be given to the artist’s approach to typical elements of art such as creativity, composition, colour, technique etc. 5 finalists will be selected. It is necessary that both the artwork and artist are available for the awards evening. |
| Ages: | Open to years 9 to 13 (UK based) |
| Site: | Enter here |
Lego Friends Competition
Draw or build your dream bedroom from Lego for a chance to have your bedroom transformed into the ultimate hangout.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Upload the image of Your Creator’s LEGO® build, drawing or design of their dream bedroom and in no more than 100 words their explanation of what their design features. |
| Ages: | Open to children aged 6 – 18 (UK based, adult over 18 has to submit entry) |
| Site: | Enter here |
Design A T-Shirt Competition
To celebrate 30 years of Crew Clothing, 3 kids aged 3–9, will have the chance to design their very own t-shirt.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Print out the downloadable PDF and get creative! Once your masterpiece is complete, scan it and email it to anniversary@crewclothing.co.uk. |
| Ages: | Ages 3-9. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Design A Mascot
Inspired by World Book Day, Calleo are asking youngsters to design a mascot to be made into a costume to tour the UK.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Design a company mascot for Calleo, which will be created into a costume and touring the UK very soon. Create a fun, exciting mascot design for our Calleo story. Email hello@calleo-uk.com an A4 drawing of the mascot design and the mascot’s name. Entries must be emailed by an adult aged 18+ on behalf of the young person. |
| Ages: | No age range specified |
| Site: | Enter here |
International Comic/Manga School Contest
Manga, comic, and illustration contest open to students worldwide. Winners are eligible for cash prizes, creative software & pen tablets
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | The theme for all categories is “Journey”. Entries will be accepted for the following six categories: Comic, Manga, Bande Dessinée, Webtoon, Storyboard & Illustration. Submissions may be created using any drawing tools or software. If you create your submission using traditional tools, please submit a digital scan of the artwork. (Paper submissions will not be accepted) |
| Ages: | No age range specified. Applicants must be students aiming to debut as a creative professional, for example, as a manga artist or illustrator, at the time of application. A teacher or member of school staff must register by 3rd April 2023 on behalf of the school or program in order for students to be eligible. |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Draw A Robot Competition
Do you have the imagination to draw a winning robot design? Show off your creativity and design an imaginary robot you’d like to see in the future.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | 1. Download the entry pack, or request one to be posted to you. 2. Create your robot on the plain A4 sheet of paper included. You can use any art medium you like! 3. Label up to five important features on your drawing, let the judges know about all your robot’s useful gadgets. 4. Write your design spec in up to 200 words Explain your robot’s job or function and describe the key features you labelled on the drawing. 5. Scan or photograph your entry page into a computer, or return your entry pack by post and fill out our online entry form before the deadline to be in with a chance to win. UK-RAS are looking for original, practical, and ingenious robot designs. Your robot could do any task or job you can think of – the only limit is your imagination! |
| Ages: | Children aged between 5 and 7 years old. |
| Site: | Enter here |
CO Crew Competition
Help spread the word on the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) in any form of creative media from cartoons, models or fact sheets.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Submissions could range from any form of media, such as: Eye-catching cartoons and videos, Models, Short stories or poems, Leading assemblies at school or your local Cubs or Brownie group, Making a fact sheet to share with your family and virtually with friends. As long as you are spreading awareness of carbon monoxide, anything counts! |
| Ages: | UK children aged 5 – 11 years |
| Site: | Enter here |
Happy Habitart Competition
Invites children to create the coral reef of their dreams! For every artwork entered, a bottle’s worth of rubbish will be removed from the ocean.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Create the coral reef of your dreams! Children get to create their artwork by hand, using any medium (pencil, paint, crayon, craft items, nature items, recycled materials, found items from a litter pick . . . go wild!). All entries must be created by hand and submitted online. Entries will be judged for: Imagination – how creatively the artwork depicts a coral reef of dreams. Composition – how elements such as colour, shape, texture work together. Biodiversity – how much coral reef plant and animal life variety is included. |
| Ages: | Open to children aged 4 – 8 years, living in the United Kingdom or Australia. PLUS if children live anywhere else in the world, they’re still eligible for People’s Choice Awards. |
| Site: | Enter Here |
UKTS 2023 Art Competition
Global Creative Art & Poetry Competition from The Thalassaemia Society asks entrants to create an image on the theme ‘Fantasy and Fairy Tales’.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Submit your creative response on the theme of “Fantasy and Fairy Tales”. This could be a painting, drawing, illustration, graphic art, comics, or similar. |
| Ages: | 3 to 5 years, 6 to 9 years, 10 to 12 years, 13 to 16 years, 17+ |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Into The Wild Artwork Competition
Create your own artwork in celebration of Belgravia in Bloom for a chance to win vouchers to spend at Belgravia Books!
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | During Belgravia in Bloom 2023, the neighbourhood will come alive with incredible floral installations and displays celebrating creatures of all sizes from feathered to scaly and furry to creepy-crawly. The Into the Wild theme will be celebrated with an artwork competition where entrants are invited to create their own Into the Wild pieces of art, think majestic tigers, colourful butterflies, proud peacocks and everything in-between! All submissions need to include the entrant’s name and age on the front. Send a digital copy of the artwork to belgravia.marketing@grosvenor.com (including the entrant’s parent/guardian contact details). |
| Ages: | Categories: 4–6, 7–9, 10–13, 14–18 |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Create Your Own Villain
Create your own villain for a chance get your character illustrated by Ryan Hammond and featured on your very own National Book Token.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | To celebrate Ryan Hammond’s villainously funny, illustrated series Villains Academy, National Book Tokens are asking children to create their own villain for a chance get their character illustrated by Ryan and featured on their very own National Book Token. Download and print the template. |
| Ages: | UK based children age 15 and under |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Young Landscape Photographer Of The Year
Youth competition to celebrate the magic and wonder of the British landscape and showcase the work of talented photographers under 18.
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | There are five categories to enter, with prizes for each category: Classic View, Cityscapes, Expressions/Impressions of the Landscape, Coast, Intimate View (Macro or Details) |
| Ages: | You must be 18 or under on the 31 May 2023 (UK & International) |
| Site: | Enter here |
The Drug of Art Competition
Competition and exciting exhibition opportunity for young people aged 4-25 to experiment and explore the benefits of art for your mental wellbeing.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | The idea behind the competition is to get young people to experiment and explore the benefits of art for your mental wellbeing. We want you to be as creative as you like so use different materials and mediums. See the masterclasses for inspiration. Entries can be a painting, drawing, text art, a photograph, a film or even a crocheted creation. The theme is “How do I feel?” – there are two categories.1. My Happy Place: Where is your favourite place to be? Tucked up in bed, at the beach, playing a sport? Being with friends and family or do you prefer your own company? Where do you find yourself most comfortable? In nature, at home, around your favourite people? Do you have a physical or mental safe place? This could be a photo, a sculpture or a painting. 2. My Reality: What is your reality? What does your day to day look like? Do you suffer from anxiety or depression, if you do, can you visualize this? Can you express this frustration onto a piece of paper? This can be abstract, expressive, metaphorical or realistic. Could it be a diaristic self portrait, a busy crowd, a lonely room, a collection of your most important objects or expressive mark making. |
| Ages: | Open to groups and individuals aged 4-25 (UK based) |
| Site: | Enter here |
Young Close-up Photographer of the Year
The fourth Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) is now open for entries with Young Photographer prizes worth over £700.
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | £5 entry fee for up to 15 images. There are no restrictions on subject matter for this category, so you can send any close-up, macro, extreme-macro and micro images that might catch the judges eyes. |
| Ages: | 17 or under on July 9th 2023 (UK & International) |
| Site: | Enter here |
Picture-This
An ootibo play collaboration with Picture-This Books and Spark UK asks children to draw on their imagination for a chance to win a very special prize.
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | The project is based around a new concept developed by Holly Wadsworth-Hill, author and founder of Picture-This Books, who recently joined the ootiboo team. In her books children read or listen to the story, before going back to the start of the book and illustrating a page or two at a time. This is a mindful journey into a child’s unique imagination. Picture-This Books encourage imagination and creativity, whilst nurturing empathy and kindness. Teachers can download a digital lesson plan and resource to deliver in a 1-hour mini workshop. Holly and Goose will also run the workshop at four ootiboo schools. All resources and workshops are FREE. Students do not need to be artistic to take part in the project; this is more about imagination rather than art and we want it to be fully inclusive. Teachers submit entries from students, which will be judged by Holly based on imagination and interpretation. Winners will be announced on 20th July. |
| Ages: | Open to UK schools, aged limit 7-12. |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Win Tyger Prizes for your School!
Writer in Residence SF Said wants to find the most creative piece of art that is inspired by an animal, just like his books Varjak Paw and Tyger.
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | Create a piece of artwork inspired by an animal. |
| Ages: | Children aged 8+ based in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. |
| Site: | Enter here |
BioArtAttack 2D Competition
A new drawing and painting competition for children aged 7-18 years old to draw or paint their favourite animal, plant or fungi.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Draw or paint your favourite animal, plant or fungi. The Nancy Rothwell Prize is now a sub-category for specimen drawings entered into this competition. |
| Ages: | There are three age categories: 7-11, 12-14, and 15-18. UK & International. |
| Site: | Enter Here |
RSPCA Young Photographer of the Year 2023
Put your photography skills to the test while showing an appreciation and understanding of all the amazing animals around us.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | You can enter up to five photos for each of the following categories: Your age category – under 12, 12-15 Years or 16-18 Years. Pet Personalities, Pet Portraits, Small World, Mobile Phone and Devices, Instagram, Portfolio – in this category you can enter up to three portfolios each made up of five photos, all must be different subjects. |
| Ages: | UK based young people age 18 years or below on 15th August 2023. Age categories: under 12, 12-15 Years & 16-18 Years |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Crayola Hero
Get creative over the Summer holidays in this mega Super Hero drawing competition and learn to draw with tips and tutorials from Will Sliney.
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | Heroes can come in all different shapes and sizes from the NHS saving lives, a robotic cat that captures baddies, to a pet dog that makes you feel happy when you’re sad. Unleash their imagination and submit their hero drawing to the social media channels below. Your child can draw their “hero” – this can be anything or anyone they consider to be their hero. Be as imaginative and creative as they wish. Have an adult upload the picture to a social media platform (Instagram or Facebook) For Instagram, upload your image and tag @CrayolaUK in the post and #Crayolahero. For Facebook, comment on the pinned Facebook post. Download templates and worksheets here (click on the small images of pages to download). Read the full terms and conditions here. |
| Ages: | Competition is open to all primary school children who are currently residing and attending school in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Entries must be submitted by an adult 18 or older. |
| Site: | Enter here |
World Animal Day Mug Competition
Be part of something special and have the chance of getting your design on World Animal Day 2023 commemorative mugs.
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | Using your pencils, felt tips or anything else you fancy – get creative! Create your design using the PDF template provided here using as many colours as you want, the only requirement is that your design is animal related. Send your creation info@naturewatch.org or post to Naturewatch Foundation, 49 Rodney Road, Cheltenham GL50 1HX. |
| Ages: | Age groups: 5-10, 11-16, 17+ |
| Site: | Enter here |
Design A Kitchen Competition
If you’re based in the UK mainland and aged 12 years and under you could be in with a chance of winning your dream kitchen and a whole lot more!
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | Children can be as creative & imaginative as they want and include things that they would like to see inside their dream kitchen. Remember, there are no rules, so a 24/7 milkshake machine or robot pot washer are all in the realms of possibility! The winner will be announced on 8th September 202 |
| Ages: | Open to all UK mainland residents aged 12 years and under (Entries must be made on their behalf, by someone over 18 years of age) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
War Through Children’s Eyes
Art & Creative Writing competition aiming to raise awareness of the impact of wars and violent conflicts on the children & communities caught up in them.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Create an artwork (drawing, painting, mixed media or digital) inspired by the themes of war and peace. Some suggestions: Think about how your image can raise awareness of the children affected by violent conflicts; Create a scene that comes to mind when you think about wars and the children who try to escape or who wait to be saved; Identify the message you want to communicate to people who look at your work; Imagine a world without wars, where children wouldn’t have to run from their homes and instead could be tucked safely into bed by their parents every night. |
| Ages: | UK residents aged 7 – 17. Junior (7-11), Senior (12-17). |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Holdsworth House Art Competition
Submit your painting or sketch of the stunning Jacobean manor house hotel in West Yorkshire for a chance to stay where the Beatles once stayed!
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | Submit your 2-D painting or drawing (oil, watercolour, acrylic, mixed media, pencil, charcoal, pastel, textiles, ink or digital) of the front view of Holdsworth House. View Image Gallery. |
| Ages: | 17 and under (for 18 and over competition details go here) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Design a Moon United Football Kit
Design the very first Moon United football kit in this STEM-themed sport and space activity for kids – a football competition for children aged 4 to 13.
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | Design the very first Moon United football kit – a specially designed and adapted kit for the lunar footballers of the future. 4-7 year old rules: The football kit should include: The team’s name Moon United somewhere on the kit. Colours and items that you like or show your personality. 8-13 year old rules: The football kit should include: The team’s name Moon United somewhere on the kit. A pair of shorts and a shirt. A special element, gadget, or tech feature that would make the kit perfect for playing on the Moon or make the child play better for example. |
| Ages: | Two age categories: 4-7 years olds, 8-13 year olds (UK based only) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Grantham Climate Art Prize
“Palette for the Planet” is the theme for young artists aged 11 – 25 from all across Great Britain to submit designs depicting a greener, cleaner world.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | The 2023 theme for the competition is “Palette for the Planet” – young artists aged 11 – 25 from all across Great Britain are invited to submit designs depicting a greener, cleaner world. Winning artworks will be turned into a beautiful public mural by a local professional artist and projected on billboards across London in the run up to COP28, the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference. All art forms welcome – painting, graphics, photo montage etc (except artwork generated by AI). |
| Ages: | Age groups: 11 – 14, 15 – 18, 19 – 25 (must live in Great Britain) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
International Children’s Painting Competition
The third edition gives children age 4–16 the chance to win a 5 night family trip to visit major tourist destinations in Kerala, India.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | The theme of the competition is Kerala village life! The painting can be anything related to villages of Kerala. View the photo gallery or video of village life of Kerala for inspiration. Here’s a 2 minute video tutorial on how to enter. The participant is expected to paint a picture manually on paper using crayons, color pencils or paint and brush or sketch pens. Any picture generated with digital, electronic or mechanical tools will not be accepted. The picture should then be digitized by any mode and uploaded to the Kerala Tourism contest page (file size cannot exceed 5 MB. The painting dimension should be minimum A4 size. |
| Ages: | 4 – 16 years old, UK & International (born on/after 1/1/2007 and on/before 1/1/2019) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Christmas Cards For Kids
The Sun on Sunday launches its nationwide Christmas card competition to give children with cancer a special festive treat.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Email sundayfeatures@the-sun.co.uk with the heading CHRISTMAS, including a photo of your child’s drawing. Make sure the image is well lit and include your name, along with your child’s name, their age, address and a phone number. Include a few words about why they entered. The original design MUST be on A4 paper, either landscape or portrait. Keep it safe in case it is one of the winners and needs to be scanned for use. |
| Ages: | Winners will be chosen from three categories: Under 5s, ages 6-10, ages 11 to 16. (UK based) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Maths Photo Competition
Photo competition open to everyone in Scotland. Join us on a journey of discovery oot an’ aboot, the ‘why’ of shapes, and in motion.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | 1. find an example of maths inside, 2. stick a maths inside sticker on it, 3. take a photo including the physical sticker in the image, 4. add a title to describe your photo, 5. add a commentary to describe the maths inside (as short as 5 words and no more than 250 words), 6. submit your photo in one of the categories with the help of an adult when submissions open. |
| Ages: | Levels: Early Years — pre-school children & P1 pupils, First Level — P2–P4, Second Level — P5–P7, Third/Fourth Level — S1–S3, Senior Phase — S4–S6, Another Level — for those out-of-school (teachers, parents, anyone not at school!). |
| Site: | Enter Here |
MINI Electric & Crayola Design Competition
MINI have partnered with Crayola to invite the next generation of budding artists to create the MINI Electric of the future.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Use crayons to create your perfect MINI Electric of the future. Draw your ideas on the MINI templates by downloading and printing this PDF. Then, ask an adult to help you describe your design in the description box. Designs should then be submitted by a parent or guardian in a digital format (jpeg or png) to miniminds@popcornpr.co.uk. |
| Ages: | Children aged 4 to 10 years old, residing in the UK. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Commercial Crew 2024 Artwork Contest
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program’s annual artwork contest to help star-seeking children get engaged with the excitement of space exploration.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Children ages four to 12 years old can submit artwork in four space-related themes: Rockets and Spacecraft, Living and Working in Space, Exploring the Solar System, Astronauts. There is no prescribed artwork form that needs to be used. Types of original artwork can include two-dimensional, sculpture, collage, or digital. However, AI-generated content will not be accepted. Artwork must be original. Participants will take a photo/scan of their artwork suitable for the equivalent of an 8 x 10-inch (20.32 x 25.4cm) artwork. All photos must be horizontal/landscape orientation. |
| Ages: | Age groups: 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 (UK & International). |
| Site: | Enter here |
ootiBOO! 2023
ootiBOO! is a fun spooky annual project for all ages, in collaboration with partners Farshore, The Works and HarperCollins.
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | “Our Halloween craft competition has launched. To celebrate the publication of The Child of the Beast, the fourth book in the darkly delicious The Beast and the Bethany series, we’ve teamed up with Farshore to make this year’s ootiBOO! as beastly as possible. With that in mind, we want you to show us what your best Halloween-inspired Beast would look like! Or, if you don’t fancy designing your own Beast, why not have a go at a spooktacular pumpkin design instead?.” |
| Ages: | Ages 4+, worldwide. |
| Site: | Enter Here |
RI Coronation Award
An exciting new award for UK school students aged 11-18 year olds working in watercolour and water based media.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Water-based media including watercolour, ink, gouache, and acrylic on paper. Email ricoronationaward@gmail.com for full derails. |
| Ages: | UK school students aged 11-18. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Young Amateur Photographer of the Year
Free competition open to young photographers aged 13-21 comprising 10 rounds of different photography categories to enter.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | 10 monthly rounds to enter throughout 2023. Your best-placed image in each round will count towards your Amateur Photographer of the Year 2023 ranking. View the Young APOS Leaderboard for current standings. |
| Ages: | UK residents aged 13-21 years. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Unlock A Smile Challenge
Design an Amazon Locker near your school to be in with a chance of winninga goody bag of Red Nose Day treats and £1,000 for your school.
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | Could you design something eye-catching to brighten up someone’s day? Would you like to see your artwork enlarged and exhibited in your own neighbourhood? If so, get involved and make someone else smile with your creativity. Be imaginative, bold and as bonkers as you like. We want you to raise a smile and spread some joy! Simply start drawing your ideas on a piece of plain white A4 paper and get creative with a colourful, imaginative and original design. |
| Ages: | Categories: 4-7, 8-10, 11-13, 14-16 (UK only) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Salvation Army Christmas card competition
Festive kids Christmas Card Competition where the overall winner receives a £100 voucher for The Entertainer and design made into an e-card.
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | Design an A4 drawing/creation of something Christmassy. Ask your parents or guardian to send in your design along with your name, age, address, parent’s email address. |
| Ages: | Categories: Under 7s, 7-9s, 9-12s, 12+ |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Big Issue Christmas Kids Cover Competition
Big Issue are on the lookout for bright, bold, eye-grabbing art that will catch the attention of passers-by and help their vendors sell lots of copies.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Submit your designs to be on the cover of The Big Issue this Christmas. This year’s theme is WELCOME, and entrants are asked to think about what that word means to them and what it represents, during the festive period and beyond. Big Issue are on the lookout for bright, bold, eye-grabbing art that will catch the attention of passers-by and help their vendors sell lots of copies. Artwork can be drawn with pencils or pens, paints, creative collages or designed on a computer or tablet. |
| Ages: | Anyone aged 13 or under. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Jeffrey Ahn, Jr. Fellowship
Fellowship that seeks to empower young artists (up to age 17) from any background or country to realise extraordinary independent projects.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Phase I application: Choose images that represent your best work. Images of finished work are preferable to works in progress. The jury wants to see that, as an artist, you are able to complete an ambitious creative project. By sharing finished work you are giving concrete examples of your ability to follow through. Phase II applicants: Ideally, the images submitted should have some connection to your proposed project. Sketches, drawings, short samples of video, or photographs that illustrate the concept or key components of your proposed project are also very helpful. This will help the jury to envision what you hope to make. |
| Ages: | For the 2023-24 application cycle, candidates should be no older than 17 years of age on June 1, 2024. Global. |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Go Ape Christmas Card Competition
Create a design inspired by ‘Christmas Outdoors’ for the chance to feature on Go Ape’s 2023 Christmas Card and win a class trip to Go Ape!
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Create a design on the theme ‘Christmas Outdoors’ on white A4 paper. Must be in colour – coloured pencils, paint, crayons and felt tips can be used. We would advise you not to stick additional material onto the entry to make it easy to print your design. It should be image only and not feature any text. Must be uploaded as JPEG or PNG file from a scan or clear photo of the design. |
| Ages: | 4-11 years old (UK residents) |
| Site: | Enter here |
ootiboo All Star
ootiboo are teaming up with children’s mental health organisation SparkUK to help raise awareness of their All Star Advent calendar in the lead up to Christmas.
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | Create anything star-themed, in any medium. Use your imagination to come up with a fabulous star. Use any materials or medium you like! You could bake some star cookies, paint or draw a design, make a model, dress up as a star, even dress your pet as a star… The possibilities are endless! What unusual idea can you come up with? ootiboo have also created some colouring templates for younger kids and anyone else! |
| Ages: | Ages 4+, worldwide. |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Sony World Photography Awards: Youth Competition
Monthly competitions for young photographers aged under 19 to compete to be Young Photographer of the Year and win Sony digital imaging equipment!
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Monthly competitions with a changing theme running from 1 June to 31 December, 2022. Photographers can enter up to three images per month. Judges will select a shortlist of 10 images per month, including one winner, Monthly winners compete to be Youth Photographer of the Year. |
| Ages: | The Youth competition is open to all members of the public aged under 19 on the closing date of the competition. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Festive Drawing Weeks
Festive competition from edding inviting you, your friends and family to come together and create one of a kind festive decorations using edding markers.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Step 1: Create or select a template for your Festive Drawing. Step 2: Choose the right edding marker i.e. metallic brush pen, chalk marker, acrylic marker, gloss paint markers. Step 3: Start and get creative. Step 4: Take a picture of your drawing. Step 5: Upload your picture, using #eddingfestivemoment. Step 6: With a bit of luck, win one of ten edding product packages. |
| Ages: | 12 years and over (UK residents) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
International Kids’ Owl Art Contest
Over 2,000 entries from dozens of countries apply each year to be part of the International Festival of Owls exhibition in Houston, Minnesota.
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | Entries must be an image of an owl. Artwork must be two-dimensional, on any size paper that can be mailed and hung on a wall with tape. Digital artwork is allowed if printed, labeled, and mailed as required for other entries. No AI may be used for digital artwork entries. No frames or mattes may be used on the artwork. |
| Ages: | Categories: 0-5, 6-9, 10-14, 15-18, worldwide |
| Site: | Enter Here |
World Children’s Haiku Contest
The first Haiku Contest was organised by the JAL Foundation in 1990 and has been held every two years since then with assistance from the Japan Society.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Entrants must submit their original haiku and accompanying artwork on the theme ‘Family’. Haiku are short poems split over three lines and usually contain a seasonal word. The haiku must be accompanied by hand-drawn or hand-crafted artwork on the same page, using A4-sized paper. |
| Ages: | Ages 15 and under, based in UK |
| Site: | Enter here |
World NTD Day Poster Competition
Children aged 8-16 years in the UK can take part in a poster competition to help shine a light on neglected tropical diseases.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Create a hand-drawn poster using any medium you like, on the theme Shine a Light on neglected tropical diseases. The poster should be no bigger than A3 size. |
| Ages: | Age categories: 8-11, 12-14, 14-16 (UK residents) |
| Site: | Enter here |
Centre for Personalised Medicine Art Competition
“Every year, we plan to ask young people to create art that looks at the great things and the challenging things about personalised medicine”.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | “We would like you to create art about screening newborn babies for disease”. Watch this short video for more on this year’s theme. “You can make a drawing, a painting, a photograph, a collage, a sculpture – we’re excited to see what you come up with! It needs to be something that you can take a photograph of (so it can’t be a piece of music or a video, for example). The art must be your own work. If you use pre-existing material (e.g. to make a collage), you need to obtain permission to use the material from the copyright holder. Any people in your art should not be identifiable. If you’re doing a picture involving a person, you should draw or paint someone from your imagination rather than a person you know in real life.” |
| Ages: | You can enter if you will be in Year 7, 8 or 9 of secondary school on the 1st September 2023. (based in the UK) |
| Site: | Enter here |
Inspire People to Dance Poster Competition!
Design a poster and have it displayed nation-wide on digital screens & win some great prizes including an Art/Design tablet for the winner in each age category!
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Design and create a portrait poster to persuade and inspire people of all ages to dance! Your design could be about any form of dancing, such as ballet, ballroom, disco, hip hop, jazz, tap, swing, not to mention others. It should be a combination of both art/graphic design and words. |
| Ages: | 8-10, 11-14, 15-18 categories. UK residents only. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Home Bargains Christmas Card Competition
Design a Christmas Card for a chance to win £100 & craft hamper for your school & appear on cards to raise money for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Design a Christmas Card, in square format, in any media. |
| Ages: | UK based primary school pupils age 5-11. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Global Canvas – Children’s Wildlife Art Competition
Annual group art contest for children aged 16 and under encouraging collaboration and creativity around wildlife and the environment.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Any art techniques can be used to create entries; including painting, sculpture, textiles, collages and we always like to see recycled materials. 2024 Theme: “The Barometer of Life” – A barometer measures atmospheric pressure to help us prepare for bad weather. The ‘Red List’ of threatened species measures the pressures acting on species and how many are left, which helps governments and wildlife charities prevent extinctions. That is why the ‘Red List’ of endangered species, developed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is often called the barometer of life. |
| Ages: | Ages categories: 4-7, 8-11, 12-16 (from any country) |
| Site: | Enter here |
Science Without Borders Challenge
Annual international contest that engages students and teachers in ocean conservation through art. 2024 theme: ‘Hidden Wonders of the Deep’.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | The theme for the 2024 Science without Borders® Challenge is “Hidden Wonders of the Deep.” To apply for this year’s contest, students should submit artwork depicting mysterious and unique deep-sea creatures or ecosystems, highlighting the beauty and diversity that often goes unseen. Learn about the theme. |
| Ages: | 11-14 years old, 15-19 years old, international |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Our Earth Open Call Exhibition
Open call for biodiversity and climate themed artwork by amateur and professional artists, young and old, based anywhere on Earth.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Artwork should have an Earth theme related to climate, nature or biodiversity. Materials: Acrylic, oil, watercolour, original prints of any media, photography, mixed media, collage, assemblage, drawings, pastels, sculpture. |
| Ages: | All ages, global (free for ages 18 and under, £5 for over 18s) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Our Earth Postcard Competition
Draw an earth or environment themed design on a postcard size piece of card and see your art on show in Leicester.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Draw your design on a 6 inch by 4 inch ‘postacrd size’ piece of card. Your design should be earth or environment themed. Write on the back about a local environment topic that matters to you. |
| Ages: | Anyone under 18, UK & International |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Leaders Award
If you were an engineer, what would you do? Pupils are invited to get creative with their answers via interviews and annotated illustrations.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Pupils are invited to imagine if they were an engineer, what problem would they most like to solve? They do this by interviewing professionals from the engineering field to help inspire them to create their own design of a solution to a real-world problem through an annotated illustration detailing their invention. As well as annotation, they will put their formal English writing skills into practice by creating their own letters of purpose, detailing and explaining their ideas, using persuasive techniques to appeal to our engineer judges – a thoroughly engaging and immersive experience for pupils, teachers and engineers alike. |
| Ages: | UK based school pupils aged 3-19. |
| Site: | Enter here |
The Young Artists’ Summer Show
A free, open submission exhibition from the Royal Academy for young artists aged 4 – 19 years studying at schools based in the UK.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | First, a teacher needs to register your school. Once the school is registered, your artwork can be submitted. If you’re 12 or under, a teacher or parent/guardian will need to enter for you; if you’re 13 or over you can submit artwork yourself. Each student can submit one artwork and there is no theme. Submit an image of your artwork plus some information about the piece such as title, size, and a little text about the artwork and why you made it. |
| Ages: | Students aged 4-19 studying in the UK |
| Site: | Enter Here |
British Science Week Poster Competition
Get creative for the annual, UK-wide poster competition, create a poster which fits in with the theme of ‘time’.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | The theme this year is ‘Time’, – there are loads of STEM topics were explored! Students could create a poster showing how a certain type of technology has changed over time, or even the advancement of time-telling technology itself. Budding poster makers could also go futuristic show us how they think the world might look in years to come, or perhaps look at nature – lifecycles, lifespans, evolution and hibernation – nature is full of timely topics. Entries must be one page of A4 or A3 paper only and you will need to take a photo or scan of it to send electronically. |
| Ages: | UK based only. Early years (3-5), Infant (5-8), Junior (8-11), Senior (11-14) |
| Enter: | Enter here |
Explorify Art Competition
Turn curiosity and creativity into a work of art for a chance to win a £50 book token and see your artwork used to inspire others.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Children are invited to create their own Start With Art artwork. They could draw or paint a picture, make a model or a sculpture, create a collage, design a print, take a photograph… whatever they choose. They might seek inspiration from one of our featured Start With Art artists (but note that children’s entries do need to be original, rather than copies of existing works of art). Or perhaps they’ve learned about the style and work of a particular artist, or have explored new skills in art such as water-colour or hand building with clay. Here’s a purposeful opportunity for them to put those skills into practice. Can they find a way to show their science learning through their art? Can they create something that will spark a conversation about science among other children that look at it? |
| Ages: | Two age categories: 7 and under (at the start of the Autumn term 2023), 8 (at the start of the Autumn term 2023) to 12 (at the end of the summer term 2024). (Entries are welcomed from all educational settings in the UK, including home-educated children.) |
| Site: | Enter here |
Humanimal Trust Creative Awards
Create a piece of visual art on the theme ‘Time to Connect’ – displaying the connectivity between humans and other species.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Create a piece of visual art or written word on the theme of ‘Time to Connect’. Share examples of that wonderful bond between us and our animals and time to connect human and animal medics so they are able to learn from each other. Humanimal Trust strive to build a bridge to create this connectivity between doctors, vets, allied professionals and researchers to work together for the benefit of all species, One Medicine. The amazing connections between humans and other animal species (because humans are animals too!) not only show how our lives are so closely intertwined, but also the physical and emotional similarities between us should be recognised and celebrated. Your entry can be a painting, drawing, pencil sketch, pastels or you might want to create a poster. You don’t have to limit yourself to 2D artwork, how about venturing into 3D? You can use sculpture, collage, textiles, recycled items to create your artwork based on One Medicine and the connectivity between humans and other species. |
| Ages: | 7-9, 10-11, 12-15, 16+ (Only parents, legal guardians or teachers may submit entries on behalf of their children) |
| Site: | Enter here |
National Book Token Design Competition
Annual nationwide contest encouraging children to design their own gift cards for the chance to win hundreds of pounds of book tokens.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Download the book token template on the World Book Day website, print it out, create your artwork then upload to their website. Winners will be announced in May 2024. |
| Ages: | Up to 8 years, 9-12 years and 13-16 years (UK & Ireland) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Easteroo
Annual Easter-themed project, designed for the whole family. Anyone, any age, anywhere can take part and you can enter multiple designs!
| Close: | TBAcurrently closed |
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| Rules: | Draw, paint, make or bake your Easter creation based around one of our two themes: eggs, and spring (so that’s things like bunnies, flowers, chicks, lambs, and more). You really don’t have to be an amazing artist to take part – just use your imagination and share your entry by taking a picture of your creation and posting it on the Ootiboo website. Images featured in the gallery are square-shaped – if possible please send in your entry as a square. |
| Ages: | Ages 4+, worldwide. |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Unique Art Awards
Art Competition for disabled children and youths age 7-21. Prizes include up to £750 for entrants and £5,000 for their school/college art department.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | All entrants for the competition must have a disability of some kind. Creative Themes (choose one): Portrait, Outer Space, Sun, Sea, Sky. Media Choice: 2D Art / Painter, Photographer, 3D Sculpture, Digital Art, Greetings Card. Winners to be annouced in September. |
| Ages: | Child 7–15, Youth 16–21 years old, UK residents only |
| Site: | Enter Here |
Bike of the Future Competition
Peddle My Wheels asks London based children to let their imagination run wild and design the “bike of the future” for a chance to win a bike!
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Imagine a world where more people ride bikes, the roads are safer, the air is cleaner, and lots of people enjoy being active outdoors. We’d love for you to design the “bike of the future” to help us picture this amazing vision! You can let your imagination run wild – use paints, pens, collage materials, digital design or even a make 3D model. There are no rules, just have fun and see where your imagination takes you! |
| Ages: | London based children age 16 or under. |
| Site: | Enter here |
Climate Change Painting Competition
International art prize for school pupils aged 6-15 for art on theme ‘Health and Wellness Champions’. Hosted by the Taiwan Institute of Sustainable Energy.
| Close: | TBA currently closed |
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| Rules: | Through the theme “Health and Wellness Champions”, the aim is to raise awareness of infectious diseases among teachers and students, fostering collective discussion on preventive measures against infectious diseases. Simultaneously, there will be a focus on learning about healthy lifestyles, emotional management as well as gaining a comprehensive understanding of UN SDGs sub-goals contents. |
| Ages: | 6–12, 13-15 year olds (all nationalities) |
| Site: | Enter Here |
The End!
That’s it for now but stay tuned for further kids art competitions as more prizes and contests are announced.
