Children’s Art Competitions

Our pick of the best UK Art Competitions for kids and young people in 2021. Open to children of all ages up to seventeen…

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 kids and I’ll add the best ones here.

Seeing my childhood cartoon of Goofy cracking a joke win Mickey Mouse comic’s weekly competition was about as big a thrill as a creative kid could get. I hope this list leads to similar creative landmarks, good luck everyone!

See your painting on a set of quality cards as The Animal Sanctuary in Wilmslow invite you to paint your pet and feature in the exhibition.

Close:	28th February 2021 enter now!
Prizes:	Winners: The winners of each of the four age groups, and a selection of six other entries, will be used to make a mixed pack of ten, high quality cards. The featured artists will receive a complementary pack of cards, and their friends and families will be able to buy them through our website.
Rules:	Entry tickets are £3 for each entrant. All entries must be posted to The Animal Sanctuary before 28th Feb.
Ages:	6 and under, 7-11, 12-16, 17 and over
Enter:	heswilmslow.co.uk

Currys PC World team up with Dick & Dom for a kids art competition with £10,000 of prizes to design a tech-robot of your dreams.

Close:	8th March 2021 enter now!
Prizes:	1st Prize: £5,000 voucher to spend on kids tech and their dream robot brought to life by a professional designer for display across stores nationwide. 5 Runners up will each receive £1,000 tech vouchers.
Rules:	Get creative and design your dream tech robot to keep you entertained during lockdown! Include its name, what it does and how it will keep you entertained. It doesn’t matter what resources you have; paper, pens, paint, glue, cardboard boxes or even toilet rolls, put it all together and create your robot. Watch Dick & Dom explain.
Ages:	Children 13 years and younger (UK residents)
Enter:	currys.co.uk/DotheRobot

Your Bottle Moment is the one thing you’d most like to do again when everything is better and back to normal. See it drawn by a professional cartoonist.

Close:	21st March 2021 enter now!
Prizes:	Winners: Good Morning Britain presenter Ben Shephard will pick his 10 favourites from the four age groups. When lockdown is over cartoonist Rob Murray will draw commemorative cartoons of each of Ben’s choices which Ben will present in person to the kids and their parents/carers – specially printed on Bottle Moments mugs.
Rules:	Download and print out the Bottle Moments template from the selection of templates. Draw what you’re dreaming of doing once the pandemic is over. Adults can post it to Twitter or Instagram using #bottlemoments hashtag.
Ages:	Under 5s, 6 – 8 years, 9 – 11 years, 12 – 16 years (UK residents)
Enter:	bottlemoments.com

Enter for your chance to win a VIP family trip to London with free hotel, transport, attractions & lunch from the London Tourism Cooperative.

Close:	31st March 2021 enter now!
Prizes:	1st Prize: A VIP family trip to London. Included in the prize is seeing your artwork exhibited at London’s The O2, two night’s accommodation, a Visitor Oyster card, a Family River Roamer ticket, sightseeing bus tour, admission to KidZania London, lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. For older children a family ticket to Sherlock: The Game Is Now escape room, tickets to Up at The O2 – a climb over the top of the iconic The O2 building and a half day’s work experience in the Dewynters Creative Studio.
Rules:	Create a piece of art about all things British. There are two categories: ‘Real Life’ – use paints, pencils or pastels. And ‘Go Wild’ – use textiles, sculpture or recycled materials, anything goes!
Ages:	0-6, 7-11, 12-19 (Uk & Ireland residents)
Enter:	facebook.com/TourismCoOp

The future belongs to you. What do you want it to look like? Show your vision to world leaders at the 2021 Climate Change Conference.

Close:	5th April 2021 enter now!
Prizes:	Winners: Have your artwork displayed at COP26 and show the rest of the world your vision for the future.
Rules:	Download the Creative Earth template, print the circle out and draw directly onto it (or edit on your computer). If you don’t have a printer you can draw a circle onto an A4 piece of paper instead. All artwork must fit within the circle and include the colour green. Create your vision of our future planet filled with what you want and free from what you don’t want.
Ages:	8 years and under, 9-12 years, 13-16 years (living in the UK)
Enter:	together-for-our-planet.ukcop26.org

Create a new name and character for Lidl’s fun size pears and have your design appear in stores across the country.

Close:	11th April 2021 enter now!
Prizes:	1st Prize: The winning entry will see their design and name on the pear packaging in all Lidl stores.
Rules:	Draw of a character, and create a character name for Lidl’s Fun Size pears. The name should include the word ‘pear’, but the rest is up to your imagination.
Ages:	5-12 years old
Enter:	lidl.co.uk/funsizecomp

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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:	16th April 2021 enter now!
Prizes:	1st Prize (age 17-adult): 2 x £1,000 1st Prize (age 12-16): 2 x £500 1st Prize (age 7-11): 2 x £250 Schools Prize (age 7-11): £250 John Richards Lapenotiere Trophy: £500 (for resident in one of the 8 counties of The Trafalgar Way) A touring exhibition will take place in 2021 (shortlisted announced 25th May 2021) Full list of prizes and details
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
Enter:	thetrafalgarway.org

A free, open submission exhibition from the Royal Academy for young artists aged 5 – 19 years studying in the UK and British schools overseas.

Close:	26th April 2021 enter now!
Prizes:	Prizes to be announced – see last year’s prize winners. Selected pieces will be shown in an online exhibition and some will also be shown at the Royal Academy of Arts (opening 11th July 2021).
Rules:	First, a teacher needs to register your school. Once the school is registered, your artworks 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 artworks yourself. Each student can submit up to three artworks of any type and there is no theme. When you enter, we’ll ask for images 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 5-19 studying in the UK or attending a British school overseas
Enter:	royalacademy.org.uk

Art Competition for disabled children 7-21 years old. Prizes include up to £600 for entrants and £3,000 for their school/college Art Department.

Close:	30th April 2021 enter now!
Prizes:	Gold (1st): £600 in vouchers and £3,000 for their school Silver (2nd) – £400 in vouchers and £2,000 for their school Bronze (3nd) – £200 in vouchers and £1,000 for their school Art teacher of the Year: £2,000 vouchers, or equivalent for other department winners Each finalist will receive a certificate and a £50 Great Art Voucher
To enter:	All entrants for the competition must have a disability of some kind. The subject for all categories are: CORONA, MY HAPPY PLACE, COMMUNITY, HOW THE WORLD SEES ME or PLASTIC. Groups: 2D Art/Painter, Photographer, 3D Sculpture, Digital Art, Performing Arts
Ages:	Child 7–15, Youth 16–21 years old
Enter:	uniqueartawards.uk

Ready to be a part of an exciting space mission? ESA and Paxi are calling on space-inspired kids to help launch ESA’s exciting new mission to Jupiter!

Close:	1st June 2021 enter now!
Prizes:	1st Prize: The winner’s illustration will be printed on a giant sticker that will be placed on the fairing – that is the ‘nose’ – of the Ariane V rocket.
Rules:	Help the European Space Agency create an illustration to decorate the huge Ariane V rocket that will launch the spacecraft on its long journey towards planet Jupiter. Submit a drawing inspired by the JUICE mission and by planet Jupiter and its gigantic moons.
Ages:	Kids up to 12 years old (living in Europe)
Enter:	esa.int

The 10th annual (US based) competition invites 11-18 year olds from around the world to submit a creative response on the theme ‘Water Rising’.

Close:	14th June 2021 enter now!
Prizes:	Gold (Junior): $1,000, (Senior): $1,500 Silver (Junior): $750, Silver (Senoir): $1,000 Bronze (Junior): $250, Bronze (Senoir): $500 Honorable Mention: $50, Bronze (Senoir): $100
To enter:	The 2021 Ocean Awareness Contest theme WATER RISING challenges students to explore and understand their connection to water, and to creatively communicate the need to protect this vital resource and life-sustaining relationship. What are the stories we need to tell about water to sustain and conserve it for current and future generations of life on Earth? Submissions are accepted in: Visual Art, Creative Writing. Film, Interactive & Multimedia, Performing Arts: Music & Dance, Poetry & Spoken Word.
Ages:	Junior 11-14, Senior 15–18 years old
Enter:	bowseat.org

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:	August 2021 awaiting entry
Prizes:	First Prize: £100 art vouchers for each category winner. There are also RSPB runner-up prizes for each category and age group.
Rules:	Create a piece of art inspired by nature, 2021 themes to be announced.
Ages:	Under 8s, 8-12, and 13-18.
Enter:	rspb.org.uk

Global competition that invites children under the age of 15 to let their imaginations run wild by designing cars of the future.

Close:	January 2022 awaiting entry
Prizes:	1st Prize: Winners of the national competition are invited to an awards ceremony at Toyota GB HQ to receive a variety of different prizes, including computer tablets and Toyota goody bags. Their entries will also go forward to the the global competition and the chance to win the trip of a lifetime to Japan.
Rules:	Design a car of the future.
Ages:	Children under the age of 15
Enter:	toyota.co.uk/dreamcar-2021

The RHS Photographic Competition inspires young and old alike to get outdoors and record how enriching and inspiring gardens and plants can be.

Close:	February 2022 awaiting entry
Prizes:	Under 18s Prizes: 1st Prize: £150 (Wex Photographic vouchers) 2nd Prize: £75 (Wex Photographic vouchers) 3rd Prize: £50 (Wex Photographic vouchers) Under 11s Prizes: 1st Prize: £150 (Wex Photographic vouchers) 2nd Prize: £75 (Wex Photographic vouchers) 3rd Prize: £50 (Wex Photographic vouchers)
Rules:	Photographs depicting something plant, garden or wildlife related that interests you
Ages:	10 and under, 11-17 years old, 18+ in adults category
Enter:	rhs.org.uk

Annual group art contest for children 16 and under encouraging collaboration and creativity around wildlife and the environment.

Close:	February 2022 awaiting entry
Prizes:	Prizes to be announced – last year’s prizes included: trophies, DSWF species adoptions, art materials vouchers for the top 3 schools, and a selection of books.
Rules:	2021’s theme was “Healing Nature – A Planet on the Edge” Each group’s entry should fill a wall space 180cm x 180cm with a table 180cm x 60cm in front. Be as creative as you can, using anything from paint, sculpture or sewing to recycled art, to create your own mini-exhibition! Make sure that you use some form of recycled materials in the final piece. 2019’s winners.
Ages:	16 and under. The competition is group entry: art groups, classes, year groups, groups of friends or a whole school! (16-22 year olds can enter the Human Impact category of Wildlife Artist of the Year).
Enter:	davidshepherd.org

The End!

That’s it for now but stay tuned for further kids art competitions in 2021 and beyond as more prizes and contests are announced.

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