Keep the family busy with these creative kids competitions!

Are you stuck with bored children at home? Creative kids competitions are a great way to keep them busy – but will also put their brains to work. Here’s a few fun kids competitions they might like to try… don’t forget to check the comments too as you’ll find more comps there!

If you live near a Smyths or The Entertainer store they also have entry forms and colouring sheets in store, especially during the Summer and Easter holidays, so do pop in to check!


Win a trip to Japan

The Japan Society are running their haiku contest again in 2023, with the theme of ‘family’. Entrants must be UK residents and aged under 15 on Monday 15 January 2024. The haiku must be three short lines, can be typed or hand written and must be accompanied by hand-drawn or hand-crafted artwork on the same page, using A4 or letter sized paper, and glue the application form to the back.

Winners of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards will win a Canon camera and be invited to an award ceremony in Tokyo. Each will receive ¥100,000 as grant money for travel and accommodation expenses in Japan, plus round-trip air tickets (economy class) to Tokyo for two.

Find out more at www.japansociety.org.uk/haiku-contest-2023-2024 – closing date is 15 January 2024.


Win a £100 Home Bargains voucher and craft hamper

UK children between 5 and 11 are invited to design a Christmas card for the Home Bargains competition – entries must be square and submitted on the entry form before 31 January 2024, and using mixed media is encouraged! The 12 winning designs will be manufactured and sold in Home Bargains stores for Christmas 2024 with all profits going to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital PLUS each winning artist will receive a £100 Home Bargains Voucher and a craft hamper for their school!

Find out more at www.homebargainscompetitions.co.uk

I regularly recommend www.toppsta.com as a fabulous place to win kids books, and you have a better chance of winning if you add reviews to your child’s account. Ask your children which books they’ve read recently – older kids will be fine to type up their own reviews, but for younger children you could ask them questions about the books and then type up the review yourself based on their answers. Help them expand their vocabulary and ask them to think of different adjectives – exciting, thrilling, fascinating, etc. – to describe the story and characters. Try asking Google or Alexa for synonyms!

Find out more about kids book competitions in my blog post Competitions for bookworms. 

Other comping fun for kids

  • If you don’t mind giving them a phone or tablet, set the kids to work on some instant wins! My son Ryland loves playing ‘spin to win’ free instant wins online, or the games on the Coca-Cola app. Check my list of instant wins for the latest comps! 
  • If your child loves to write, there’s a great list of current UK writing competitions on the School Reading List website – which also includes public speaking competitions too.
  • Moma.co.uk lists some nice arty kids competitions! 

Do you have any more tips for keeping the kids busy comping while they’re stuck at home? Let me know in the comments.

45 Responses

  1. Fiona says:

    https://mapedhelix.co.uk/2023/07/24/get-crafty-and-become-a-summer-super-star/?fbclid=PAAaa7qol54IkNfeekXL6LjD3hmuMguwF4hqWHVXWhimObFS9hFdzaHuoTyEE_aem_AQOlRwxUhdX6poGVFyexx0NANaex9zAw6e095QtvOFr35odVa9-UDJZZ7uPT-WZ8vHM

    Should take you to a weekly comp for young artists/crafters with weekly prizes and a grand prize for a winner who has submitted entries 3 out of the 6 weeks. Running insta and facebook I think

  2. Cara says:

    Camp Beaumont are also running a competition to win a week’s stay at Skern Lodge in 2023 worth £899 and also a chance to win a free week at Camp Beaumont this summer – inclusive for ages 3-16 and running in over 45 UK locations. Simply enter your email address here: https://www.campbeaumont.co.uk/bounceback T&C’s apply, closing date 31/07/22

  3. Angela says:

    WordHound runs a monthly writing competition for kids aged 12 and under:
    http://www.wordhound.co.uk/competitions

    Every month there’s a different theme, it’s up to 300 words, and you can win books from guest authors plus sweets and stationery.

  4. Taniya Dey says:

    For School Robot Competition, the correct link is https://www.ukras.org.uk/school-robot-competition/write

  5. Rachel says:

    Are you sure that “givebacklondon” competition is legitimate? .
    I can’t find them registered as a charity, or any information on how entries will enable a free meal. They don’t seem to have any fixed address & they are requesting all details by post & no electronic records.
    I might be wrong. (& hope I am) but I would suggest people look into this before deciding to send all their personal details to a random PO Box number, as this doesn’t seem right to me.

    • Di says:

      I’ve sent them an email to get some further information from them. It seems rather a lot of trouble to go to for a competition that isn’t genuine!

      • Rachel says:

        But a very simple way to create identity theft? .
        As I said, I hope I’m wrong. But with no details on the people running it, or any registered charity number, or any fixed address & their website does absolutely nothing, other than ask for these “entries”, it all seems a little strange. How can sending a kids picture fund a meal?
        Hopefully they can reassure you/us by providing more information.
        Thanks.

      • Aqua Jo says:

        Hi Di, I’ve tried to email and telephone the human relief foundation. I’ve had 1 email saying they would check (Monday this week) 1 telephone call converstation with them (Friday last week) saying that they would check on it. And….. no replies so far. I’ve now sent them 3 emails asking the same questions…..

  6. dana burton says:

    Vegan Kids festival have announced the 2022 “Vegan Kids Festival Design a T-Shirt Competition” the competition aims to find the best Young designer from submitted designs and the winner will win tickets to the festival as well as see their design come to life as our main festival T-shirt for 2022.

    To enter design your perfect Festival T-shirt and send your entries to fun@vegankidsfestival.co.uk designs can be created on a computer or by hand, simply send in a photo or your design.

    For a full list of eligibility criteria and full terms and conditions please see https://www.vegankidsfestival.co.uk/tshirt-competition/

    Young Designers aged 18 and under are eligible to enter.

  7. Claire says:

    Do you know a child under 10 who loves #reading? We have a #competition for them!

    Design a bookmark to win a Children 1st goody bag including books and a stash of their bookmark.

    Find out how to enter http://children1st.org.uk/bookmark

  8. Nikki Hunter-Pike says:

    Niche – For anyone visiting Father Christmas at the National Gallery in London, design your own Christmas card to win £100 to spend in the National Gallery shop https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/meet-father-christmas/competition

  9. Favour Olamilekan says:

    can not enter the kiddy charts competition . Why?

  10. Nikki Hunter-Pike says:

    CD 15/8 kids to draw their sporting dream posters. Winner gets a mapped helix stationery set AND the chance to train with a top sports coach and GB medalist! https://m.facebook.com/MapedHelix/photos/a.913047192077655/4244481908934150/?type=3

  11. Nikki Hunter-Pike says:

    Closes 30th June – Design a poster of your city of the future and win one of three £200 ethical superstore voucher. https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/competition/design-a-future-city-and-win-a-200-voucher-ethical-superstore-voucher/

  12. Ellie says:

    Hi guys! Just seem this on Instagram to win a Plum Trampoline worth £1500 https://www.instagram.com/p/CNVRQeigy_9/

    Need to enter by Saturday 10th of April by doing a move from the video

  13. Taniya Dey says:

    Hi Di, I am a follower of your Creative Kids competition since last September. It keeps my 6 years daughter quite busy during this time. She is happy to be KS1 winner in UK for Children of Lockdown conducted by Storychest, CO Awareness Competition conducted by Energy Networks, Pearson UK’s Twist on a Tale and to receive other misc prizes. Thank you for your effort and regular blog on kid’s competition.

  14. Kim Steen says:

    Has anyone tried entering the 44 cats pasta comp? I submitted an entry but had no confirmation onscreen or email and dont want to resubmit in case it gets disqualified

    • Di says:

      Hi Kim! I’ve checked with the promoter and there’s no confirmation displayed – it just takes you back to the entry form I believe. If you’re concerned about your entry not being received, they’ve said it’s fine to submit it again!

      • Kim Steen says:

        Ah no thats great thanks! It did return to the entry form so if thats what its supposed to do then thats fine

  15. Maryam says:

    Hi Im home schooled at the moment in the uk as im in the waiting list for a school so can I still do it because there is some money that goes forward to the school depending on if I win or not …

  16. Sam Shakes says:

    Hi. My 8 year old niece is very good at designing. Ranging from clothes, to home furnishings and interior decor. Can you please let me know if there are any competitions that she enter or courses. Thanks in advance.

  17. Deborah says:

    Pls Is is it only for uk kids or other countries?

  18. Krisha says:

    Great list…I am having a bookmark competition on my blog…..would be great if you can include it in your list

  19. Alyson says:

    Hi does anyone have any spare paper for the iPad competition for the children?

  20. Lorcan says:

    Hi Di,

    Just saw this on Twitter which people might to enter. https://twitter.com/Sewsofia/status/1248891923709952005?s=19
    “Get your kids to have a go at drawing, colouring in or creating a bag (Easter baskets count!) this weekend and they could win a pencil case! PS. So far I have 3 entries, one of whom is my niece!! Google ‘coloring sheet bag’ to get them started”

  21. Nikki Hunter-Pike says:

    Great list Di – just to update all the free packs have now been claimed for the Antalis Ipad competition

    • Di says:

      Thanks Nikki – I’ve added that information in! Did you manage to enter it? I have some spare paper I can post to you!

      • Nikki Hunter-Pike says:

        I’ve only just seen this ‍♀️ if you still think there’s time then it would be fab if you still have some spare – understand if you don’t anymore 🙂 x

  22. Di says:

    Fab, thanks Neill – I’ve added that one to the list!

  1. 26/01/2021

    […] List of creative competitions for children and young people > […]

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