Annual Art Contests for Kids

One good way to encourage your child to develop their imaginations and to get them away from the television is to have them enter an art contest. There are many different types of art contests that are designed for kids. Most will revolve around creating a poster for a themed event, or creating some sort of narrative art that teaches a lesson as well as entertains. To find these contests you will want to look for annual contests and for new campaigns offered by federal and state agencies as well as nonprofit organizations.

Children's Art Contest Number One - The Annual Tar Wars National Poster Contest

The Tar Wars National Poster Contest is an annual art competition for kids. To qualify for this competition the child needs to be in the fourth or fifth grade, they must have had the Tar Wars presentation given to them in school, they must create a poster based on this year's theme, and they must submit their entry by their state's deadline. If you are a teacher and would like your class to participate in this anti-tobacco art competition you can contact your state representative to get the materials needed. To find the contact information for your state's Tar Wars representative you will need to go to the Tar Wars homepage located at http://www.tarwars.org/poster.exml. Art work will be judged on creativity, originality, interpretation of the anti-tobacco theme, and the clear and positive message that it depicts. Posters will need to be between 9 inches by 12 inches and 22 inches by 28 inches, and they must use two dimensional art mediums only. The deadlines for entries will vary, however, mid April is a good estimate. Posters that win at the state level will be entered in the national competition held in May.

Children's Art Contest Number Two - Youth Wildlife Art Contest

If your child is interested in hunting or wildlife then they may be interested in entering the National Rifle Associations Youth Wildlife Art Contest. This is an annual event that accepts entries from kids in grades one through 12. Students can attend private, public, or home schools and still be eligible for this contest. The deadline for entries is the beginning of October with the 2006 deadline being October 3. There are four age categories for prizes. Category I will be for 1st through 3rd graders, category II for 4th through 6th graders, Category III for 7th and 9th graders, and Category IV for 10th through 12th graders. Several cash prizes will be awarded in each category.

Students are only allowed to submit one entry. The artwork can use any two dimension art medium, as long as it is on an 8 ½ inch by 11 inch paper, or on an 11 inch by 14 inch paper. You don' need to mat the art but you can if you want. Art work will be judged on its composition, realism, creativity, and effort. For more information about this competition you can visit the following website: http://www.nrahq.org/youth/wildlife.asp.

Children's Art Contest Number Three - Annual Arbor Day National Poster Contest

The National Arbor Day Foundation is another organization that hosts an annual poster contest intended to inspire children. This competition is open to fifth graders across the national and last year more than 75,000 fifth graders participated in this event. If you are a teacher or a home school teacher and you want your class or child to participate in this event you can request a free Activity Guide for this year's poster contest from http://www.arborday.org/kids/postercontest. This free guide will include lesson plans that center on the importance of tress, and they will include lessons for the following subjects: art, geography, social studies, and national science. Prizes for this contest include Savings Bonds, awards, teacher prizes, and a trip to Nebraska City, Nebraska for the awards ceremony. For more information about this contest please visit the National Arbor Day Foundation's website.