The Benefits of Entering a Free Art Contest
Free art contests for kids offer children some great life lessons:
- Establishes a goal: Every contest has guidelines and a deadline, which gives a child a specific goal to work toward.
- Builds confidence: The process of creating the artwork itself builds self-confidence, as the child goes from an “I can’t draw” mindset to one of “I can enter this contest — and I might win!”
- Encourages strong effort: The art children enter should be their best work, teaching them that no matter what they do, they should do it well.
- Promotes cultural and social awareness: Many art contests focus on themes related to cultural diversity or social and environmental issues. Participating in these contests can help children develop a deeper understanding of these topics, as well as use art as a medium for change.
- Provides recognition: If they win, their artwork may be showcased in exhibitions, publications, or online. There’s also the fun of a prize and learning to be a gracious winner.
- Teaches how to persevere: If they don’t win, there’s the practice of dealing with disappointment and trying again.
- Teaches the importance of effort: Win or lose, when your child creates a piece of art and enters it in a contest, they have tried, which is the first step to success in any endeavor. Just the act of creating art and putting it out into the world is an accomplishment.
Enter Now!
Ready to enter? Keep scrolling for a list of current online art contests for kids and teens (listed in order of deadline). Almost all of them are free to enter. Once in a while, there will be a contest or two that have just a small fee.
To find out more about a certain contest, click on the name below. If you have a contest you’d like for me to list, please contact me.
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Art Contests
(In order by deadline)
Sony World Photography Awards Youth Competition (All Countries)
DEADLINE: January 6, 2026
Ages: 19 and under
2026 FAI International Aviation Art Contest (US Part/National Contest)
DEADLINE for US Residents: January 16, 2026
Ages: 5-17
California Coastal Art & Poetry Contest (California Only)
DEADLINE: January 29, 2026
Ages: Grades K-12
FIFA World Cup 26 Kid’s Drawing Contest (All Countries)
DEADLINE: January 30, 2026
Ages: 5 – 12
Global Student Art Competition (All Countries)
DEADLINE: January 31, 2026
Ages: Primary and Secondary Grades (Grades K-12 in the US)
NOTE: Entries must be mailed to Greece, so be sure to mail them in time.
U.S. Kids Magazine Cover Contest (US Only)
DEADLINE: February 1, 2026
Ages: 2-12
Engineer Girl – The Art of Engineering Contest (All Countries)
DEADLINE: February 1, 2026
Ages: Grades 3 – 12
Global Canvas Children’s Art Competition (All Countries)
DEADLINE: February 19, 2026
Ages: 4-16
State Fish Art Contest (All Countries)
DEADLINE: February 28, 2026
Ages: K-12
Science Without Borders Challenge (All Countries)
DEADLINE: March 2, 2026
Ages: 11-19
National Wind Energy Art Challenge (US Only)
DEADLINE: March 2, 2026
Ages: Grades K-8
DEADLINE: March 15, 2025
Ages: Grades 1-12
VFW Auxiliary’s Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest (US Only)
DEADLINE: March 31, 2026
Ages: Grades 9-12
ArtEffect Contest (All Countries)
DEADLINE: April 21, 2026
Ages: Middle School and High School
Robert Shetterly Portrait Contest (All Countries)
DEADLINE: May 1, 2026
Ages: Grades K-12
2026 International Poster Competition (All Countries)
DEADLINE: June 1, 2026
Ages: All
£20 per poster entry Fee
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest (All Countries)
DEADLINE: June 9, 2026
Ages: 11-18
Creative Writing, Poetry, Art, Film, Speech, Dance, Multimedia
Art Contests for Kids with Deadlines that Vary
If you do not live in the country indicated, you can enter any that say “All Countries”. Contests marked “All Countries” are for young artists living anywhere in the world.
FAI Young Artists Contests (All Countries)
DEADLINE: Deadline Varies by Country. Contact your country representative. You can find the information here.
Ages: 6 – 17
Sultan of Arts (All Countries)
DEADLINE: Varies
Ages: 24 and Under
Art, Music, Pantomime, Ballet
Congressional Art Competition (US Only)
Deadline: Varies. Contact your representative.
Ages: High School
World Photograph Organisation Monthly Youth Contest (All Countries)
DEADLINE: End of Each Month
Ages: 12-19
Hello! Stories to Grow by is holding one last Kids Art Contest for 2020. Thank you as always for publishing information about our art contests which allows children all over the world to illustrate scenes from our stories and have the opportunity to be featured on our website which had over 3million visitors last year. Information can be found here: : https://storiestogrowby.org/stories-to-grow-by-announces-kids-art-contest/
Thank you!
Thank you! I’ll get it posted!
Thank you, this list is very helpful!
Please publish:
Space Art Contest – https://art.spacefoundation.org/
International festival of OWLs Art Contest – https://www.festivalofowls.com/kids-art-contest.html
Thanks! I’ll get these posted!
Please publish the below contest:
2021 WATER AWARENESS CALENDAR CONTEST – SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN
https://www.wrd.org/StudentArtContest
Hey, there is an internationally aclaimed art competition Art for Change – International Child Art Competition and Exhibition for students from 4-15 years of age. It hold several international exhibitions in Pakistan and USA, Canada, and other countries to promote students’ artwork.
Please have a look and suggest to parents and other art teachers in your circle. If you have any queries, feel free to email me at mujtaba@discoveringnewartists.org
The details of the art competition can be found at http://www.discoveringnewartists.org/afc
here i found another entry drawing contest https://advenaworld.com/kids-1
THanks! I don’t usually post this one because the entry fee is quite high.
How do I sumbit my art to the save the frogs art contest? I want to submit it online but I doesn’t say how. Do I have to email it to them?
They aren’t accepting entries yet. It says on the website they should be open to entries August !st. Check back on Saturday!
Thank you for the help! I now see they have new added extra info at the end saying they will be accepting entries at August 5 2020.
Any contests that theme is drawing/painting people? And available to canada
When I find them, I’ll list them here! And Canada can participate in any that say “All Countries”.
Hi there! Do you know any art contests that have no theme? and possibly free to enter? I have found one of them but had a 20$ entry fee 🙁 (worldwidekidsdrawings.com) If anybody knows anything cheaper than that please tell me! Thanks very much, Molly A. Brian.
When I find them, I list them here. Usually contests have some sort of theme, but not always. I mainly list the free ones; if there’s a charge, I’ll mark it on this page so you’ll know. The Happy DEGART 2020 says you can create whatever you’d like: https://www.degallery.us/art-contest/
heres another drawing contest https://spiritualartawards.com/