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.
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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.
Note: 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.
Art Contests
(In order by deadline)
JQA International Environmental Children’s Drawing Contest (All Countries)
DEADLINE: May 31, 2026
Ages: 7 – 15
K-12 Art Competition (US Only)
DEADLINE: June 1, 2026
Ages: Grades K-12
2026 International Poster Competition (All Countries)
DEADLINE: June 1, 2026
Ages: All
£20 per poster entry fee
Insect Collective International Exhibition (All Countries)
DEADLINE: June 26, 2026
Ages: All
Free for ages 18 and under; Over 18, £5 per artwork for up to 3 pieces
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest (All Countries)
DEADLINE: June 9, 2026
Ages: 11-18
Creative Writing, Poetry, Art, Film, Speech, Dance, Multimedia
“My Country, My Story” Art and Writing Contest (US Only)
DEADLINE: August 8, 2026
Ages: Grades K- College
Children’s Mangrove Art Contest 2026 (All Countries)
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026
Ages: 7-16
World Animal Day Mug Competition (All Countries)
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026
Ages: All
Happy DEGART Contest (All Countries)
DEADLINE: September 2, 2026
Ages: 4-17
George Montgomery/NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest (US Only)
DEADLINE: October 1, 2026
Ages: Grades 1-12
Save the Frogs Art Contest (All Countries)
DEADLINE: November 1, 2026
Ages: All
Art Contests for Kids with Deadlines that Vary
FAI Young Artists Contests (All Countries)
DEADLINE: Deadline Varies by Country. Contact your country representative. You can find the information here.
Ages: 6 – 17
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/