Art competitions for kids can be great motivation for students to create and showcase their best work. The contests and themes vary from general to thematic, such as NASA or conservation. Winners are recognized on a national or global stage. In some cases, young artists will even receive a scholarship or cash prize for their creativity! To brush up on your art skills before competing and to get creative ideas, explore online art camps and live online art classes informed by a curriculum designed by Google, Stanford, and MIT professionals.
Students in Grades 1-4 can learn digital art concepts, including how to create their own comics, with live expert instruction in Budding Digital Artist.
Students in Grades 3-6 can learn how to create stunning graphic designs such as posters and presentations, and even edit cool videos in Create with Canva.
Beginners in Grades 5-12 can learn cutting-edge technology and have fun making cool AI art in AI Art for Kids. And they can also design beautiful websites using Wix in Modern Website Design.
Discover online art competitions for students
Art organizations and charitable foundations offer art competitions to engage students in the arts and to promote education about their mission. Whether students win or not, they benefit from a boost in self-confidence as an artist whose work deserves to be seen by others. Students are challenged to solve a specific artistic problem and grow in their process, and they reflect on their work as they get feedback from judges.
When picking an art competition to enter, be mindful of deadlines, guidelines the artwork should follow, and check if there are any entry fees. This list includes free or scholarship-based entries only for artists ages 2-18. Good luck and happy creating!
Drawing competitions for kids
To start, here are the details on annual drawing competitions that draw inspiration from songbirds to space exploration.
1. Commercial Crew 2023 Artwork Contest
NASA's Commercial Crew Program is holding its annual competition inviting kids ages 4-12 to submit artwork to be featured in their 2023 Commercial Crew Program Children's Artwork Calendar. First, second, and third place artwork will be picked from the age groups 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 per each of the four themes. The themes for this year's contest are Rockets and Spacecraft, Living and Working in Space, Exploring the Solar System, Astronauts. Entries will be judged on originality and theme
Dates: Now through October 27, 2022
Prize: Feature in NASA's Commerical Crew Program Children's Artwork Calendar
Ages: 4-12
2. NASA Langley Student Art Contest
Ready to explore the last frontier? NASA asks students to find inspiration from space flight, earth science, STEM fields, and NASA Missions to create an original print or digital artwork. Entries are judged based on their communication of the theme, creative techniques, and composition. Winners are selected from each grade level to be featured in a gallery.
Dates: Annually in December
Prize: Certificate and NASA Swag Package
Ages: Grades K-12
3. Art of Conservation Songbird Art Contest
Hosted by Wildlife Forever, the Songbird Art Contest aims to share the wonder and diversity of North American songbirds. Students submit a drawing and creative writing essay about a species from the Official Songbird List, then research and record field notes to learn more about their species. Entries are judged by age group and in Creativity and Technique categories.
Dates: Annually in November
Prize: Featured on Songbird Website & Social
Ages: Grades K-12
4. Celebrating Art Contest
Celebrating Art has three free art contests each year. With multiple categories, students can enter their best work of drawing, painting, collage, or computer graphics. About forty-five percent of student art is accepted to be published in the annual art anthology. In addition, winning students earn their teachers free classroom supplies!
Dates: Annually in Spring, Summer, and Fall
Prize: Publication, $25 gift card and free book
Ages: Grades K-12
5. SIGGRAPH SpaceTime Student Exhibition
In support of computer graphics in education, SIGGRAPH offers a themed poster contest each year centered around a chosen theme. Student winners who create a computer-based media creative work have the opportunity to exhibit their work nationally and internationally. The theme for 2022 was “Shaping our future and evolving together.”
Dates: Annually in May
Prize: Participation in International online exhibition
Ages: High School & College
6. JQA International Environmental Drawing Contest
JQA has been around since 1999 with this art contest that receives entries from students in over 80 countries. The 2022 theme, “Choosing Eco Friendly Lifestyles,” asks students to think about how we can live lightly on the planet. Entries can be drawing, paint, pastel, or any other 2D medium.
Dates: Annually in May
Prize: Special memorabilia and participation prize
Ages: 7-15
7. K12 National Art Competition
For this fun competition you can create a 2D physical work of art in the art medium of your choice. Possible mediums include painting, drawings, collages, and prints. There is no official theme for the 2023 K12 National Art Competition - so you can create anything you can imagine. Submissions will be judged on creativity and originality, quality and execution, and overall impression.
Dates: Now through January 31st, 2023
Prize: Some of the prizes offered are Microsoft Surface tablets, virtual art lessons, and in-person experiences at Savannah College of Art and Design!
Ages: K-12 grades
8. ActivityHero's Amazing Activities Art Contest
ActivityHero is celebrating creativity and showcasing inspirational artwork from young artists. Winning artwork will be featured on the ActivityHero home page, social and receive (amazing!) prizes. 3 age groups from 4-17. The theme in 2022 is "If I were a superhero, I would..."
Dates: Annually in July/August
Prize: Amazon gift card, ActivityHero gift card and swag bag
Ages: 4-17
Art contests for kids with cash prizes
In addition to the recognition of a job well done, the following art contests also offer scholarship and cash prizes for student artwork.
9. U.S. Kids Magazine's Cover Contest
U.S. Kids calls on young artists each year to illustrate a cover for their magazines based on a theme. The theme this year is “What pets do when their humans are out.” In addition to getting a cash prize, the winner is featured on the cover of Jack and Jill or Humpty Dumpty Magazine.
Dates: February 1, 2023
Prize: 1st - $500; 2nd - $250.00; 3rd - $100.00
Ages: 2-12
10. Doodle for Google
You know how the Google homepage logo changes for different holidays? Your young artist’s entry could be just that! Students submit a drawing of the Google logo based on a different theme each year. In addition to the prize package, the winner will have their Google logo displayed on the Google homepage for a day. Entries are judged on artistic merit, creativity, and theme communication.
Dates: Annually in March
Prize: $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 technology package for their school/non-profit organization
Ages: Grades K-12
11. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
This long-running contest has 28 different categories for teens to submit their art entries, including comic art, digital art, drawing, and more. Notable alumni that have won the Scholastic awards include Joyce Carol Oates, Andy Warhol, and inaugural poet Amanda Gorman! Art entries are evaluated on originality, technical skill, and personal voice. The entry fee of $7 per work can be waived with a scholarship form.
Dates: Annual Deadlines in September - December
Prize: Scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 + national recognition and exhibition
Ages: Grades 7-12
12. Science Without Borders Art Challenge
Students from around the world participate in the Science Without Borders Challenge each year to promote ocean conservation through art. The theme for 2022 was “Ridge to Reef,” focusing on actions people can take to protect fragile coral reef ecosystems. Painting or drawing entries are judged based on theme, artistic merit, creativity, and visual impact.
Dates: Annually in March
Prize: 1st - $500; 2nd - $250.00; 3rd - $100.00
Ages: 11-19
13. Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest
Each year Toyota invites students to dream about how they would like to get around in the future in their Dream Car Contest. Students draw or paint anything they can imagine for their dream car - one of last year’s winners was a Giraffe car that delivers groceries to high-rise apartments. Entries are judged on concept, uniqueness, and artistry.
Dates: Annually in January
Prize: 1st - $750; 2nd - $500; 3rd - $250
Ages: 4-15
14. ShinHan Postcard Art Contest
ShinHan invites students around the world to work on a smaller scale to paint a postcard around a theme each year. For 2022, “A New Appreciation: Back to Normal” has students ponder what they are grateful for coming out of pandemic lockdowns. Winners are displayed in an online gallery and receive a range of cash prizes.
Dates: Annually in May
Prize: Cash prizes from $100 - $1,000 and Shinhan watercolor set
Ages: 4-18
Enter art competitions for kids
Art competitions can be an excellent, focused way to get students of all ages creating and sharing their artwork with the world. Keep an eye on the calendar because most competitions return each year. Maybe we will see your art on the Google homepage or in NASA’s art gallery someday! Up next, check out fun STEM contests.
If you’re looking to engage your child in fun classes with a live teacher while developing their artistic skills, check out online Create & Learn art and design classes including:
Power of Color - Learn how to combine colors to create moods, effects, understanding, and meaning. Color makes your artwork shine!
- Learn to use this intuitive graphic design tool to create flyers, cards, posters, and videos.
Annie Schmitt is a Computer Science Teacher and Teaching Artist from Pennsylvania. She loves using art, technology, and science together to create exploratory hands-on learning experiences for students in grade K-12. As a Teaching Artist, she travels to schools and organizations in her state to teach children stop-motion animation, game design, and visual outdoor art. Annie has taught thousands of students from states all over the U.S. and countries around the world.
