If one week into the holidays, your children are looking for a challenge take a look at the wide range of competitions open to them this summer. Entry details and deadlines vary considerable so please follow the links to find out full details.

English and Drama Playwriting

At a time when we are all missing out on the magic of going to the theatre, The One Show, along with The Shakespeare North Playhouse are running a playwriting competition, giving children and young people across the UK the opportunity to see their ideas come to life on stage. They  hope this will help inspire the next generation of playwrights as well as encouraging a love of theatre and the arts in children and young people.
The competition is open to all children and young people aged between 7 and 16 years old.

The deadline for entries is Monday 31 August.

Playwriting Competition further details

 

Creative Writing Generation Lockdown

What has life been like in lockdown and during the coronavirus? There are entry categories for pupils in each age group from 7-17  to submit a piece of writing which could be a personal experience, a poem, or a creative story.

Entries should be 700 words or under.

The deadline for entries is 17 July. 

Generation Lockdown further details

 

Creative Writing C.A.A.B Publishing

For the chance to see their stories in print children aged between 8 and 13 years old need to submit a short story of around 1,000 words.  Each story must include a Taxi Cab and something magical! 

The deadline for entries is 30 September. 

CAAB Publishing further details

 

Young Wild Writer Competition

An opportunity to enter pieces of written work relating to any British wildlife. This can be a story, a poem, a piece of prose, an article, a diary entry but originality, creativity, understanding of the subject and the ability to engage the reader are what the judges are most looking for. There are three age groups: Young (5-8 years), Junior (9-12 years) and Senior (13-16 years).

The deadline for entries is 24 July. 

Young Wild Writer further details

 

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2020

The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2020 is open to anyone aged 11-17.

The deadline to enter poem/s is 31 July. 

Foyle Young Poets further details

 

The Young Walter Scott Historical Fiction Prize

This is UK’s only creative writing prize specifically for budding historical fiction writers! Entries are judged in two categories – 11-15 years and 16-19 years, and the judges looking for stories with historical relevance and accuracy, originality, a good grasp of language, characterisation and plot – but above all enjoyment in the writing.  The fiction can be in any form – prose, poetry, drama, fictional diaries, letters or reportage.  Stories must be set in the past – any time before the writer was born!

The deadline for entering is 31 October.

Young Walter Scott Competition further details and  entry form

 

Modern Foreign Languages Stephen Spender Translation Competition

Students need to submit an English translation of a published poem from any language, together with a commentary of no more than 300 words: giving 3 examples of difficult decisions that had to be made when translating the poem, and explaining how they were overcome..

The deadline for entries is Friday 17 July.

Stephen Spender Translation Competition further details 

 

Technology and Science The Great Exhibition at Home Challenge

How can engineering help protect the planet? Students can investigate and share their views by taking part in 'The Great Exhibition at Home Challenge'.

The deadline for entries is 31 July.

Great Exhibition further details

 

Science, Technology and Geography Circular Economy Poster

To help inspire people to re-use, repair and recycle with this competition involves designing poster to inspire people to find creative ways to repurpose an item from something that might otherwise be thrown away.

The deadline for entries is 29 July. 

Reuse, Repair and Repurpose Poster Competition further details

 

Technology and Geography Challenge for Change Competition (supported by Royal Town Planning Institute)

What do young people think we could change to create better and more sustainable communities? Taking on the role of a special agent for change children are encouraged using use their imagination to think about things in new ways and make the world around us a better place.

The deadline for entries is Wednesday 30 September.

Plan-it Challenge for Change further details on RTPI and competition

 

Science and PSHE Carbon Monoxide Safety

The companies that are responsible for running the gas distribution networks across Great Britain have launched their annual creative safety competition to raise awareness of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Children between the ages of 5-11 to come up with creative ways to explain the dangers of Carbon Monoxide and what we can do to stay safe.

The deadline for entries is Wednesday 30 September.

Carbon Monoxide Safety further details

 

Science, Photography and Geography Our Changing World Photography Competition

The Royal Society of Biology annual photography competition invites amateurs to submit photographs on a particular theme. ‘Our changing world’ is the theme of the competition in 2020. Life on Earth is dynamic and the RSB invites people to capture these transformations. Photographs could illustrate the changes which occur within nature, including metamorphosis and shifts from young to adult or depict how habitats develop during ecological succession, how wildlife adapts, or the impacts humans have on nature.

There are two categories in the competition; Photographer of the Year (18 and over) - £1,000 top prize and Young Photographer of the Year (under 18) - £500 top prize.

Deadline for entries is Friday 24 July.

RSB Photography Competition further details

 

Art and Science Competitions

Carl Linnaeus is famous for his work in Taxonomy: the science of identifying, naming and classifying organisms. Linnaeus was given a raccoon by the Crown Prince of Sweden, he called his new friend 'Sjupp' - pronounced 'shoop'. For this competition Linnaeus would like a new portrait of his furry friend, Sjupp.  Five age categories: 7 and younger, 8 - 11, 11 - 14, 15 - 18, and 19+.

The deadline for entries is 31 August (TBC)

Sjupp Portrait Competition further details

 

The Linnean Society is also running an ongoing activity to ‘create a new species’. Every species has its own unique scientific name that is chosen by the individual or team that discovers it. The name usually reflects something about the species itself. The fun species generator on their website allows young people the chance to create a completely new species which they can then draw and explore imaginatively.

The Linnean Society will announce winners in July, September and December. Open to all age groups.

Species Generator Competition further details