National Drawing Day Competition - May 16 2026
Celebrate through creativity!
This May, we're celebrating National Drawing Day with an exciting drawing competition that invites young artists to explore what "PLAY" means to them. Whether it's kicking a football, building a den, playing with friends, or losing yourself in imagination, we want to see your vision of PLAY brought to life on paper!
About the competition
Drawing is one of the most joyful forms of play itself, and we're inviting children and young people across three age categories to pick up their pencils, crayons, paints, or markers and show us what play looks like through their eyes.
Age categories
We've created three categories to ensure everyone can take part:
Little Artists (Under 5s) For our youngest creators, this is all about having fun and expressing themselves. Scribbles, splodges, and colourful marks are all welcome! What is your favourite game/toy/thing to play with your parents/sibling? Are you into cars? Or are ponies more your thing? Can you build a fantasy world with blocks? Or do you love to play dress-up?
Young Creators (Ages 6-10) Primary school artists, show us your world of play! Whether you love sports, games, or make-believe, we want to see it all. How do you play at breaktime? What's your favourite thing to play outside of school? Are you a lego master? What do you enjoy playing with your friends?
Teen Talent (Ages 11+) Our older artists can explore play in all its forms: from the literal to the abstract, the energetic to the thoughtful. Are you part of a team/club/group? Do you play an instrument?
How to enter
- Create your drawing on paper (any size up to A3)
- Use any materials you like: pencils, crayons, paints, pastels, or mixed media
- Make sure your artwork shows the theme of "PLAY"
- Submit your entry by Saturday 16 May by emailing a photograph to familyhubprogramme@peterborough.gov.uk
- Please ensure you provide the artist's name and age and contact details of a parent/guardian
Prizes
Winners in each category will receive:
- £25 gift voucher to use with over 350 brands
- A certificate of achievement
- Their artwork displayed at Gladstone Family Hub and Community Centre
Important dates
Competition launch: Monday 20 April
Submission deadline: Saturday 16 May
Winners announced: Friday 22 May
Disclaimer:
This competition is open to all children and young people in the specified age categories. By entering, participants agree to have their artwork potentially displayed publicly and shared on our social media channels (names will only be shared with parent/guardian permission).