Ah, six weeks of the children at home! But don't groan - it's a fabulous opportunity to get them into comping! Keep an eye out for events at local tourist attractions, charity days and shopping centres, as well as the big shops like ELC and Toys R Us - there are usually colouring competitions, Treasure Hunts and all sorts of comps to be found. Here's a selection of some of the best online competitions to keep the kids (and you!) busy and entertained - good luck...
If your little one enjoys cooking, Lakeland are giving away an 'I Can Cook' book every week until 15 August 2012, with £50 of I Can Cook goodies for the overall winner in their photo comp. To take part, upload a photo of your child, their creation and a note saying 'i can cook' to their Facebook App - winners are judged.
You'll have to be quick for this one, as it ends on 27 July 2012! Upload a drawing of your dream bike to the Flora Hearts Facebook page and two winners in each age category (2-6, 7-11, 12-16) will win a £1000 Evans bike voucher. There's a template you can download to give them a helping hand (bikes aren't the easiest thing to draw!)
Tiny Pop are going away a giant JCB wall mural in their drawing competiion, plus 4 runners up prizes of 'I Love my JCB' on DVD (I bet Ry would love this!). Upload a drawing of your favourite farm animal here to enter - closes 29 July 2012.
If you're near Redhill, The Belfry are giving away a family ticket to Chessington in their Torch Relay colouring competition. Print off here and drop off at the Belfry before 29 July 2012.
If you live near Uxbridge there are Peppa Pig prizes to be won in their colouring comp - download the picture on the Mall, Pavilions Facebook page and drop off before 31 July 2012.
This one isn't strictly for kids, but it's a nice excuse to take photos of them with some trees! Win a family ticket to the Eden Project plus two nights accommodation and a HP printer in the HP Lorax comp - two runners up get a printer! To enter, tweet a photo of your favourite tree using the hashtag #HPLorax to @HPHitPrint_UK before 31 July 2012 - winners will be chosen at random; read the rules here.
The Pencil People need a mascot - if your child creates the winning design, they will make up two toys and send one to your child. Read more details here - closes 31 July 2012.
Amy's Kitchen have a great colouring competition with arty prizes including easels and paints up for grabs in 4 ages groups: under 5s, 6-10 year olds, 11-15 year olds and 16+. Download your colouring sheet on the Amy's Kitchen Facebook page before 31 August 2012.
If your children love books, Reading Chest is running a review competition. They need to submit three reviews before 31 August 2012, and there are 3 prizes of signed books for each of the three age groups (4-5, 6-7 and 8+) - see the rules here.
Get your under-7 to design a spaceship and they could win 'How the Universe Works' on Blu-Ray. Check out the details on the Jetpack Journeys blog and enter before 24 August 2012.
247 Tales has monthly book prizes for short stories from 10-16 year olds, and the August competition (on the theme 'The Fight') runs from 1 - 24 August 2012. Read more here.
The Daily Telegraph and The Reading Agency are inviting children to complete Michael Morpurgo's story 'I Saw the Seal' in no more than 500 words - read the story and entry details on the Telegraph website. The winner gets 4 signed books and 3 runners up each received one signed book. Closing date is 25 August 2012 and children must be aged 7-11.
Here's an unusual prize - your family will be created as video games characters! The three finalists will also get a games console and games. Askaboutgames.com want 4-15 year olds to describe why their family would make great characters in a game - enter here before 27 August 2012.
I love the English Heritage Sandcastle competition - but am very disappointed it involves voting! There are two categories - under 12s and over 12s/adults. Create a sandcastle based on one of the English heritage castles and upload a photo to Facebook to enter - the three with the most votes in each category will be judged and the winner gets a children's party at a castle, six tickets to a ghost tour OR a Castle Sleepover (prize is dependent on the age of the winner). There's a weekly prizes of a family entry pass to any English Heritage Castle for the one with the most votes too. Closes 31 August 2012.
If your child is a fan of Hama Beads, Patch of Puddles has a fab competition to win a £100 Playmerrily voucher. You need to email a photo of your 'An Amazing Holiday' Hama board to patchofpuddles@gmail.com by 31 August 2012 - read more here - entries will be judged.
Often those of us with very small children don't win much in colouring or drawing competitions - but the Barclaycard Mini Masterpiece comp might be just the outlet for their creativity! Upload a piece of artwork that could adorn a Barclaycard here - the winning entry gets £2000 cottage vouchers plus £500 Waitrose vouchers, and a school visit from Lauren Child (as well as being used as a card design!). Twenty runners up get a signed Lauren Child book plus age-specific art materials and books. Open to under 12s only - enter by 31 August 2012.
SOS (Sumatran Orangutan Society) are hosting an art competition on the theme 'Why we should save orangutans' - there are prizes in three age group: aged 8 and under, aged 9-11 and aged 12-15, and each winner receives a cuddly orangutan toy, a framed picture and orangutan stickers. Enter here by 1 September 2012.
If your child is a member of the Born Free Foundation WildcreW, they can enter a competition to win a 74 piece Crayola set. To enter, paint or draw a picture of Burlington Bear and/or Grum the Groblin. It's free to join the WildcreW and open to under 13s. Enter before 3 September 2012.
The Children's Eyes on Earth Photo Contest is open worldwide and runs until 5 September 2012. Under-17s need to take a photo on the theme 'I Love Nature/I Fear Pollution' - three prize winners, each accompanied by a legal guardian, will travel to Azerbaijan for The Children's Eyes On Earth Festival & Exhibition in October 2012, and also win SLR Cameras and printers.
If you're near Dorchester, check out the details of their flag hunt competition. Look out for world flags in participating shops and you could win £75 vouchers to spend in them - children can pick up an entry form at the Tourist Information Centre. Closes 10 September 2012.
One for bigger kids (by that I mean over 13s, although I think it will be more like Dads doing this one!) is the global Tongal Lego Super Hero video contest. Upload a 1-3 minute video starring Lego Marvel Super Heroes and you could win ¢15,000 and a trip to Comic Con in New York! I have a feeling entries for this one will be amazing, but if your kids like Lego it would be a great Summer holiday project! Ends 12 September 2012.
In the Faber-Castell 'Forest of your dreams' colouring competition there are top prizes of £50 goodie bags a plus tickets to Legoland, London Zoo and Harry Potter to be won. Enter in three age groups (3-5, 6-7 and 8-12) - FIVE runners up in each category win a £30 goodie bag too! You can upload your entry here or post it - closing date is 30 September 2012.
Win vouchers to spend at Fabric8 in Felixstowe or Colchester in their Toy making competition - there are prizes in three categories (children, students an adults) - read details on their website and enter before 30 September 2012.
The Princess and the Pickle are raising money for Children in Need with their Pudsey drawing/colouring competition and they already have a whopping NINETY prizes to be won! Enter before 1 November 2012, but there are monthly prizes as well - enter by 1 August 2012 for the chance to win a Le Toy Van Flagship.
If your little one enjoys cooking, Lakeland are giving away an 'I Can Cook' book every week until 15 August 2012, with £50 of I Can Cook goodies for the overall winner in their photo comp. To take part, upload a photo of your child, their creation and a note saying 'i can cook' to their Facebook App - winners are judged.
You'll have to be quick for this one, as it ends on 27 July 2012! Upload a drawing of your dream bike to the Flora Hearts Facebook page and two winners in each age category (2-6, 7-11, 12-16) will win a £1000 Evans bike voucher. There's a template you can download to give them a helping hand (bikes aren't the easiest thing to draw!)
Tiny Pop are going away a giant JCB wall mural in their drawing competiion, plus 4 runners up prizes of 'I Love my JCB' on DVD (I bet Ry would love this!). Upload a drawing of your favourite farm animal here to enter - closes 29 July 2012.
If you're near Redhill, The Belfry are giving away a family ticket to Chessington in their Torch Relay colouring competition. Print off here and drop off at the Belfry before 29 July 2012.
If you live near Uxbridge there are Peppa Pig prizes to be won in their colouring comp - download the picture on the Mall, Pavilions Facebook page and drop off before 31 July 2012.
This one isn't strictly for kids, but it's a nice excuse to take photos of them with some trees! Win a family ticket to the Eden Project plus two nights accommodation and a HP printer in the HP Lorax comp - two runners up get a printer! To enter, tweet a photo of your favourite tree using the hashtag #HPLorax to @HPHitPrint_UK before 31 July 2012 - winners will be chosen at random; read the rules here.
The Pencil People need a mascot - if your child creates the winning design, they will make up two toys and send one to your child. Read more details here - closes 31 July 2012.
Amy's Kitchen have a great colouring competition with arty prizes including easels and paints up for grabs in 4 ages groups: under 5s, 6-10 year olds, 11-15 year olds and 16+. Download your colouring sheet on the Amy's Kitchen Facebook page before 31 August 2012.
If your children love books, Reading Chest is running a review competition. They need to submit three reviews before 31 August 2012, and there are 3 prizes of signed books for each of the three age groups (4-5, 6-7 and 8+) - see the rules here.
Get your under-7 to design a spaceship and they could win 'How the Universe Works' on Blu-Ray. Check out the details on the Jetpack Journeys blog and enter before 24 August 2012.
247 Tales has monthly book prizes for short stories from 10-16 year olds, and the August competition (on the theme 'The Fight') runs from 1 - 24 August 2012. Read more here.
The Daily Telegraph and The Reading Agency are inviting children to complete Michael Morpurgo's story 'I Saw the Seal' in no more than 500 words - read the story and entry details on the Telegraph website. The winner gets 4 signed books and 3 runners up each received one signed book. Closing date is 25 August 2012 and children must be aged 7-11.
Here's an unusual prize - your family will be created as video games characters! The three finalists will also get a games console and games. Askaboutgames.com want 4-15 year olds to describe why their family would make great characters in a game - enter here before 27 August 2012.
I love the English Heritage Sandcastle competition - but am very disappointed it involves voting! There are two categories - under 12s and over 12s/adults. Create a sandcastle based on one of the English heritage castles and upload a photo to Facebook to enter - the three with the most votes in each category will be judged and the winner gets a children's party at a castle, six tickets to a ghost tour OR a Castle Sleepover (prize is dependent on the age of the winner). There's a weekly prizes of a family entry pass to any English Heritage Castle for the one with the most votes too. Closes 31 August 2012.
If your child is a fan of Hama Beads, Patch of Puddles has a fab competition to win a £100 Playmerrily voucher. You need to email a photo of your 'An Amazing Holiday' Hama board to patchofpuddles@gmail.com by 31 August 2012 - read more here - entries will be judged.
Often those of us with very small children don't win much in colouring or drawing competitions - but the Barclaycard Mini Masterpiece comp might be just the outlet for their creativity! Upload a piece of artwork that could adorn a Barclaycard here - the winning entry gets £2000 cottage vouchers plus £500 Waitrose vouchers, and a school visit from Lauren Child (as well as being used as a card design!). Twenty runners up get a signed Lauren Child book plus age-specific art materials and books. Open to under 12s only - enter by 31 August 2012.
SOS (Sumatran Orangutan Society) are hosting an art competition on the theme 'Why we should save orangutans' - there are prizes in three age group: aged 8 and under, aged 9-11 and aged 12-15, and each winner receives a cuddly orangutan toy, a framed picture and orangutan stickers. Enter here by 1 September 2012.
If your child is a member of the Born Free Foundation WildcreW, they can enter a competition to win a 74 piece Crayola set. To enter, paint or draw a picture of Burlington Bear and/or Grum the Groblin. It's free to join the WildcreW and open to under 13s. Enter before 3 September 2012.
The Children's Eyes on Earth Photo Contest is open worldwide and runs until 5 September 2012. Under-17s need to take a photo on the theme 'I Love Nature/I Fear Pollution' - three prize winners, each accompanied by a legal guardian, will travel to Azerbaijan for The Children's Eyes On Earth Festival & Exhibition in October 2012, and also win SLR Cameras and printers.
If you're near Dorchester, check out the details of their flag hunt competition. Look out for world flags in participating shops and you could win £75 vouchers to spend in them - children can pick up an entry form at the Tourist Information Centre. Closes 10 September 2012.
One for bigger kids (by that I mean over 13s, although I think it will be more like Dads doing this one!) is the global Tongal Lego Super Hero video contest. Upload a 1-3 minute video starring Lego Marvel Super Heroes and you could win ¢15,000 and a trip to Comic Con in New York! I have a feeling entries for this one will be amazing, but if your kids like Lego it would be a great Summer holiday project! Ends 12 September 2012.
In the Faber-Castell 'Forest of your dreams' colouring competition there are top prizes of £50 goodie bags a plus tickets to Legoland, London Zoo and Harry Potter to be won. Enter in three age groups (3-5, 6-7 and 8-12) - FIVE runners up in each category win a £30 goodie bag too! You can upload your entry here or post it - closing date is 30 September 2012.
Win vouchers to spend at Fabric8 in Felixstowe or Colchester in their Toy making competition - there are prizes in three categories (children, students an adults) - read details on their website and enter before 30 September 2012.
The Princess and the Pickle are raising money for Children in Need with their Pudsey drawing/colouring competition and they already have a whopping NINETY prizes to be won! Enter before 1 November 2012, but there are monthly prizes as well - enter by 1 August 2012 for the chance to win a Le Toy Van Flagship.
