Earth Day Youth Art Contest 2024

2024 earth day youth art contest banner - stylized earth drawing with announcement of the art contest

2024 Art Contest

Welcome to our annual Art Contest page. Earth Day is April 22 and this year's theme is "Planet vs Plastics." Let your child's creativity and thoughtfulness be free so they may create artwork that illustrates how they would reduce use of disposable plastics in the home and/or show us what Earth Day means to them.

2024 Earth Day theme is Planet vs Plastics

Earth Day is April 22, 2024. This year, young artists may enter their creations for the Earth Day Youth Art Contest to these categories:

Share how you would reduce use of disposable plastics in your home
Illustrate what Earth Day means to you

daniel's colorful drawing shows happy people living in open air treehouses. children are playing in a circle on the green grass, there's a tire swing, a bluebird flying next to the tree.

Let your child's imagination run free as they express themselves with colors, style and creativity, and most of all, have FUN. Let’s celebrate Earth Day by showing how they might save the planet by reducing the use of plastics.

Artwork will be featured on our social media and parkhere.org, and every participant will receive a small thank you gift. In addition, there will be one grand prize winner and finalists from each age group will receive a special prize. Winning artwork may be displayed in our parks.

Contest Rules

Each person may submit up to two (2) pieces of artwork
Artwork may be created in any medium - crayon, pencil, pens, watercolor, charcoal, digital, etc.
Artwork must be 8.5” x 11” format (vertical/landscape or horizontal/portrait)
Include first name and age on artwork in lower right-hand corner (open to anyone entering grades TK/Pre-K to 12 in 2024)
Submit original artwork under the appropriate school grade level
Complete the submission form in full
Submit artwork via the online submission form or print and mail (postmarked) by 11:59pm PDT, Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Winners will be notified via email by May 17, 2024
Prizes will be mailed by June 17, 2024 (restricted to addresses in the United States)
To submit artwork by mail: print and complete the submission form, and mail with artwork to:

Santa Clara County Parks
Earth Day Youth Art Contest
5965 Silver Creek Valley Road
San Jose, CA 95138

Contest Agreement

By entering the contest, you accept and agree to all rules, terms, and conditions. Artwork submitted may be used for any and all purposes anywhere and in perpetuity at no compensation. Winning and non-winning photo submissions may be used in Santa Clara County Parks social media channels, website and other park publications. The contest is open to participants regardless of residence or citizenship, so long as the laws of their jurisdiction allow participation; prizes will be restricted to the United States. Employees of Santa Clara County Parks are not eligible to participate.

Original artwork must be uploaded or postmarked by 11:59 pm PDT, April 30, 2024.

Questions? Email [email protected]

2022 Art Contest Winners

We received 100+ entries for our second Youth Art Contest to celebrate Earth Day. It was challenging (but fun!) to choose the winning artwork and quotes.

These amazing pieces of art will be featured in posters to be displayed at County Parks this year and winners will receive a prize (parents/guardians have already been contacted). Everyone who submitted their artwork will receive a participation gift.

Thank you so much for sharing your child's creativity and talent!

drawing by tobias of rainbow people animals hearts

Tobias, 4 (high-res file)

Sia, Age 5 (high-res file)

drawing by shinyee, horseback riding in corral at Ed Levin

Shinyee, Age 6 (high-res file)

drawing by sophia, animals, sun, plants, a heart with two children in it

Sophia, Age 7 (high-res file)

Tobias, 4 (high-res file)

Sia, Age 5 (high-res file)

Shinyee, Age 6 (high-res file)

Sophia, Age 7 (high-res file)

Tobias, 4 (high-res file)

Sia, Age 5 (high-res file)

Shinyee, Age 6 (high-res file)

Sophia, Age 7 (high-res file)

drawing by claire, four children in a forest with wide eyes, trees, plants

Claire, Age 8 (high-res file)

drawing by ian, duck and duckling against grey background

Ian, Age 8 (hi-res file)

drawing by hudson, deer with orange butterfly and spotted butterfly on nose, with trees in background — Hudson, Age 10 - Grand Prize Winner
(high-res file)

drawing by iyla, child on a swing with a heart sign above head, tree branches in background with an orange and yellow sunset

Iyla, Age 10 (high-res file)

drawing by kylie, black and white, with deer in the trees. Handwritten sign that says "I like county parks because I like camping and looking at wild animals, including deer. County parks also have a lot of room to run around. The deer that I drew is named Dreamy."

Kylie, Age 11 (high-res file)

drawing by arshia, black and white sketch of two campers in tent looking outside at their view of their campground, mountains and trees

Arshia, Age 12 (high-res file)

drawing by claire of child in purple crew neck sweater gazing at a woodpecker in a tree with a bridge in background, grass, and a rock lined stream.

Claire, Age 13 (high-res file)

watercolor painting by yuling of an airstream trailer parked along a body of water, with yellow rays of sunshine overhead and grey clouds

Tyler, Age 11 (high-res file)

watercolor painting by carolyn of a young girl in a striped sweater reading a book, leaning against a cherry blossom tree. she's sitting on a brown and white checked blanket and an orange tabby cat is lying close to her feet. a deer is feeding on grass near her and is next to a small pond with a mallard duck swimming in it. there's an ivory path behind the girl with two more deer in front of a fence. blue skies and some cherry blossoms are falling from the tree.

Carolyn, Age 14 (high-res file)

Hayoon, Age 16 (high-res file)

2021 Art Contest Winners

Many thanks to all who participated in our first Youth Art Contest to celebrate Earth Day. With 225+ amazing entries, it was challenging to select winners in each age group and category. The collection below shows the winning artwork for each age group, in the categories of ‘Enjoying a SCC Park,’ ‘Protecting a SCC Park,’ ‘Volunteering at a SCC Park,’ and ‘Keeping Wildlife Wild.’

These terrific pieces of art will be featured in posters to be displayed at County Parks this April and winners will receive a prize (parents/guardians to be contacted via email). Everyone who submitted their artwork will receive a participation gift.

Call us amazed by the creativity and talent from our youth!

art piece of a kid raising his arms up of joy on a trail

Art piece of a man laying at the park with his families surrounded by animals and nature

Art piece of a sign on a trail saying "Share the trail" that shows wildlife

Art piece of a forest on fire and a campfire with a no fire sign

Art piece of people at a park enjoying the sunset while sitting on a bench

Art piece of volunteers picking up trash outside

Water painting of a trail in a green field

Illustration of people surrounding a campfire

Earth illustration with people, flowers, and animals surrounding it

A girl taking a pictures of ducks on a red bridge

Illustration of people cleaning up at a park volunteering

Coloring of a girl on a swing in a field with flowers

Painting of a boat in the middle of a lake

Coloring of someone looking out for trash in a pond with surrounding ducks

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