Thinking way back to when my children were young, holidays were amazingly jam-packed. Some of the best times (besides pyjama days, playing outside until it was past dusk, and exploring natural places, museums, and galleries) were when a competition was found, and the child was motivated (well, usually totally engrossed and obsessed with it!) to do their best.
My kids engaged in entering lots of competitions that demanded critical and creative thinking and, amazingly, won several of them! Their prizes ranged from cash to an overseas trip! True!
One memorable competition was Double Helix magazine’s “Win a Huey Lamp”. The Huey lamp was a colour-copying lamp in the shape of a Chameleon - perfect for a nature-loving kid. So, kid #1, aged about 10 at this time, set her sights on learning everything about Blue-Footed Boobies for the submission. She created a Blue-Footed Booby costume and filmed herself at the beach providing an educational (and hilarious) commentary on their unique features. It was an excellent opportunity for learning about Blue-Footed Boobies, using creative thinking, script writing, performance, and developing skills in video production. It also involved a family trip to the beach and a whole lot of laughter. And you guessed it - hello Huey!
A Blue-Footed Booby
Competitions are a great way to engage, challenge, and motivate gifted students to strive for excellence. They can provide a vehicle to support talent development through the authentic nature of the task and the real-world audience. Competitions also offer gifted kids with opportunities to test their abilities and show-case their talents in a much wider arena than the regular classroom. Of course, not all competitions are for all gifted children. When a competition matches the child’s interests and talents, the child is motivated, and there is the time, space and resources needed to work towards it, let them “Go for it!”. However, if your child is reticent to try due to ‘fear of failure’, please reach out for ideas on how to work through this very common behaviour of gifted people - perfectionism.
The following are my top three competition picks for these holidays:
Writing poetry gives students opportunities to explore language freely and share their stories or thoughts in a multitude of creative ways. The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards celebrate all that is poetry. It's open to students of all ages, including home-schooled students, so why not give it a go? Make sure you look at the exemplary writing of past participants as inspiration and read the judges’ feedback for guidance.
Is your child a potential world leader? This competition is open to students aged 12-26. You can participate on your own or in a team of two. You don’t need to go through your school – just register and you’re in. There are big money prizes, chances for overseas travel and opportunity to make a change in the world.
3. Sleek Geeks
You’ll need to act fast for this one as entries close on Friday 14th April. If you miss it, don't worry. You’ll have 52 weeks to prepare for 2024. Check out previous winners for inspiration. Open to both Primary and Secondary students. Rewilding Earth | Animal adaptation | Super volcanoes | Physics
Bonus ideas for holiday fun:
Although not a competition, Planet Ark’s website contains many resources for the environmentally conscious and motivated young person. You can find information about National Recycling Week activities for schools, ideas for re-use at home, and up-cycling tutorials using a bit of creative flair.
I’d love to hear what your children are enjoying these holidays. Please leave a comment below. Hoping you all have a wonderful holiday, learning, developing skills, and having fun at the same time.
Helen
