Calling all artistic K-12 students: Playtime just moved to the classroom—bring your toys and your creativity! ESS is thrilled to invite you to participate in the 2026 ESS Art Contest. To enter, fill out the web form at ArtContest.ESS.com and submit an original drawing, painting, or digital piece based on this year’s theme: “Imagine a day at school where toys come to life. What would your day look like?”
Winning students from four grade groups will receive a $500 American Express gift card, plus $500 for their school!
Submissions must be received by Sunday, March 1st at 8:00 pm Eastern Time. An ESS panel of judges will score each piece based on the following criteria:
- Artistic skills
- Creativity and originality
- Relation to contest theme
- A unique and novel approach to the artwork and title
- Technical skill by grade level
- Adherence to the contest rules and requirements
During the week of April 6th – April 12th, we will post the top five finalists from each grade group on our national Facebook and Instagram pages, where the public will vote for their favorites.
Artwork that receives the highest combined score from the ESS judges and social media votes will be announced as the 2026 ESS Art Contest winners on April 15th. For more information and full contest rules, please visit ArtContest.ESS.com.
Check out the incredible work from previous contests for a burst of creativity!
- 2025 Art Contest Finalists (zoo theme)
- 2024 Art Contest Finalists (underwater theme)
- 2023 Art Contest Finalists (field trip theme)
- 2022 Art Contest Finalists (candy theme)
- 2021 Art Contest Finalists (superhero theme)
- 2020 Art Contest Finalists (animal theme)
- 2019 Art Contest Finalists (outer space theme)
Good luck, and happy creating!