Once Upon a Dream poetry contest for all grades and ages

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DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FEB 27

Introduce the wonders of poetry to students of all ages with Once Upon A Dream. The open theme means they can write about whatever inspires them.

Will they enter a world of imagination and write about the weird and wonderful things they see in their dreams? Perhaps they'll write about their future hopes and aspirations, either for themselves or for the world. They could even explore the darker side of dreams and venture into fear and nightmares.

Benefits of Entering

🌟Boost students' confidence in their writing skills

🌟Writing for a purpose inspires and engages students

🌟All students who enter will receive a bookmark

🌟Certificate of merit for students we'd love to publish

🌟Free copy of the book your students feature in

🌟Fantastic prizes to be won for schools and students

🌟Showcase your school's writing talent

This contest is open to all grades and ages, so you can get your whole school involved! Go to the download tab so you can print as many graphic organizers as you need. You can also view the Google Slides presentation here!

We can't wait to read your students' poems!

[Rules] =>

Only one entry per student, there is no limit to the number of entries per school. Teachers please submit your entries altogether where possible!
Use one Teacher Entry Form for each teacher who sends in entries
Poems can be on the entry form or a sheet of paper or typed (on a computer or in the Online Writing Portal).
Poems must be your students' own original work.
Each student's name, age and school name should be included on their entry. (Entries can be submitted with first names only or initials if needed).
Poems can be written on any theme and in any poetic style.
No line limit.
US entrants only.
Copyright remains with the author.
Free to enter.
Open for 4-18 year-olds

[School Prizes] =>

The Young Writers’ Award of Excellence is awarded to the school that submits the best set of entries for this contest.

PLUS every participating school receives a free copy of the book their students feature in.

(The more entries you send, the more free books you’ll receive: E.g. Send 1-30 entries & you'll receive 1 free copy, send 31-60 entries you'll receive 2 free copies, etc.)

[Student Prizes] =>

Our favorite 3 writers will each win a fantastic creative writing goody bag!

PLUS every entrant receives a bookmark for taking part. Students whose work we'd love to publish also receive a certificate.

(The school & student winners will be chosen from the entries received Jan-Feb 2026 and prizes will be awarded the following semester. Prize images for illustrative purposes.)

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Introduce the wonders of poetry to your child with Once Upon A Dream. The open theme means they can write about whatever inspires them.

Benefits of Entering

🌟Boosts confidence in writing skills

🌟Writing for a purpose inspires and engages your child

🌟Certificate of merit for students whose work we'd love to publish

🌟Fantastic prizes to be won

🌟Showcase your child's writing talent

Let your child unleash their imagination in any poetic style. We can't wait to read their poem!

How To Enter

Email your child's entry along with their name and full address to: [email protected]

Upload their entry here

Mail your child's entry along with their name and full address to:

Young Writers - Dream
77 Walnut Street
Unit 11
Peabody, MA, 01960

EXTENDED Deadline: February 27, 2026

[Independent Rules] =>

Only one entry per person.
Please include your child's name, age and full address on their entry.
Independent entries are eligible for student prizes.
Your child's entry must be their own work.
Poems can be written on any theme and in any poetic style.
No line limit.
US entrants only.
Copyright remains with the author.
Free to enter.
Open for 4-18 year-olds.

[Independent Prizes] =>

Our favorite 3 writers will each win a fantastic creative writing goody bag!

PLUS every entrant receives a bookmark for taking part. Students whose work we'd love to publish also receive a certificate.

(The school & student winners will be chosen from the entries received Jan-Feb 2026 and prizes will be awarded the following semester. Independent entrants are eligible to win.)

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This contest is now closed.

If you have late entries, please email us at [email protected] and we'll do our best to accommodate them.

Open contests can be found here.

What happens now?

Our editorial team will read every single entry. Any child whose work they'd love to publish in a book will be sent a letter and certificate. Children whose work hasn't met the contest criteria will have the chance to resubmit their work. Winners will be chosen from published pieces once all the books in the series have been published.

Contest Timeline

Stage	Date	Status
Letters Sent	By 30^th April 2026	⏳ In Progress
Books Published	15^th May 2026 - 31^st August 2026	⏳ Coming Soon
Winners Announced	30^th September 2026	⏳ Coming Soon

Please note we aim to keep these dates as accurate as possible but can be subject to change.

For more detailed information about your school's entries, please log in (or create) your teacher account here using the email you included on your teacher entry form.