My First Poem contest for pre-k and kindergarten children

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My First Poem is a fun way to introduce younger students to rhyme. The specially designed template will help them to create their very own poem, filled with their favorite things and dedicated to their special person.

It celebrates their uniqueness and captures their personality at this age, resulting in a wonderful keepsake, as their poems could be published in a real book!

Taking part in My First Poem also encourages language development, which is vital for future reading and writing skills.

There is a $500 Amazon gift card to be won - tell us why your school deserves to win, and what you would spend the money on to help with their learning, play, and development in your class. You can do this on the teacher entry form, or include a note with your entries.

You will also receive a free copy of the book the children feature in, so everyone can see their poems and feel a sense of pride and confidence.

Download the entry form and get started today!

[Rules] =>

Only one entry per student, there is no limit to the number of entries per class.
Please submit your entries all together where possible!
Poems can be on the entry form, a letter-sized sheet of paper, or the editable PDF.
Poems must be each child's own work/words.
Ensure that all children's names, ages, teacher name and school are included on the entry form. (Entries can be submitted with first names only or initials if needed.)
Templates can be scribed/typed by an adult.
Entries can only be accepted if written in English
Open to children in a US Pre-K or kindergarten class.
Free to enter.

[School Prizes] =>

1st Prize - $500 Amazon gift card

For a chance to win the $500 Amazon gift card for your school, simply let us know why your class deserves to win, and how you would spend the money! Will you spruce up your outdoor areas, improve your reading library, or refresh your toys and resources? Write a note to let us know and include it with your entries to be considered for the prize.

[Student Prizes] => All children whose poems we'd love to publish will receive a certificate of merit, and all entrants receive a bookmark. [Tips] =>
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My First Poem is a fun way to introduce younger children to rhyme. The specially designed template will help them to create their very own poem, filled with their favorite things and dedicated to their special person.

It celebrates their uniqueness and captures their personality at this age, resulting in a wonderful keepsake as their poems could be published in a real book!

Taking part in My First Poem also encourages language development, which is vital for future reading and writing skills.

Download the entry form and get started today!

How To Enter

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

Upload their entry at www.youngwritersusa.com/individual-entry or use the link below.

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

Young Writers - My First Poem
77 Walnut Street
Unit 11
Peabody MA 01960

Closing Date: February 27, 2026.

[Independent Rules] =>

Only one entry per child
Poems can be on the entry form, a letter-sized sheet of paper, or the editable PDF.
Poems must be each child's own work/words.
Ensure that child's name and address are included on the entry form.
Templates can be scribed/typed by an adult.
Open to children aged 2-5
US entrants only
Free to enter.

[Independent Prizes] => All children whose poems we'd love to publish will receive a certificate of merit, and all entrants will receive a bookmark. [Meta Title] => My First Poem contest for pre-k and kindergarten children [Meta Description] => Introduce poetry to children with this fun, brand-new contest! [Meta Keywords] => My First Poem, poetry, how to write a poem, My First Poem 2026, kindergarten, pre-k, writing skills, language development [Share Title] => My First Poem contest for pre-k and kindergarten children [Share Description] => Introduce poetry to children with this fun, brand-new contest! [Layout] => main-comp [Icon] => https://bonacia-sites.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/young-writers/ems/competitions/1765280897-4548-MFP-Icon-copy.jpg [Category] => Pre-K & K [Type] => poetry [Country] => USA [Resource Hub Text] =>
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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 1^st May 2026	⏳ In Progress
Books Published	25^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.