Switch It Up!
Poetry Contest
Ideal for 6-13 years
CHANGE ONE THING. IMAGINE EVERYTHING.
WHAT IF YOU COULD SWITCH YOUR WORLD?
Travel through time, shrink to the size of an ant, explore another planet, or become someone completely different. What would you choose?
Switch It Up! is a FREE poetry contest for elementary-aged children that invites young writers to change just one thing about their world and imagine what happens next!
Whether your child loves making up stories, drawing, or playing with words, this is a fun way to explore their imagination and create an original poem.
Their poem could be published in a real Young Writers book, with fantastic prizes to be won!
Free to enter · Closing date: December 18, 2026
FOUR WAYS TO SWITCH THINGS UP!
Choose one of these fun starting points, or come up with something completely different!
SWITCH PLACE
Blast into space, dive beneath the ocean, or explore an upside-down world!
SWITCH TIME
Meet someone from the past, travel into the future, or rewind five minutes!
SWITCH SIZE
Shrink smaller than an ant, grow taller than a skyscraper, or fit inside a pencil case!
SWITCH WHO
Become an astronaut, a tiger, a robot, or something nobody has imagined before!
ONE SWITCH IS JUST THE BEGINNING! Mix ideas, add your own twist, or invent a completely new possibility.
FROM BIG IDEAS TO ORIGINAL POETRY!
It's easy to get started, and there's no single right way to write a poem.
MAKE YOUR SWITCH
Choose what you want to change.
EXPLORE YOUR NEW REALITY
Imagine what you can see, hear, do, and feel.
BRING IT TO LIFE
Turn your ideas into a poem in any style you like!
Your child can write a rhyming poem, an acrostic, free verse, or try something completely different. It's their imagination, their poem!
IMAGINE SEEING THEIR POEM IN A REAL BOOK!
Switch It Up! gives young writers the opportunity to become published authors and share their creativity with family and friends.
From funny and fantastical to surprising and wonderfully weird, every child has something unique to contribute.
FANTASTIC PRIZES TO BE WON!
CREATIVE WRITING GOODY BAGS
Our favorite three young poets will each receive a fantastic creative writing goody bag!
SEE YOUR WORDS IN PRINT
Selected poems could appear in a real Young Writers book.
Every entrant receives a bookmark, and young writers whose work we'd love to publish also receive a certificate.
READY TO ENTER SWITCH IT UP?
Write an original poem in any style and give it a title. Include your child's name, age, and parent or guardian contact details.
ENTER ONLINE
Submit the poem using our online entry form .
ENTER BY MAIL
Send the poem and contact details to:
Young Writers Switch It Up!
77 Walnut Street
Unit 11
Peabody, MA 01960
Free to enter.
Rules
To make sure your entries are valid, please follow the rules listed below:
YOUR POEM
- Your poem must be your own original work.
- You can write in any poetic style, including rhyme, acrostic, or free verse.
- Choose to switch place, time, size, or who you are, or create your own imaginative twist.
- Your poem can be handwritten or typed.
YOUR ENTRY
- Include the child's name and age with the entry.
- First names only or initials can be used if necessary.
- One entry per person.
- Give the poem a title.
- Include parent or guardian contact details so we can get in touch about the entry.
GOOD TO KNOW
- Free to enter.
- No purchase is necessary to win.
- Open to US entrants only.
- Designed for elementary-aged children.
- Copyright remains with the author.
If you are unsure on any rules or have any queries, please don't hesitate to Contact Us.
Prizes
Fantastic creative writing goody bags!
Selected poems could be published in a real Young Writers book, giving young poets the chance to see their words in print.
Every child who enters will receive a bookmark for taking part.
Young writers whose work we'd love to publish will also receive a certificate to celebrate their achievement.
Our favorite three young poets will each receive a creative writing goody bag. Independent entrants are eligible for the same student prizes as school entrants. Winners will be selected from eligible entries received for Switch It Up! Prizes will be awarded the following semester.