My First Poem competition for nurseries and preschools

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My First Poem invites the children in your setting to complete a special poetry template that celebrates their uniqueness and their favourite person. It makes a wonderful keepsake, capturing their favourite things and the people they love.

Taking part is fun and easy, and My First Poem also supports the EYFS literacy requirements, ECAT and the ELG of being imaginative and expressive. So get your setting involved today! Remember to let us know why your setting should win the £1,000 prize when you send your entries!

You can see last year's winners here - congratulations to the winner and runner-up!

For every 30 entries you submit, you get a free copy of the book your children feature in so every participating nursery receives at least 1 free copy, and children whose work we'd like to publish will receive a certificate, so they can display it proudly for all to see.

[Rules] =>

Only one entry per child, there is no limit to the number of entries per setting.
Please submit your entries all together where possible!
Poems can be on the entry form or an A4 sheet of paper or the editable PDF.
Poems must be each child's own work/words.
Ensure that all children's names, ages, key worker and setting 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.
Open to children attending a UK nursery or preschool setting.
Free to enter.

[School Prizes] =>

For Nurseries / Preschools

1st Prize - £1,000

For a chance to win £1,000 for your setting, simply let us know how you would spend the money! Will you spruce up your outdoor areas, improve your lending library, or refresh your toys and resources? Write us a note to let us know and include it with your entries to be considered for the prize.

Runner-Up Prize

One setting will win an amazing lending library!

PLUS a complimentary copy of the book your children feature in! (Remember, you receive 1 free copy for every 30 entries you submit! E.g. 1-30 entries you receive 1 copy, 31-60 entries you receive 2 copies, etc.)

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My First Poem invites your child to complete a special poetry template that celebrates their favourite things, capturing their uniqueness.

It makes a lovely keepsake to look back on, and a wonderful tribute to a treasured person in their life.

My First Poem supports the EYFS literacy requirements of being imaginative and expressive. Taking part is fun and easy, so get your child involved today!

How To Enter

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

Upload their entry at www.youngwriters.co.uk/competitions/enter

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

Young Writers - My First Poem
Remus House
Peterborough
PE2 9BF

Closing Date: 27th February 2026

[Independent Rules] =>

Only one entry per child.
Your child's poem can be on the entry form or an A4 sheet of paper or the editable PDF.
Your child's poem must be their own work/words.
Ensure that your child's name, age and address are included on the entry form.
Templates can be scribed/typed with an adult's assistance.
Open to children attending a UK nursery or preschool setting.
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.

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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 4^th May 2026	✔ Completed
Books Published	18^th May 2026 - 22^nd June 2026	⏳ Coming Soon
Winners Announced	17^th July 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.