Unleash your creativity this summer with the K12 Art Competition

Have you ever heard the question, “Hey, do you know where my drawing went?” riddled with concern? It’s usually followed by a scramble to check under the fridge, behind the couch cushions, and inside every notebook in the house. It could be a scribble on a napkin or a sketch on a sticky note, but their doodles are more than a missing piece of paper. It’s a little piece of their imagination made real

At K12, we get it. We know how much creating something matters to kids. It’s how they explore ideas, express feelings, and show the world who they are sometimes before they have the words to say it out loud. And this summer, we’re giving students a chance to take their artwork beyond the fridge door with the K12 2025 Student Art Competition! It’s a chance for students in kindergarten through 12th grade to share their artwork with a broader audience and be recognized for their creativity.

It doesn’t matter if your child is new to art or spends hours sketching every day. What matters is that they start, because the most challenging part of creating is often just that first step. To help make it a bit easier, we’ve pulled together simple and inspiring summer art projects for kids, organized by grade level.

Grades K-2: Nature Collage Art

You’d be amazed at what little hands can do with a few leaves, some petals, and a glue stick. A nature collage is a fantastic way for young kids to explore textures, shapes, and the world around them. It starts with a walk outside— collecting whatever catches their eye—and ends with a colorful piece of art that’s uniquely their own.

Here are a few creative ways to begin:

Flower Collage with Contact Paper: Press nature finds onto clear contact paper for a sun-catching effect.

Creating Animal Images with Nature: Use Outdoor materials to create an animal portrait.

Nature Art Through a New Lens: New techniques that include nature as the alphabet, nature as a frame, and nature as a painting.

Grades 3-5: Watercolor Resist Painting

Watercolor resist painting feels like a little secret being revealed—one brushstroke at a time.

Using crayons or oil pastels, your child can draw an image, a message, or just a playful design. At first, it looks invisible. But once they paint over it with watercolor, their creation appears as if by magic.

Here are a few variations to try:

Glue Resist Art: Drawing with glue adds a fun, tactile element to art, and once it dries, it resists watercolor beautifully—try it with white glue or tinted black for a striking stained-glass effect.

Tape and Sticker Resist Art: Using tape or stickers to create designs, then painting over them and peeling them away to reveal crisp silhouettes, makes this watercolor resist technique both fun and visually striking.

Rubbing Alcohol Resist: Though used less often, rubbing alcohol creates a mesmerizing effect on wet watercolor by repelling the paint and forming soft, lighter circles—perfect for painting swirling planets or delicate butterflies.

Grades 6-8: Zentangle-Inspired Drawing

Middle schoolers are often navigating a lot both in and outside the classroom. Zentangle is a gentle, calming way to channel those feelings into something focused and beautiful. It’s a drawing method made up of repeated patterns and shapes. There are no mistakes; just lines that lead to the next. It helps students slow down, breathe, and create something intricate and deeply personal.

You can start with:

• A pencil or black pen
• A square piece of paper (Zentangle tiles are often 3.5” x 3.5”)
• A few basic patterns to repeat and layer

Here are some tips to begin with Zentangle

Grades 9-12: Mixed Media Self-Portrait

By high school, students often want to say something with their work; something real. A mixed-media self-portrait gives them space to explore who they are and how they want to be seen. They can combine paint, collage, fabric, photography, even digital art; anything that helps tell their story. Whether it’s abstract or literal, bold or understated, it’s theirs.

Explore the simple steps on how to get started with mixed media

This project empowers students to explore their identity, emotions, and perspectives. It’s a thoughtful step toward building an art portfolio—or simply creating something that matters.

Why Join the K12 Art Competition

This summer, your kid’s art projects can be more than just ways to pass the time. Whether they’re drawing, gluing, collaging, or painting with wild abandon, what they’re really doing is building confidence, exploring their creativity, and learning how to express what’s uniquely theirs. When they’re ready, the K12 2025 Student Art Competition is here to celebrate them!

At K12, we’re honored to support families in and out of the classroom. Whether your child is learning online, painting at the kitchen table, or exploring a new hobby, we believe in their potential; and we’re here to help nurture it.

Let this summer be their time to shine—and their time to say, “Hey, have you seen my art? It’s in the K12 Art Competition!”

Let’s make room for creativity—and recognition. Enter the K12 Art Competition today (We promise, we’ll keep an extra eye on where that drawing ends up!)