Wild At Art is Australia’s biggest wildlife art competition for children aged 5-12. Children from across the country are invited to create an original artwork of one of Australia's many threatened native animals or plants, along with a short written component on their chosen threatened species.
The competition is a fantastic opportunity for primary school children to unleash their artistic creativity while learning about Australia's threatened animals and plants.
If you're a teacher or parent/guardian, you'll find all the resources you need on this page including a free lesson guide, instructions for the artist, and more!
Submissions are open from 22 June to 10 August.
Australia is home to more than 2,000 threatened species, so picking just one can be tricky! To enter the competition, simply follow the steps below. It’s that easy! We've packed this page full of resources to help you along the way.
Every artwork becomes part of the Wild At Art tapestry
Visit the tapestryChoose your species
Choose a threatened Australian plant or animal that feels interesting, beautiful, strange, cute or cool. Learn where it lives, why it’s in danger, and what people can do to help protect it.
Make your masterpiece
Make an original artwork of your chosen species using drawing, painting, collage or mixed media. It must be your own work - no tracing, AI, videos, photography, or help from adults to create the artwork.
Tell its story
Write 50–150 words to go with the artwork. You could explain why you chose your species, share something you learned, or describe how you felt while creating it.
Enter the competition
With the help of an adult, submit your entry online.
Every story starts with a species. Meet a few of our Aussie threatened animals and plants, or search to find the one that speaks to you.
Practical and inspiring resources — designed to make Wild at Art easy and meaningful in your classroom or at home.
Curriculum links, activities and ideas to get your class engaged.
Download PDFStep-by-step tips to help students create amazing art.
Download PDFThe full list of eligible threatened species to choose from.
Download PDFSocial tiles, flyers and posters to spread the word.
Download allWild At Art is about more than putting pen to paper. It creates a spark of connection between these young participants and the natural world. Many of us who fight for a better world now, connect that fire in our hearts to a spark lit in our childhood.
Children spot things we don’t, from colourful caterpillars crawling along a dirt track, to pink galahs perched on powerlines and lizards soaking in the sunshine. Wild At Art taps into this gorgeous curiosity, and gives children the opportunity to learn about the issues impacting the world around them. From deforestation, to pollution and climate change, children deserve to have a say in the issues that impact their future.
When entrants submit their artwork, they have an option to send their artwork to their local Member of Parliament. By forwarding their artwork on, they have the chance to ask decision makers to protect precious threatened animals, plants and ecosystems.
Children aren’t just the voices of the future, they are the voices of today.