Toronto CHILDREN’s Hat Competition

Hat-tastic:

Design a Hat for Your Wildest Adventure!

Submission is free for everyone

The Canadian Children’s Art Foundation is excited to launch its First Toronto Hat Competition entitled “Hat-tastic”!

Do you dream of exploring the moon, living in a candy castle, or being a forest wizard? Now’s your chance to design the perfect hat for your wildest adventure! Join our Hat-tastic Dreams Design Competition and show us where your imagination can take you — one hat at a time.

Theme: “If you could go anywhere, do anything, or be anyone — what kind of hat would you wear?”

Concept: Kids design a hat inspired by a dream adventure, an imaginary world, or their future selves.

Suggested Prompts (but not required):

• A hat for traveling to space

• A hat for ruling a candy kingdom

• A hat for exploring the deep sea

• A hat for being an invisible superhero

• A hat made of imaginary materials (like clouds, stars, or music notes!)

Why It’s Unique:
Rather than just designing a “funny” or “pretty” hat, it invites storytelling and world-building through fashion — giving each hat a purpose and a fantasy.

The entries will be evaluated in three age group:

• 4 – 6

• 7 – 9

• 10 – 12

Artwork will be juried by a distinguished panel of judges who are experts in their field and based on artistic talent, creativity and originality. 

The Canadian Children’s Art Foundation will reward the top 3 participants in every age group.

Submission free For everyone

GENERAL REGULATIONS:

WHAT:

The Canadian Children’s Art Foundation 2025 Toronto Hat Competition, "Hat-tastic"

WHO:

Open to all students from all around the world, from the ages of 4 to 12.

WHEN:

The competition submission is open now and it will be closed by January 30th, 2026. The reception Gala will be held in February 7th  to celebrate the children’s hats. The exhibition will be open on February 7th, 2026 from Monday to Friday, 11:00 am to 8:00 pm.

WHERE:

Submissions are to be mailed to The Canadian Children’s Art Foundation # 6 -109 Vanderhoof Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4G 2H7.

At the time of competition closing, all the works will be judged by a panel of jurors consisting of renowned professional artists on the week of January 30th, 2026 for the course of one week. Submissions will not only be judged on artistic talent, but also on creativity and originality.

The exhibition will be held in the Canadian Contemporary School of Art gallery, located at Unit 6 - 109 Vanderhoof Avenue, Toronto, On, M4G 2H7.

Judging Criteria

Our panel of artists, educators, and museum professionals will evaluate artworks based on:

• Creativity & Originality:

  How imaginative and unique the idea is.

• Artistic Expression:

  How well the child conveys emotions, ideas, or stories.

• Relevance to Theme:

  How the artwork reflects “Hat-tastic”.

• Composition & Use of Color:

  Artistic skills and visual impact.

  After careful review, the jury will select between outstanding hats to be showcased in the exhibition.

Prizes and Recognition

The “Nahal Bahrman Global Young Artist Prize“

This is a very special prize, chosen by Nahal Bahrman, the founder of Canadian Children's art foundation.

One child (ages 4–12) will receive this award for creating a painting that shows amazing imagination, creativity, or a magical story. It doesn’t have to be the “best” painting — it just needs to shine with originality and heart!

The winner will get: 

• A personal letter of congratulations

• A special feature on the competition website

• Their artwork is shown in a special spotlight in the exhibition

• Certificate of The “Nahal Bahrman Global Young Artist Prize" 

• A small $100 USA meant to buy art materials, books, or museum tickets, with parental guidance.

This award is a way to celebrate children who dream big, paint freely, and use their art to share their wonderful ideas with the world.

Important Dates:

• Submission Opens:

  Open Now

• Submission Deadline:

  January 30, 2026

• Winners Announced:

  February 3, 2026

• Exhibition Opening:

  February 7, 2026

How to Enter:

1. Complete and print the entry form (available on our website).

2. Mail your artwork to the Canadian Contemporary School of Art, #6-109 Vanderhoof Ave. Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M2P 1G7 

3. Submit before the deadline: January 30, 2026

Submission Guidelines

• Number of Artworks:

  The number of artworks accepted is one per child.

• Medium:  

• Size:  

  Artwork is acceptable in maximum Maximum A3 (11.7 x 16.5 inches) , horizontal or vertical

• Original Work Only: 

  The hat must be the child’s original creation (no tracing, no AI-generated work, no parental alterations).

Artworks must be mailed to the Canadian Contemporary School of Art by January 30th, 2026, or be delivered to the school in person to be considered.

Each candidate must complete the submission form and send it to the school with the artwork.