Competitions to engage pupils during lockdown
To help keep your pupils actively engaged during the COVID-19 lockdown, we have assembled a list of competitions and activities to get students involved in science from home.
As a professional community dedicated to supporting excellence in science teaching and learning, we are determined to do whatever we can to support people over the coming weeks and months. The competitions this directory are being reviewed by our expert field officers on an ongoing basis to ensure they support learning in a fun way and cover a wide range of science topics.
In addition, if you are hosting or have found a competition that you feel would add to this collection, please don't hesitate to let us know either by email us via info@ase.org.uk or by tweeting the resource to us @TheASE or by using the #ASEchat hashtag.
Early Years - KS2 (ages 4-11)
UK-RAS Network Draw a Robot
Get creative and design your own robot by the 8th June for a chance to win fantastic prizes! Suitable for ages 5-7.
UK-RAS Network Once Upon a Robot
Use your imagination to write a short story of an adventure featuring robots by the 8th June to win prizes. Suitable for ages 7-11.
School Science The Great Bug Hunt
A competition that is open to all primary pupils - all you need to do is get your primary-age children to a safe outside space, equip them with notepads, point them to the nearest hedges, flower beds or trees, and let them report back what they find.
Primary Engineer Leaders Award
Children, pupils and students in Early Years Settings, Primary schools are invited to interview an engineer, identify a problem, draw and annotate a solution to it!
The Linnean Society Special Species Competition
Draw a picture of your special species, give it a scientific name and write a short paragraph giving a description of its habitat to win! There is no age limit for entry into this competition
The Linnean Society Portrait Competition
Get creative and draw a picture for Linneaus of his pet raccoon, Sjupp. Open to ages 8-19+
Royal Society of Biology Nancy Rothwell Award
Draw, paint, sketch or digitally create artwork capturing plant and animal anatomy for a chance to be awarded a set of drawing pencils, a certificate and £25. The winners' schools will also each receive £100! Suitable for ages 7-18.
Big Ideas The Great Exhibition at Home
Entrants are required submit a 1 minute video presenting their Great Exhibition at Home, which tackles the question: How can engineering help protect the planet? Suitable for ages 7-14
RSPCA 30 Days for Animals
We hope the bright young things in your life will enjoy getting stuck into our 30-Day Animal Challenge, having fun, getting creative and soaking up knowledge about the amazing animal kingdom along the way.
KS3 (ages 11-14)
Primary Engineer Leaders Award
Secondary school pupils are invited to interview an engineer, identify a problem, draw and annotate a solution to it, and explain why their solution should be manufactured by engineers. Suitable for ages 4-14.
The Linnean Society Special Species
Draw a picture of your special species, give it a scientific name and write a short paragraph giving a description of its habitat to win! There is no age limit for entry into this competition
The Linnean Society Portrait Competition
Get creative and draw a picture for Linneaus of his pet raccoon, Sjupp. Open to ages 8-19+
Big Ideas The Great Exhibition at Home
Entrants are required submit a 1 minute video presenting their Great Exhibition at Home, which tackles the question: How can engineering help protect the planet? Suitable for ages 7-14
Royal Society of Biology Nancy Rothwell Award
Draw, paint, sketch or digitally create artwork capturing plant and animal anatomy for a chance to be awarded a set of drawing pencils, a certificate and £25. The winners' schools will also each receive £100! Suitable for ages 7-18.
European Code League
Get creative and present your innovative coding projects for STEM lessons in primary and secondary schools at the European Code League!
Biology Competitions (ages 14-18)
Royal Society of Biology Nancy Rothwell Award
Draw, paint, sketch or digitally create artwork capturing plant and animal anatomy for a chance to be awarded a set of drawing pencils, a certificate and £25. The winners' schools will also each receive £100! Suitable for ages 7-18.
Royal Society of Biology Photography Competition
Take a photograph to illustrate the changes which occur within nature, including metamorphosis and shifts from young to adult to win up to £1000!
Biochemical Society Science Communication Competition
This competition is open to two categories – one for post-16 students (i.e. Key Stage 5) and another for higher education students (i.e. undergraduate and postgraduate) – and is your opportunity to showcase your SciComm talents.
Chemistry Competitions (ages 14-18)
