Educators, parents, librarians, and community leaders: display our poster and share this opportunity in your schools, libraries, and youth centers to uncover the next generation of storytellers.
Helpful Links:
We encourage young authors to participate in our virtual writing workshop. The Write It Workshops is a creative writing program to inspire young authors in grades 4-8. The Write It Workshops provide a foundation for young authors to participate in the Kids Write 4 Kids annual writing contest. It is free to attend. Visit workshop.ripplefoundation.ca for dates and times.
The moment has arrived! If you’re in Grades 4–8 and have a story to tell—whether you’re a budding novelist, a poet, or an imaginative storyteller—this is your chance to shine.
Hosted by Ripple Foundation, a 100% volunteer-run Canadian charity, Kids Write 4 Kids is more than just a writing contest. Winning stories are professionally published in print and digital formats and made available worldwide. Even better? Proceeds from book sales are donated to the winner’s chosen charity, so your creativity makes a real difference.
- Become a published author
Your story could be professionally published in print and digital formats, available on platforms like Amazon, Google Play, and Apple Books. - Make a real impact
Net proceeds from book sales are donated to the winner’s charity of choice, so your words help create positive change. - Shape the future of the contest
Winners don’t just become published authors — they’re also invited to join the next year’s judging panel, helping select new voices and inspiring future storytellers.
Entry Details
- Open to Canadian residents only
- Students must be in grades 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8
- Stories must be original and written entirely by the author
- Submissions created using artificial intelligence tools are not acceptable and will be disqualified.
- Only one entry per author will be accepted; all subsequent entries will be disqualified
- Only single author stories qualify (no co-authored stories)
- Stories are accepted in English only
- Stories can be fact or fiction, prose or poetry
- There is no entry fee, and no purchase is necessary
- All entries must review the story checklist
- Entries must be submitted by the author’s teacher, parent, or guardian on this online form. View complete contest rules
Word Count
- Maximum word count: 5,000 words
- The word count includes “a,” “an,” and “the,” but not the words on non-story pages such as the title page or those captions for illustrations or photography
- Invented spelling is accepted
File Format and Submission
- The text must be typed and submitted in a DOC file format (parents/guardians can assist with inputting the story)
- Please don’t submit any images. If your story has images and is selected, a representative from Ripple Foundation will contact you to obtain the original images.
- Download the formatting guideline reference