The USO Military Kids Creative Showcase

For Military Kids

The 2026 Military Kids Creative Showcase is now open and accepting submissions!

Life as a military child can be a wild ride, full of adventures and challenges, as well as new friends, new schools, new cities and new countries. Here at the USO, we want to know what YOUR military life has been like and what makes it unique so that we can share your story with the world.

Whether you express it by art or in writing – via painting or sketches, essays or poems – we want military kids to answer one question:

What does being a military kid mean to you?

Showcase Categories

There will be 3 categories for this creative showcase:

Writing - Youth (Ages 12 and younger)
Writing - Teen (Ages 13-18)
Visual Art (All kids ages 18 and younger)

Eligibility

The USO Military Kid Creative Showcase is open to any U.S. military child of an active-duty, Reserve or National Guard service member. Participants must be ages 18 or younger.

Showcase Rules

One submission per category.
Open to children of currently serving active duty, Reserve and National Guard service members.
The online submission form must be completed by a parent or legal guardian of the minor and sent via the online form. Parents/legal guardians must fill out the submission form to provide consent for their minor’s participation in the showcase.
For visual artwork entries, simply take a picture of your child’s artwork or scan and upload. For writing entries, please upload your submission as a Microsoft Word document or PDF.
Writing -Youth submissions must be approximately 75-500 words.
Writing -Teen submissions must be approximately 500-1,000 words.
English language requirement for writing.
Only original art and writing will be accepted.

As part of the USO Military Kids Creative Showcase, we offer a downloadable artwork canvas for kids to express themselves freely. Please note that the use of these frames is entirely optional, allowing children to showcase their creativity in any format they prefer.

The deadline to apply is April 30, 2026.

Download your canvas here!

Check out a few of this year's military kids' submissions!

Gabriel V., Age 15

“This piece was based on what almost all military children experience, their parent leaving for duty. Having to see your loved parent go away for long amounts of time is always hard, especially when they’re going somewhere dangerous. It’s something that I and pretty much all other military kids are familiar with and I wanted to capture that for this painting.” — Gabriel
Yemi E., Age 8

“Yemi shared that the best part of being a military child is all the resources, programming, and perks that make life a little more fun. One of his favorites is a “Make the Grade" program, where straight‑A students earn a gift cards for their hard work. He has been loving that incentive!” - Yemi’s mom
Hannah C., Age 7

“This is a picture of daddy flying to the ship and me saying goodbye to him. Me and mommy are driving home from the airport. Being a military kid means you don’t get to see your dad very much, but you get lots of hugs when he gets home!” — Hannah
Avalonne A., Age 16

“The title of my artwork is ‘Miles, Memories, and the Places in Between.’ My artwork shows me as a little girl, blowing a dandelion next to my mom who is actively in the military. I have included the drawings of the places me and my family have traveled to, in which we are represented by the dandelion seeds. As a military child, I have been lucky enough to experience new traditions and cultures while also making various memories that I will never forget.” — Avalonne
Ava A., Age 8

“My drawing shows my family moving to a new house. It makes me sad and excited when we move.” — Ava
Natallia H., Age 7

“The thing that makes being a military kid special for me is my family.” — Natallia
Caroline H., Age 10

“My picture shows me and my little sister holding up an American flag, as we support the military as military children around the world. The two animals I have drawn represent the mascots of a few states we have lived in with our dad, who works in the military. Creativity and art helps me express myself!” — Caroline
Iyada M., Age 9

“Iyada loves to draw, so with this drawing she was celebrating America’s Birthday. If you look closely, on the brick wall she drew, she wrote words that represent her as a military kid.” — Iyada’s mom
Grace S., Age 18

“Military children are flexible, adaptive, and creative when times require their resilience. Few are familiar with this unique culture. Providing structure alongside unpredictability, comfort in hardships, and thrills through trials, the Military lifestyle normalizes conflicting aspects of life in a conducive environment. Military children, such as Grace, have become accustomed to such aspects. Grace’s artwork is an abstract portrayal of the conflicting yet comforting lifestyle she normalizes. Through contrasting lines she encourages viewers to reflect on their own lives, seeking to find the unique and conflicting aspects that they personally view as typical routines within their individual lifestyle.” — Grace’s mom
Taylor-Mae J., 10

“The highlights of being a military family, according to my 4th grader.” — Taylor-Mae’s mom
Anya P., Age 4

“My daddy was in the Army and my brother is Air Force so I want to be as strong as them and I am so proud to be an Army kid.” — Anya
Janyn R., Age 9

“Janyn’s Inspiration for her painting came from our experience living here in Japan. As a military child, she has been exposed to different cultures, and her painting reflects her appreciation of Japan’s beauty and traditions.” — Janyn’s mom
Scarlett B., Age 5

“Being a military kid means my daddy is in the Army and we move a lot to different places.” — Scarlett
Celestina R., Age 8

“Being a military kid means love and my daddy being part of keeping the world safe.” — Celestina
Addison L., Age 11

Self portrait
Olivia S., Age 9

“Olivia’s dream jet.” — Olivia’s mom
Jaxon S., Age 7

Fighting for Freedom!
Naomi V., Age 8

“Being a military kid means being brave, strong, and being able to adapt to new changes like moving to a new state, making new friends and going to a new school. And being super brave while my mommy is away. The picture is me and my baby brother saying goodbye to mommy at the airport.” — Naomi
“Naomi’s dad is a veteran. He served for 11 years and now I am currently serving, so she’s been a military child since she was born.” — Naomi’s mom
Margaret W., Age 11

“I am a military child. My dad is deployed, and I made this chalk drawing for him. He is in the desert, where there is only yellow sand, sand storms and heat. I wanted to send him a piece of nature he loves very much.” — Margaret
Maverick W., Age 9

“Maverick is proud of his dad for being selected for Senior Master Sergeant with the Civil Engineering tagline of ‘Engineers Lead the Way.’” — Maverick’s mom
EJ G., Age 7

“At seven years old, EJ decided his project wouldn’t just be a drawing of the flag — it would be a story in colors. He created an abstract work using different techniques with watercolors, crayons and colored pencils. He dedicated his work to his dad, who just retired from the U.S. Coast Guard, and for those who served and are currently serving.” — EJ’s mom
Caydan A., Age 16

“A house on a cliff and a valley in the sky; they are all here with us on Earth. As a military kid I can see it in all its glory.” — Cayden

“Cayden has Autism and has been a military kid his whole life. He experiences the world through a unique lens and we are proud of who he is.” - Cayden’s mom
Brody W., Age 11

“My experience of what it is like being a military child living in Japan!” — Brody

Stories

Wherever I Go, I Grow: An Essay By a Military Child

Here are some of our 2025 USO Military Kids Creative Showcase submissions:

Yemi E., Age 7

“Being a military kid to me means dealing with my dad being away on the ship and not being able to talk to him. My picture shows my dad out to sea with his crew.”
Kinsley R., Age 8

“In my picture, I drew myself in a new school, thinking about how we had just moved, and my Daddy is away on his ship, and I still scored well on my schoolwork. I think this is why military children are resilient.”
Emily R., Age 13

“I painted a picture of a Navy ship sailing away in the ocean because I am being raised in a military family, where change and movement are a constant part of life. At 13 years old, I have lived in six states, including three years in Hawaii, where my mom, siblings and I would watch ships sail away and return every day. Being a child growing up in the military has taught me how to adapt with life’s changes with resilience, courage and acceptance.”
Harper G., Age 9

“Harper designed this collage during her daddy’s first deployment this past year. She is so proud of her daddy being in the Army, and loves being a military child!”
Peyton Y., Age 10

“My family and I were recently stationed in Juneau, Alaska. We love being able to spend time outdoors. There are animals, like bears, orcas and bald eagles. The mountains rise up out of the ocean. But what I enjoy most of all are the long summer days, and the crimson midnight sun.”