NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

“Science has given us lots of amazing gadgets. But sometimes, it’s nice to dream. For this month’s contest, imagine that you could enchant one ordinary object from your house to do something magical. What object would you pick, and what power would you give it? Draw us a picture of you using your new magic object, and we’ll conjure up a collection of the most creative in an upcoming issue of Ask.”

Contest rules:

1. Your child’s contest entry must be their very own work. Ideas and words should not be copied.
2. Be sure to include your child’s name, age, and address on your entry.
3. Only one entry per person, please.
4. If you want your child’s work returned, please help them enclose an addressed, stamped envelope.
5. Your child’s entry must be signed or emailed by yourself or another parent or legal guardian, saying it’s their own work and that no one helped them, and that ASK has permission to publish their work in print and online.
6. For information on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, see the Privacy Policy page at cricketmedia.com.
7. Email a photo or scan of your child’s artwork to: ask@cricketmedia.com, or mail to: ASK, 1 East Erie Street, Suite 525, PMB4136, Chicago, IL 60611
   Entries must be postmarked or emailed by December 31, 2023.
8. We will publish the winning entries in an upcoming issue of ASK.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

“There’s such a cheerful hustle and bustle this time of year as we gather with family and friends to enjoy holiday feasts and give thanks for all our blessings. To help celebrate the season, everybuggy would love to read your best poem inspired by a holiday tradition you remember and enjoy.

Will you write about singing Christmas carols with your family, or lighting candles
for Hannukah, Kwanza, or Diwali? Maybe your poem will be about helping to prepare the Thanksgiving meal, or traveling over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house. You might write about a holiday parade, or performing in a school pageant, or walk- ing down your street when it is all lit up with holiday decorations. Perhaps your poem will be about all the things you are thankful for, or about helping those less fortunate enjoy the holidays by dropping a coin in a charity collection box or working on a clothing drive. You might even imagine celebrating a holiday in past times, like along the Oregon Trail.

Whatever you decide, everybuggy will be stringing the Cricket Country mailbox with holiday lights, and wishing peace on earth to Ugly Bird, as they await the gift of your best poem—of 24 lines or fewer, please—inspired by a holiday tradition.”

Contest rules:

1. Your child’s contest entry must be their very own original work. Ideas and words should not be copied.
2. Your child’s entry must be signed by yourself or another parent or guardian, stating that it is their own work, that no help was given,
   and that CRICKET has permission to publish it in the magazine and on our website.
3. Be sure to include your child’s name, age, and full address on their entry.
4. Only one entry per person, please.
5. If you want their work returned, enclose an addressed, stamped envelope for each entry.
6. Your child’s entry must be received by November 30, 2023.
7. Send entries to Cricket League, P.O. Box 300, Peru, IL 61354. (No faxes or email submissions, please!)
8. We will publish winning entries in the March 2024 issue and on the cricketmagkids.com.

OCTOBER 2023

“Making a sculpture of an animal requires careful observation. Collect some photos of elephants and notice the basic shapes of the body. Better yet, if you have the
chance to go to a zoo and observe an elephant in real life, use a camera to take your own pictures, or make some sketches. There are some surprising features and different
details depending on the type of elephant. Try making your own elephant sculpture.”

Contest rules:

Send us a high-resolution image of your child’s creation to faces@cricketmedia.com by November 20, 2023. Be sure the email includes your child’s name, age, and address, and states that “Cricket Media, Inc. may publish the image provided in Cricket’s magazines and online, and that I (the parent or guardian) am authorized to provide the image.”

All submissions become property of Cricket Media, Inc. and will not be returned.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

“It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…you? Throughout history, humans have imagined what it would be like to fly. And while we may have cracked airplanes and rocket ships, the person-powered plane is still being perfected. Now it’s your turn to give it a try. Imagine your own self- powered flying machine. How do you make it fly? What shape are the wings (if it has them)? Do you wear any special, fashionable gear while piloting? Send your sketches flying toward us, and we’ll fill our own sky with some eyepopping personal aircraft of the future.”

Contest rules:

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

“Write a poem about ice skating or sledding.”

Here are the only rules:

1. Your child’s poem should be 10 lines or fewer.
2. Your child’s entry must be signed by yourself, another parent, or legal guardian, authorizing its publication in print and/or online and saying it’s their own idea.
3. Be sure to include your child’s complete name, age, and address.
4. Your child’s entry must arrive by November 25, 2023. We will publish our favorites in the March 2024 issue of SPIDER.

Email your child’s entry to spider@cricketmedia.com, or send it to Spider’s Corner, P.O. Box 300, Peru, IL 61354.