Kao | Special site KAO International Environment Painting Contest for Children

To view this website correctly, please ensure you have JavaScript enabled.
Some of the website layout and links may not function properly with JavaScript disabled.

Global / English

An illustration of a museum setting containing illustrations of people looking at real paintings displayed on the wall.

logo: KAO Internationnal Environment Paiting Contest for Children

Children’s paintings can change the future

We hope that the paintings expressed by children with their thoughts on the environment and the future of the planet will inspire people around the world to take actions for sustainable lifestyles.

Three children perform various activities related to painting: one dips his brush into a palette, another applies paint to a canvas, and another looks up from her desk while holding a pen.

Exploring environmental issues, together

Illustration of two fish in the water with a blue background.

Water

Illustration of a tiger and a seagull with an orange background.

Wildlife

Illustration with a pink background of the recycling symbol next to various waste products including a laptop, a bottle, and a cup.

Waste

Illustration of Earth with a teal background.

Carbon emissions

Illustration of two trees with a green background.

Forestry

Each submission equals a donation to charity

Every child should understand the positive impact of their art. That’s why, for every submission we receive, we donate 50 Japanese yen to environment conservation activity they select from the three categories below. We hope children’s wishes on paintings will lead to a step forward for better future.

Illustration of hands holding up three paintings from which arrows point to the Earth. The lines of the arrows contain small red hearts.

Wildlife protection

An orangutan holds onto a tree branch suspended above the ground.

Saving endangered wildlife and
conserving nature

Logo containing a panda and the organization’s name, WWF.

WWF Japan

Green forest conservation

A desert landscape containing green, shrub-like plants.

Preventing desertification in the
Aral Sea region of Uzbekistan

Logo containing a blue line encircling two dots in the appearance of a smiling face above the organization’s name, OISCA.

OISCA International

Reducing marine pollution

A group of people standing outside next to a large pile of garbage collected in yellow waste bags.

Solving marine pollution with
research and technology

Logo containing a drawn tufted puffin in flight above the organization’s name, Pirika.

Pirika

Over 150,000 entries from 100 countries

The world is rich in diversity. Nations, cultures, and people all have a unique relationship with nature. This diversity shines through children’s artwork, offering a wide range of perspectives, concerns, and emotions about the environment and the future.

Separate photographs of eighteen children holding colorful illustrations containing the word, “future,” written in various languages.

Winning art, exhibited around the world

Every painting conveys a child's distinct message about our shared world. We organize international exhibitions to ensure these messages reach as many people as possible.

Pictures of exhibition venues,showcasing children’s art.

Pictures of exhibition venues;a large group of adults and children gathered around the paintings.

Pictures of exhibition venues,showcasing children’s art.

Learn about the previous award winners

“eco together” - Planet Earth Grand Prix:

“Buuat Pa” - The Buddhist ritual to conserve forest

Kodchapan Malisorn (14)

A portrait photograph of Kodchapan Malisorn, the winner of the 2023 painting contest.

My painting depicts local people participating in a Buddhist ritual called “Buuat Pa,” where monks ordain trees with life. This ceremony connects faith to forest conservation and sustainability. It teaches us to respect nature, protect it, and help it grow.

A painting that depicts a ritual in a forest where four civilians help six Buddhist monks wrap their traditional, orange clerical robes around the large bases of trees.