2026's Silly Love Sonnets Kidlit Poetry Contest!
- Little Thoughts Press
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Valentine's Day is almost here!
To celebrate and spread a little kidlit love, we are excited to once again host our
"Silly Love Sonnets” Kidlit Poetry Contest!
This year, we are happy to welcome our guest judge, Linda Hofke!
Linda was our 2025 Silly Love Sonnets winner!
It's time again to celebrate the little things you love the most! Blue M&Ms, kitty cat sneezes, cupcake frosting, absolutely nailing a backflip when jumping on a trampoline! Give us unusual perspectives: the first flake of a big snowstorm making its way to the ground, a hummingbird in search of the perfect flower, a chocolate chip cookie excited to be a child's yummy treat.
Don't let the form scare you away. We are looking for sonnets but aren't sticklers for specific rules. Just give us fourteen lines about something silly you love. Rhyme and meter are a plus, but aren't required.
What: A fourteen-line poem celebrating any little thing you love. The sillier the better! This is all about spreading joy and saluting the small pleasures in life. All submissions should be appropriate for a readership of kids ages 12 and younger.
Who: Agented, pre-agented, published, pre-published, writers of all ages and stages— all kidlit creatives are welcome to enter!
When: The contest submission period is from February 9th - 11th. A winner, two honorable mentions, and a kid choice winner will be announced here, on the Little Thoughts Press blog, and on our socials on Saturday, February 14th! Selected poems will be featured on the blog and the winner will receive a free copy of their choice of one of our issues & a bookmark featuring Little Thoughts Press cover art. Winning entries will be selected by our guest judge, Linda Hofke (last year's Silly Love Sonnets winner!) and by Little Thoughts Press editor-in-chief, Claire.
How to enter: Post your entry as a comment on this post by 11:59 pm (EST) on February 11th. Comments will be turned on starting February 9th. Entries posted outside of this window will not be considered. Please include your name with your poem so we know for sure whose entry it is!
Details: Rhyme and meter are not required, but your sonnet must be fourteen lines. 1 entry per kidlit creator.
Grab your copy of our participant badge and help spread the word by sharing #sillylovesonnets on your socials! We can't wait to see all the silly things you can't help but love!