The Great Safari Art Contest
Every fall, our young artists study a famous painter and create their own original masterpiece. This page is updated each year — this year’s contest is below, past years further down.
Into the Wild: Exploring the Jungles of Henri Rousseau
Meet Henri Rousseau
Henri Rousseau painted some of the most famous jungles in the world — glowing tigers in tropical storms and leaves so detailed you can almost hear the birds. The amazing part? He never visited a real jungle; he used his imagination! This year, young artists study his style, then invent an original jungle world of their own.
Learn More About Henri Rousseau
Explore these free, kid-friendly resources to get inspired before you create — a grown-up can help little ones.
🌐 Explore these websites
▶️ Watch & learn
Links open in a new tab and lead to free, third-party sites. We recommend a quick parent preview.
Age Categories
A jungle scene inspired by Rousseau, in bold shapes and colors.
An original jungle artwork exploring layers, depth, light, and mood.
Two age groups, and prizes are awarded in each one.
The Rules
- Traditional media only — pencil, crayon, marker, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, or collage. No digital or AI.
- Original work inspired by Rousseau’s style — not a copy of one of his paintings.
- Write name, age, and grade on the BACK only, to keep judging anonymous.
- Include a short artist statement about Rousseau and your inspiration.
- One entry per student.
How Entries Are Judged
- Creativity — imagination and original ideas
- Theme connection — reflecting Rousseau’s jungle style
- Effort & craftsmanship — care and detail
- Artist statement — thoughtfulness about the artist
Prizes in Each Age Category
Prizes are awarded in both age groups. Winners take home a full year of one of our learning apps, or a book written by one of our founders.
What is Book Explorer?
Our reading app for PreK–12. Kids take quizzes on the books they’re already reading, earn points and stickers, and you get a clear picture of how their comprehension is growing.
Try the free demo →Important Dates
How to Enter
Sign Up
Fill out our quick sign-up form so we know your artist is coming. Entry is free, and it’s open to every homeschool family — you don’t need to be a Homeschool Safari student.
Sign Up for the Contest →Create Your Entry
Create your original jungle artwork inspired by Rousseau and write your name, age, and grade on the back. Then photograph your finished piece and your artist statement.
Email Us Your Photo
Send your photo and artist statement to info@homeschoolsafari.com before 5 PM MST on October 31, with your child’s first name, age, and grade in the message. We’ll reply to confirm we’ve got it.
Email Your Entry →Look what our young artists have created over the years! Click any year to see the theme and winners.
2025/26 Georgia O’Keeffe — Flowers & the Desert ▾
Students explored the bold flowers and dramatic desert landscapes of Georgia O’Keeffe. Winners’ gallery coming soon!
winner photo
winner photo
winner photo
winner photo
2024/25 Our First Art Contest — Winners Showcase ▾
Congratulations to the wonderful young artists who made our very first art contest so special!
What’s next this year 🦁
Three more are coming this year: a family Give-Back Challenge in November and December, a family STEM Build in winter, and a Nature Photo Contest in spring. All free to enter, all open to every homeschool family.
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