Each year, HAI Group invites young residents to put safety first through creativity. The Playground Poster and Essay Contest is an annual tradition designed to engage children living in affordable housing while reinforcing important safety messages in a fun, age-appropriate way.
With a new theme each year, the contest encourages kids to think about how they use shared spaces and how simple actions can help keep playgrounds safe for everyone.
What the contest is all about
The Playground Poster and Essay Contest brings together education, creativity, and community engagement. Children are invited to submit original artwork or essays that reflect the annual safety theme, such as playground safety or fire safety.
The contest is designed to:
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Promote safety awareness in a way that resonates with kids.
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Encourage resident engagement within housing communities.
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Help young participants build lifelong safety habits.
Past themes have explored a range of creative approaches to safety, encouraging kids to imagine playgrounds as castles, space stations, and other fun environments while reinforcing real-world safety concepts.
Last year’s theme, Safety in the Kingdom: Protecting Our Playground Castles, inspired thoughtful and creative entries. Here are some of the winning posters submitted by young residents.
How the contest works
The process is designed to be easy for housing organizations to promote and manage locally.
To participate, housing organizations register, host their own local contests, and award first-, second-, and third-place winners. First-place entries are then forwarded to HAI Group for national judging.
Each year, local judging typically takes place during Playground Safety Week in April. Winning entries are submitted to HAI Group for national judging shortly afterward, with recognition taking place later in the spring. The 2026 contest theme will be announced in February.
Who can participate
Children ages 6–14.
Who can host
HAI Group policyholder organizations.
Submission types
- Posters created on 22 x 28 inch poster board.
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Short essays for specific age groups.
Age categories
Entries are grouped by age to support fair and thoughtful judging.
Local organizations collect submissions and forward their winning entries for final judging.
Judging and recognition
Judging is led by HAI Group colleagues from across the organization. Each year, a conference room is transformed into a gallery, with posters and essays grouped by age category.
Judges are provided with the annual theme and a voting sheet and are asked to select their favorite poster or essay in each age group. Entries are evaluated based on creativity, clarity of the safety message, and how well the submission reflects the contest theme.
Winning entries receive awards and recognition at both the local and national level, and every participant receives a certificate to celebrate their effort and involvement. Below are photos from last year’s judging process, showing colleagues from across HAI Group reviewing submissions and casting their votes.
Save the date
2026 Playground Safety Poster and Essay Contest
February 2026
The 2026 Playground Safety Poster and Essay Contest is coming soon. Keep an eye on your email and follow HAI Group on LinkedIn for updates and details as the contest launch approaches.
For questions on the Playground Poster Contest or how to get involved, reach out to your designated risk control consultant.
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