The Children’s Idea Contest

Encouraging children to discover the joy of dreaming and the delight of creating

In the Children’s Idea Contest, elementary school children from all over Japan get to dream up their own visions of the future. The contest was started in 2002 to help children experience the joy of dreaming and the delight of creating.

In the first stage, entrants are asked to imagine something they think would be really cool, draw a picture of it and send it to us. Entries can be the work of individuals or a group effort. Children are free to draw whatever they want, so they can let their imaginations run wild. The top entries are selected by a panel of judges, and the children are invited to make actual models of their ideas. With the encouragement of the people around them, they work hard and overcome all sorts of obstacles on the way to finishing their projects. On the day of the final review, they present the results of their hard work before a large audience. Whether they win or not, all the children gain valuable experience - and the satisfaction of seeing their projects through to completion.

The grand prize winner and the runners-up win a visit to their schools from ASIMO, the humanoid robot - Honda’s vision of the future. ASIMO’s visit is a reminder that any dream can come true.

Spreading the Circle of Joy

In 2005, to convey the fun and importance of dreams, creativity and challenges to as many children as possible, we introduced a new image character, Dreamo. We also established a new Idea Prize for children whose entries did not make it past the initial screening to give them a chance to make and present models of their ideas. In its 5th year, the contest attracted entries from 3,414 groups and a total of 3,700 contestants. Children who participated said they enjoyed thinking up new ideas and drawing them. Parents remarked that the contest had expanded their children’s horizons. Some fifty Honda associates serve as judges for the initial screening.