How to Enter:
1- Read our 2025 - 2026 Guidelines
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DOWNLOAD the Full 2025-2026 Guidelines HERE!
WHO IS ELIGIBLE: Sculptures are created by K-12 student(s) attending a public, charter, private or home school within Hillsborough County. |
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MATERIALS for the DooDad:
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2- Research the theme + DooDad!
DooDad Sculpture Competition 2025–2026
Theme: Florida – Flying into the Future
What does it mean to ‘fly into the future’? This year’s theme invites students to explore flight in all its forms—literal and metaphorical. From soaring birds to space exploration, from floating dreams to Florida’s forward-thinking innovation, sculptures may take inspiration from anything that represents uplift, transformation, or what’s to come. Students might explore how Florida’s environment, communities, or technologies can evolve, protect, or inspire in the years ahead. Think like artists, scientists, and dreamers—where is Florida heading, and what might help it take flight?
How does our country’s past inspire what we create in the future? 2026 is the United States 250th Birthday! Here’s some inspiration to help us look back so we can look forward!
DooDad Material: Obsolete School, Household, or Office Materials
This year’s required material includes used or obsolete school, household, or office objects. Below are some ideas to spark creativity—everyday items that might otherwise be thrown away.
■ School Materials:
- – Broken rulers and protractors
- – Worn-out notebooks or folders
- – Old calculators and chalk
- – Used flashcards, binders, and index cards
- – Outdated textbooks
■ Household Materials:
- – VHS tapes, cassette tapes, or floppy disks
- – Remote controls, alarm clocks, or phone parts
- – Wire hangers, empty containers, or kitchen tools
- – Old eyeglasses or curtain rings
- – Mismatched lids or analog tech
■ Office Materials:
- – Old cords, chargers, or keyboards
- – Obsolete business cards or Rolodexes
- – Label makers, dead batteries (if safely sealed), and fax machine trays
- – File folders, dividers, and office organizers
■ Pro Tip: Ask teachers, neighbors, or family members to help you gather these
items—safe-to-handle objects with surprising creative potential!
3- Make Your DooDad!
| ACCEPTED | NOT ACCEPTED |
| One or more pieces of obsolete or used school, household or office materials. | No used or obsolete school, household or office material was used to create the sculpture. |
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Some part of the used or obsolete school, household or office material must remain visible, and sculpture must be sturdy and stable. |
No used or obsolete school, household or office material remains visible, and/or the sculpture falls apart or repeatedly falls over. |
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Other materials may be used, but MOST of sculpture must be constructed with used or obsolete school, household or office material |
Only a small part of sculpture is created with used or obsolete school, household or office material |
| The sculpture must be freestanding or be able to be hung from the ceiling. Footprint of freestanding sculptures must be no more than 30” deep by 36” wide by 36” tall. Freestanding sculptures may be placed on a table or the floor. Freestanding sculptures must be no more than 50 lbs. Hanging sculptures must have an armature that can connect to framing wire to be hung from the ceiling and must be no more than 25 lbs. | Sculptures that fail to meet accepted size and weight guidelines, and/or if designed to hang, provides no suitable armature devise from which to connect framing wire to suspend from ceiling. |
| Individual or group work may be submitted, and MAJORITY of design and construction must be completed by student(s). | Majority of design and construction of sculpture completed by teacher or other adult(s). |
| Sculpture must relate to the theme and respects the adopted Copyright & Plagiarism guidelines*. | Sculpture NOT relate to theme and/or disrespects adopted Copyright & Plagiarism guidelines*. |
| Artist statement must answer 1) How does your sculpture represent your research about the theme? and/or 2) How has your thinking changed about the connection between creating with unconventional art materials and the environment? | Artist statement doesn’t address either question, and/or only explains the process and procedures used to create the sculpture. |
| Entries and video artist statements must be uploaded using Doodad’s online competition platform. | Online entry form was NOT completed for a submitted sculpture. |
4- Photograph your DooDad:
Watch the video below or click this link to read more about photographing your DooDad! We are excitied to see what you’ve made!
5- Write & Record an Artists statement-
The DooDad Competition went online for judging in 2022. Because of this, it is important to showcase your work with quality photos and a video! Take a peek at last years winning videos for a good idea of what’s needed: 2023 -2024 Videos!
For this years competition you will need to provide 4 photos, a written Artists Statement and a video Artists Statement. Read the directions below and then watch previous winners videos for inspiration in creating your Artist’s Statement video.
Let’s write your Artist Statement:
For the DooDad competition your written Artist Statement MUST answer:
1) How your sculpture represents your research about the theme? and/or
2) How has your thinking changed about the connection between creating with unconventional art materials and the environment?
Let’s record your Artist Statement:
Create a short video, no more than 1 minute long, discussing your DooDad. Tell us about your process, about how you depicted WATER, and about the materials you used when creating you DooDad.
The video should be no longer than 1 minute.
MUST BE Shot in a HORIZONTAL format.
Files must be in one of the following formats, and must include the filename extension : .mov .mp4 .mpg .mpeg .avi .wmv
6- Have your Students + Parents sign Release Forms
All student participants in the Annual Repurposed Doodad Sculpture Competition must have a signed release form from their parents or guardians before their sculptures can be officially entered. This ensures we have the necessary permissions to showcase their creative work. Thank you for your cooperation in making this event a success!
Click HERE to download the form.
And Finally: Enter your DooDad by Friday January 9th!
You’ve created a beautiful DooDad and are ready to enter the competition. Click this ENTER YOUR DOODAD link to share your artistic vision with us! You can revisit the tabs above for additional suggestions on how to photograph your DooDad, create your Video Artist Statement, sign up for a Gmail account, and finally enter your DooDad in the competition!