Children's Design a Stamp Competitions.
While I was working on Allan's Christmas Stamp Collection I came upon a series of stamps designed by young children. I couldn't do much more than just give the child's name and the title of his/her painting because the large collection pages can't hold much detail about each stamp.
Since I liked these designs so much, I decided to ask Allan about doing a page to include all of them on one page. My plan was to include what other details can be found about each design.
Allan agreed so here it is all 25 stamps, enlarged with more detailed captions. So now you can enjoy the great designs and colours. Also read the italic text, where each child explains the theme behind his/her design. You will see the thought and wisdom that has gone into many of these stamps.
2006 Christmas stamps are the results of a nationwide competition in which all New Zealand schoolchildren were invited to design a stamp to illustrate what Christmas meant to them. The competition was a huge success – attracting more than 17,000 entries from throughout the country and astonishing the judges with the talent it revealed. Choosing the 10 lucky winners was a challenge, but the results amply demonstrate that, for Kiwi children everywhere, Christmas holds a very special place in their hearts.
45c - Koru Family.
Year 5-6 Category Winner (also Supreme Winner).
Hanna McLachlan – Age 10 - Three Kings School, Mt Roskill, Auckland.
“This picture represents NZ by the fern and every swirl of fern represents a member of my family, and reminds me at Xmas how we spend lots of time together.”
“This picture represents NZ by the fern and every swirl of fern represents a member of my family, and reminds me at Xmas how we spend lots of time together.”
Hanna McLachlan with her winning design.
45c - Wise Men and Camel.
Year 1-2 Category Winner.
Isla Hewitt – Age 6 - Elmwood Normal School, Christchurch.
Wise Men and Camel
45c - The Family.
Year 3-4 Category Winner.
Caitlin Davidson – Age 8 - Western Heights Primary School, Auckland.
“To me, Christmas means a time when all the family are together from the littlest kids to the oldest. Christmas is love and love is family.”
“To me, Christmas means a time when all the family are together from the littlest kids to the oldest. Christmas is love and love is family.”
45c - Baby Jesus and Mary.
Year 11-13 Category Winner.
Maria Petersen – Age 15 - St Dominic’s College, Wanganui.
“Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem on Christmas Day, and the Virgin Mary was his mother mild.”
“Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem on Christmas Day, and the Virgin Mary was his mother mild.”
45c - Pohutukawa Tree and Beach.
Year 7-8 Category Winner.
Deborah Yoon – Age 12 - Wakitipu High School, Queenstown.
“Unlike many other countries around the world, it’s summer in Christmas in New Zealand, so I’ve put a beach and the native pohutukawa tree (NZ Christmas tree) on a piece of lino and coloured it in.”
“Unlike many other countries around the world, it’s summer in Christmas in New Zealand, so I’ve put a beach and the native pohutukawa tree (NZ Christmas tree) on a piece of lino and coloured it in.”
45c - Wood Pigeon.
Year 9-10 Category Winner.
Hannah Webster – Age 14 - Wellington Girls’ College, Wellington.
“Christmas means seeing a New Zealand Wood Pigeon who’s like a messenger, displaying the colours of Christmas on its wings and to me the sight of that tops any star on a tree.”
“Christmas means seeing a New Zealand Wood Pigeon who’s like a messenger, displaying the colours of Christmas on its wings and to me the sight of that tops any star on a tree.”
90c - Kiwi Fruit.
Year 3-4 Category Winner.
Pierce Higginson – Age 8 - St Joseph’s School, Hamilton.
“This is my kiwi fruit it reminds me of our native bird, it reminds me of Christmas because of the santa hat.”
“This is my kiwi fruit it reminds me of our native bird, it reminds me of Christmas because of the santa hat.”
$1.35 - Kiwiana Christmas Tree.
Year 1-2 Category Winner.
Rosa Tucker – Age 5 - St Mary’s School, Ellerslie, Auckland.
“Kiwiana Christmas trees.”
“Kiwiana Christmas trees.”
$1.50 - Pohutukawa New Zealand Christmas Tree.
Year 7-8 Category Winner.
Sylvie Webby – Age 11 - Raurimu Avenue School, Whangarei.
“Pohutukawa flowers look like red Christmas lights flashing on a native New Zealand Christmas tree.”
“Pohutukawa flowers look like red Christmas lights flashing on a native New Zealand Christmas tree.”
$2.00 - Christmas Camping.
Year 7-8 Category Winner.
Gemma Baldock – Age 10 - Tahuna Normal Intermediate School, Dunedin.
“I love camping with my family at Christmas. In the open spaces of New Zealand, it’s a great place to spend time with my family.”
“I love camping with my family at Christmas. In the open spaces of New Zealand, it’s a great place to spend time with my family.”
45c - Hanna McLachlan / Koru Family (Self Adhesive).
$1.50 - Sylvie Webby / Pohutukawa New Zealand Christmas Tree (Self Adhesive).
2007 Christmas Issue.
The 2006 ‘Design a Stamp’ competition was such a huge success that New Zealand Post decided to do it again. In 2007, schoolchildren nationwide were given the challenge of designing a stamp with the theme of ‘Christmas symbols’ – and once again, the results were simply astonishing. The winning five, and particularly the Supreme Winner designed by Sione Vao age six, demonstrate the talent and imagination that abounds among Kiwi kids today.
50c - Christmas Symbols.
Year 1-2 (supreme winner).
Sione Vao – Age 6 - Flat Bush School, Otara, Auckland.
“Its NZ symbols for Xmas”
“Its NZ symbols for Xmas”
$1.00 - The Robin.
Year 1-2 Category Winner.
Reece Cateley – Age 7 - St Josephs School, Hamilton.
“The robin is flapping because it’s Christmas”
“The robin is flapping because it’s Christmas”
$1.50 - Baby Jesus.
Year 5-6 Category Winner.
Emily Wang – Age 11 - Three Kings School, Mt Roskill, Auckland
“Christmas isn’t just about presents and parties, it is also about Jesus’s birth”
“Christmas isn’t just about presents and parties, it is also about Jesus’s birth”
$2.00 - Beach Cricket.
Year 7-8 Category Winner.
Alexandra Eathorne – Age 12 - St Orans College, Lower Hutt
“I painted this scene because every Christmas my family and I play cricket on the beach. I also drew a pohutukawa tree because it represents Christmas”
“I painted this scene because every Christmas my family and I play cricket on the beach. I also drew a pohutukawa tree because it represents Christmas”
$2.50 - Fantail.
Year 3-4 Category Winner
Jake Hooper – Age 8 - Waverley Primary School, Waverley
“The fantail is delivering Christmas presents to all of NZ”
“The fantail is delivering Christmas presents to all of NZ”
50c - Sione Vao / Christmas Symbols (Self Adhesive).
$1.50 - Emily Wang / Baby Jesus (Self Adhesive).
2008 Christmas Issue.
In 2008 the six-stamp Christmas Issue combined the traditional and the modern. The three ‘modern’ stamps were the result of the third annual ‘Design a Stamp’ competition, in which school children throughout New Zealand were invited to create stamps based on the theme of ‘Kiwi Christmas’. Once more a record-breaking response was received, with more than 20,000 entries from around 2,400 schools.
The other three stamps, not shown here, took a more traditional approach. Designed by Auckland-based illustrator Martin Bailey,
50c - Sheep ready for Christmas.
Design a Stamp winner
Kirsten Fisher-Marsters - Age 10 - Maraetai Beach School, Auckland.
“My sheep is ready for Christmas at the beach”
“My sheep is ready for Christmas at the beach”
$2.00 - Pohutukawa and Koru.
Design a Stamp winner
Tamara Jenkin - Age 12 - Tawa Intermediate, Wellington.
“This stamp holds the Christmas message of joy and life bringing with it clear New Zealand symbols. There is the pohutukawa, ‘the kiwi Christmas tree’ and the koru, a traditional Maori symbol celebrating new beginnings”
$2.50 - Kiwi Enjoying Christmas.
Design a Stamp winner.
Molly Bruhns - Age 7 - Prebbleton School, Christchurch
“This is a kiwi enjoying Christmas in the sun by Pohutukawa”
“This is a kiwi enjoying Christmas in the sun by Pohutukawa”
2009 Christmas Issue.
Following the success of the 2008 Christmas stamps, the 2009 issue combined traditional and contemporary views of this annual Christian festival. The first three stamps by winners of the 'Design a Stamp' school competition, in which school children nationwide sent their own perspectives on the theme ‘What do you love about Christmas?’
The other values comprised three traditional stamps depicting nativity scenes designed by Wellington artist Stephen Fuller. They are not shown in this post.
50c - White Chair and Pohutukawa Tree.
Design a Stamp winner
Felix Wang - Age 11 - ACG Parnell College.
“NZ’s Christmas is summer and I love to sit on a chair, enjoy the view and relax. Also lots of people called the pohutukawa the New Zealand Christmas tree”
“NZ’s Christmas is summer and I love to sit on a chair, enjoy the view and relax. Also lots of people called the pohutukawa the New Zealand Christmas tree”
$2.30 - New Zealand Pigeon with Hat.
Design a Stamp winner
Dannielle Aldworth - Age 10 - Wellsford School.
“I love the NZ pigeon and I gave it a hat for Christmas”
“I love the NZ pigeon and I gave it a hat for Christmas”
$2.80 - Receiving Christmas Presents.
Design a Stamp winner.
Apurv Bakshi - Age 7 - St Andrew’s College.
“I love getting presents for Christmas”
“I love getting presents for Christmas”
Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ
You can visit their web site and On-line Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/