10/13/2026
🚨ATTENTION, TEACHERS!🚨HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN A FREE TRIP TO HOWE CAVERNS FOR YOUR CLASS/GRADE?
We’ve got a challenge for you and this one comes with a VERY cool prize! Deep beneath the Earth’s surface, in a world of winding passages and mysterious formations, who knows what strange creatures might be lurking? Well, we’re about to find out and YOU get to invent them! We are inviting classrooms to dream up, design, and build their very own imaginary CAVE CREATURES!
We’re talking actual, three-dimensional creations- not drawings or computer-generated images. They must be REAL creatures made from whatever wonderfully imaginative materials you can dream up! Give your creature twelve legs, three heads, fur, giant teeth, wings, a face only a mother could love, you decide! Make it beautiful. Make it bizarre. Make it weird. Make it absolutely ridiculous!
THEN SEND IT TO US!
We will be displaying your creations in our Main Lodge, sharing them online, and inviting our guests and followers to vote for their favorites!
THE GREAT HOWE CAVERNS CAVE CREATURE CHALLENGE OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES:
1. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
The Great Howe Caverns Cave Creature Challenge is open to schools with classrooms in kindergarten through 12th grade. Homeschool groups are welcome to participate! Groups must have at least 25 students and the number of accompanying adults cannot exceed the number of students. All other contest rules and prize limitations apply.
● Each classroom may submit one creature.
● Multiple classrooms from the same school are welcome to participate.
● There are no grade-level divisions. All creatures will be judged together.
● No advance registration or entry fee is required.
● Schools are welcome to enlist the help of teachers, parents, and other members of their school communities to create their entries.
2. THE CHALLENGE
Imagine a creature that has never been discovered, living somewhere deep beneath the Earth’s surface. What would it look like?
Your challenge is to invent, design, and BUILD an original, imaginary cave creature!
Creatures can be funny, frightening, beautiful, bizarre, or completely ridiculous. There are no scientific requirements or restrictions on your imagination.
Entries must be actual, physical, three-dimensional creations. Drawings, photographs, and digital or AI-generated images are NOT accepted as entries.
3. SIZE & WEIGHT REQUIREMENTS
● Maximum width: 24 inches
● Maximum depth: 24 inches
● Maximum height: 36 inches
● Maximum weight: 25 pounds
Measurements include any attached bases, decorations, or accessories. There is no minimum size.
4. MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION
Get creative! You may use papier-mâché, cardboard, clay, fabric, yarn, foam, wood, recycled materials, or any combination of craft supplies. We encourage unusual materials and imaginative construction!
For safety and display purposes:
● Creatures must be sturdy enough to withstand transportation and public display.
● All paint, glue, and other materials must be completely dry before submission.
● Creatures must stand securely on their own or be attached to a stable base.
● Decorations and accessories must be securely attached.
● Moving parts are permitted if safely constructed.
● Battery-operated lights are welcome, provided they are securely attached.
● No electrical cords, open flames, perishable food, liquids, live plants, exposed sharp objects, hazardous materials, or loose glitter.
● Entries must be movable by Howe Caverns staff without special equipment.
5. IDENTIFY YOUR CREATURE
Every creature must be accompanied by an identification card containing:
● Creature’s name
● School name
● Grade/classroom
● A few fun facts about your creature
Tell us something interesting! What does it eat? Where does it sleep? Does it have a special talent? Is it friendly, mischievous, or best avoided?
Please include the name, telephone number, and email address of a teacher or school representative on a separate sheet. This contact information will not be publicly displayed.
6. HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR CREATURE
Completed creatures may be mailed, shipped, or delivered in person to:
Howe Caverns
255 Discovery Drive
Howes Cave, NY 12092
ALL ENTRIES MUST ARRIVE NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2026.
This is an arrival deadline, not a postmark deadline. Schools are responsible for transportation and shipping costs.
No advance registration is necessary.
7. JUDGING
All eligible creatures will be judged together, regardless of grade level.
Two grand-prize winners will be selected by Howe Caverns based on:
● Originality: How unique and imaginative is the creature?
● Creativity: How inventively was the creature designed and constructed?
● Overall WOW Factor: Does the creature capture our attention and imagination?
There are no separate age categories, and the judges will evaluate the creatures themselves, not who helped build them.
Judging will take place 14-17 December 2026.
The decisions of the Howe Caverns judges will be final.
8. PRIZES
TWO GRAND-PRIZE WINNING CLASSROOMS!
Each winning classroom will receive a complimentary Traditional Tour of Howe Caverns for up to 72 total participants, including students, teachers, and chaperones. Each winning group must include a minimum of 25 students. The number of adults participating in the tour may not exceed the number of students.
The two winning tours will take place on:
● Friday, 16 April 2027
● Friday, 30 April 2027
Each winning classroom will be assigned one of these dates. Transportation to and from Howe Caverns is the responsibility of the winning school.
Prizes have no cash value and are not transferable or redeemable for another date.
9. WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT
The two winning classrooms will be announced on Friday, 18 December 2026, right here on our fb page. Winning schools will also be contacted directly using the information provided with their entries.
10. DISPLAY, PHOTOGRAPHY & PUBLICITY
By submitting a creature, participating schools grant Howe Caverns permission to photograph, display, and share their creations, creature names, and school names on our website, social media, and other promotional materials related to the challenge. Submitted creatures may be displayed in the Howe Caverns Main Lodge for guests to enjoy.
11. RETURN OF ENTRIES
Creatures will not be automatically returned.
Schools wishing to retrieve their entries must make arrangements with Howe Caverns for pickup or return shipping at their own expense. Howe Caverns is not responsible for damage that may occur during shipping, handling, or display. Reasonable care will be taken with all submissions.
12. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
● Howe Caverns reserves the right to decline entries that do not meet the contest requirements or present safety concerns.
● Howe Caverns reserves the right to make reasonable adjustments to contest procedures if necessary.
● Participation constitutes acceptance of these official contest rules.
13. QUESTIONS?
Please contact Lindsay at Howe Caverns at 518.296.8900. We can’t wait to see what your imaginations create!
LET THE BEST TWO CREATURES WIN! 🏆
SHARE THIS POST and TAG your teacher friends! Help us spread the word so classrooms everywhere have a chance to join the fun & win!
