Various organizations run quizzes and contests which allow kids to participate and show their skills to the world. These contests offer cash and other kind of prizes to the winners. As a parent, it is always a great feeling to watch your kids compete with their contemporaries. It tests their skills, gives them the right kind of exposure, and induces a sense of responsibility in them - characteristics that are so essential in this fiercely competitive world. There is a plethora of contests in which your child can participate. However, it is your responsibility to gauge which skill your kid has a penchant for. It is wise to get your kid to pursue something that he is actually interested in rather than trying to make him the master of all trades. Mentioned below are some contests which felicitate the winners and offer them monetary rewards. Totem Head's Story Contest has been recognizing young talent for a number of years now. They run a writing contest every year and offer cash prize and other goodies to the winners. The contest is categorized in the following age groups,

1. 0-9 yrs
2. 10-12 yrs
3. 13-15 yrs
4. 16-18 yrs

Prize $50 in cash, publication on their website, and a certificate of achievement. The Betty Award has two contests in a year - in Spring and Fall. The contest is open to kids between 8-12 years of age. The contestants have to submit an unpublished story not more than 1000 words. The entry fee for this contest is $15. Prize

1. 1st Place - $300
2. 2nd Place - $200
3. 3rd Place - $100

This annual contest allows kids to work in groups of three or more, under the guidance of a project coordinator. Kids in grades K-8 are eligible for this contest. The contest allows the blend of story writing and artistic work, which has to be submitted together in a picture book format. The contest is categorized into fiction and nonfiction, and awards for these are given separately. Prize

1. Two Grand-Prize winning teams get $5000 in merchandise.
2. 100 copies of their published book.
3. Gold medallion for each wining student.

This contest is sponsored by the Wayne State College Science and Fiction Fantasy Club in association with WillyCon. Kids who are interested in writing science fiction and fantasy will find this contest very appealing. Additionally, kids can also submit poems which are also judged in the competition. The contest is categorized in four levels, these are,

1. Adult/College
2. High School (9-12)
3. Middle School (7-8)
4. Elementary (K-6)

Prize Cash award and certificates are given to the winner and his/her work is published online. Students in the grades 3-12 are eligible for this contest. Each participant is allowed to submit a poem not more than 20 lines. The categories for this contest are,

1. Division 1 - Grades 3-5
2. Division 2 - Grades 6-7
3. Division 3 - Grades 8-9
4. Division 4 - Grades 10-12

Prize The winners of individual categories get a cash prize along with a certificate. The winner among all the categories stands to win $500 in cash. If your kid has the knack of expressing himself and the surroundings through poetry, this can very well be the contest for him. This is one of the most prestigious contests for kids around the world, who are aged 5-19. Prize The organizers don't pay in cash but they sponsor an all-expense-paid trip for the winner to Washington D.C., for the award ceremony. Kids in grades 6-12 can participate in this contest and is sponsored by the Read Magazine. A participant can send in a maximum of two poems. A total of six poems are chosen for the wining title. Prize Each winner gets a cash prize of $100. Besides, the winners also get to see their poems featured in the Read magazine. Participants need to write math related stories, poems or even a drawing. The winners of this contest get t-shirts form Math Cat, a certificate of achievement, besides the work is published in the official website. A donation is also made in the name of the winner to charitable institutions which are searching for measures to cure some rare diseases. If your kid is into photography, this is one of the best chances for him to compete against others who have same sort of interests. The contest is open for kids in the age group 6-14. Prize Four first prize winners will get a 16.1 megapixel digital camera, an 8GB memory card, and selected almanac from National Geographic, totaling to $315. Four second prize winners will get a 14.1 megapixels camera, an 8GB memory card and selected almanac from National Geographic totaling to $172. As the name suggests, this contest is aimed at extracting the best out of the kids artistically. The contest is divided into three categories catering to kids in the age group of 6-8, 9-12, and 13-17. There is an entry fee of $5, which can be paid online. Prize

1. $1000 to Winner
2. $500 to runner-up
3. $250 to second runner-up