If you are running out of ideas for the last stretch of the summer holidays, this one is refreshingly simple.
Cake Box is inviting children aged four to 11 across London to design their dream celebration cake as part of its Little Bakers Awards 2026. It is free to enter, can be done at home and the winning design will actually be turned into a real cake.
Here are five reasons to give it a go before entries close on 31 August 2026.
1. It is an easy summer holiday activity
Not every family activity needs advance booking, travel or a full day out.
For this one, children just need a design sheet and something to draw with.
They can create whatever their dream cake looks like: a football cake, a rainbow cake, a space cake, a dinosaur cake or something much stranger.
Design sheets can be collected from a London Cake Box store or downloaded online, making it an easy option for a rainy afternoon or a quieter day at home.
2. It is completely free to enter
Free activities are always useful during the school holidays, especially when you have several weeks to fill.
There is no entry fee for the Little Bakers Awards and children do not need to buy anything to take part.
Simply complete the design and return it to a local Cake Box store by 31 August.
That makes it one of those rare summer activities that is both easy to organise and costs nothing.
3. The winning design will become a real cake
This is where the competition becomes much more exciting than a standard drawing activity.
The national winner will see their cake design recreated by Cake Box’s bakers.
So if your child covers the page with towers, stars, sweets, animals and six different colours, there is a genuine chance somebody could end up making it.
The winner will also take part in a cake decorating experience and meet the Cake Box team.
4. There are extra prizes too
The overall winner will also receive a party bundle to enjoy with friends and family.
Five regional runners-up will receive party bundles too, covering Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Midlands and England.
The winner is expected to be announced in September, so families will not have to wait too long to find out whose design has been chosen.
5. It gives children permission to be imaginative
Perhaps the nicest part of the competition is that there is no reason for children to play it safe.
Cake Box says it wants designs that are bold, colourful and unexpected.
So forget perfectly neat icing and sensible decorations.
If your child thinks the ultimate cake needs a dragon, a football pitch, a rainbow and a mountain of doughnuts, this is probably the time to draw it.
And even if they do not win, they still get a creative summer holiday activity out of it.
How to enter the Cake Box Little Bakers Awards 2026
The competition is open to children aged four to 11.
Collect a design sheet from a London Cake Box store or download one online, create a dream celebration cake and return the completed entry to a local store by 31 August 2026.
The winning child will have their design made into a real cake, take part in a cake decorating experience and receive a party bundle. Five regional runners-up will also receive party bundles.
Find your nearest store and further information at Cake Box.