IKEA’s New Line of Toys Were Designed by Real Kids & They’re Monstrously Adorable
by Karly Wood
It’s that time of year again––the IKEA Soft Toy Drawing Competition! For the fifth year in a row, the Swedish retailer invites children ages 12 and under to collaborate on the next soft toy collection. Find out how your kid’s drawing could become the next IKEA toy.
The competition runs from Oct. 16 to Nov. 8, 2018 and gives kids the opportunity to share drawings of their own creatures—and the chance to turn them into real toys at IKEA!
You can shop last year’s winners, which were chosen from over 87,000 submissions in the SAGOSKATT 2018 collection, available in all U.S. stores nationwide. And we have to say, they are seriously adorable! The winning drawings were chosen from all over the globe––Iceland, South Korea, China, Poland and Sweden!
Check out our roundup of these brilliant kid designs come to life.
Unicorn
This whimsical pink unicorn is ready to take flight with her oversized wings and bright, rainbow mane. “I drew a pink unicorn named Pink unicorn who loves to fly in the sky. I hope other children in the world can play with my soft toy with me.”—Peixin (Age 5, China)
Monster
No one knows where "Monster" comes from, but could he be from outer space? That hair has us thinking. “I just wanted to draw something cool so I drew a monster. His name is Monster and during the days he’s always saying something funny, teasing and joking.”—Runar (Age 8, Iceland)
Hedgehog Dinosaur
Part dinosaur, part hedgehog—all adorable. This little creature loves tropical fruit and climbing in trees! “I have made a mix of a hedgehog, dinosaur and a monster. I colored it green because it is my favorite color. Kotten only eats fruit. Kotten have very good claws that are used for climbing in trees. It live in the jungle or rainforest where there is a lot of tropical fruit and it like a hot climate.”—Greta (Age 8, Sweden)
Seal
Unda the seal loves fish, and that's why she has her own pocket where she can always keep a friend nearby. “My seal’s name is Unda. Unda is very friendly and when it is happy, it pats its belly with a flipper. It can do a lot of funny tricks, such as flipping a fish on its nose. Fish are her best friend, for this reason Unda always carries one in its pocket.”—Natalia (Age 8, Poland)
Shark
This colorful shark is ready to play, and anything but scary! Is "Baby Shark" stuck in your head, too, now? “I drew a little shark because I love swimming and want to swim together with the little shark. During the days I think he is traveling under the sea.”—Jimin (Age 9, South Korea)
IKEA Soft Toy Drawing Competition
Submissions can be in one of three age groups: 4 years or younger, 5 to 8 years old or 9 to 12 years old. One semifinalist from each store will be selected through an online consumer vote in early December and will receive a $25 gift card. The 10 drawings with the most overall votes, along with five “IKEA Picks,” will move on to the global competition.
Real soft toys will be made from the six winning drawings from the global competition and part a part of the limited-edition SAGOSKATT collection (available in 2019). To enter the IKEA Soft Toy Drawing Competition, see the full official rules visit info.ikea-usa.com/softtoy.
If you needed any more encouragement to participate in some way, when you shop the SAGOSKATT 2018 collection, 100 percent of the proceeds will go to Save the Children’s relief and recovery efforts in the United States. Funds from the collection will also help quickly initiate emergency teams to future crises, and prioritize services for children and families in the midst of disasters.
