IKEA Bulgaria Awards the Finalists of the Fifth Edition of the National Children’s Drawing Competition
- Български
- English
On January 25, 2026, at the Muzeiko Children's Science Center, IKEA Bulgaria awarded the finalists of the fifth edition of the National Children’s Drawing Competition, part of the global campaign “Let’s Play.” The event brought together children, parents, jury members, and guests to celebrate imagination and children’s ideas inspired by the theme “The Brave Explorers of the Wild Savannah.”
A total of 15 children received special awards for their original artworks, telling stories of adventures, wild animals, and the exploratory spirit of the savannah. The theme is inspired by IKEA’s children’s collection SANDLÖPARE, created in partnership with the Swedish wildlife conservation center Nordens Ark, and encourages families to spend more time together through play and imagination.
The jury—comprising Bogdana Trifonova, Aleksandra Dimitrova, Christina de Bruin, UNICEF Representative for Bulgaria, Zdravka Varbanova, and Yana Yakimova, Store Manager of IKEA Sofia—evaluated the children’s drawings based on criteria such as originality, creativity, and the strength of the story behind each artwork.
The big winner of this year’s edition is Svetoslav Stoyanov, 8 years old from Sofia, with his drawing “The Traveling Flamingo.” His character has already come to life as a real plush toy and is now in the hands of its creator. For the fifth year in a row, IKEA Bulgaria follows the process of the International Fairytale Hero Competition, which aims to stimulate creativity and show that dreams can become reality.
“For us, this competition is a way to give the floor to children’s imagination and to show that play is an inseparable part of learning, shared moments, and caring for the world around us. The stories children tell through their drawings are an inspiration to us as well,” shared the IKEA Bulgaria team.
The competition, organized in partnership with UNICEF Bulgaria, was open to all children up to the age of 12 across Bulgaria. Participants submitted their drawings and short descriptions via the platform letsplay.bg, where they went through online voting followed by jury evaluation.
Awardees:
- Lili Ninov, 11, Sofia
- Niya Atanasova Neykova, 6, Plovdiv
- Lora Valchevska, 6, Karlovo
- Svetoslav Stoyanov, 8, Sofia
- Adelina Ilieva, 8, Karlovo
- Siyana Kadisheva, 7, Ruse
- Mila, 6, Veliko Tarnovo
- Teodora Dimitrova, 8, Ruse
- Presiyan Yalamov, 6, Pleven
- Eva Andreeva, 8, Sofia
- Darina Stoyanova, 11, Sofia
- Eva Tyurksoy, 6, Pazardzhik
- Sofia Tencheva, 11, Plovdiv
- Simeon Gigov, 11, Sofia
- Margarita Keremidchieva, 7, Sofia
More information about IKEA Bulgaria’s National Children’s Drawing Competition can be found at letsplay.bg.
* UNICEF does not endorse or recommend specific brands, products, or services.
