This year we're asking you to get your children talking about healthy lifestyles and cancer prevention. Have a look at the 'get active, stay healthy' ideas featured in the Cancertalk pack and then ask them to tackle one of the following activities. The competition will be judged by Jacqueline Wilson, award-winning children's writer and the fourth winner of the children's laureate. Winners will see their colouring-in, poster or story published on the Macmillan website and will also receive fantastic prizes for both themselves and their school.

Years 1-2/P1-2

Neatly colour in the template of the Cancertalk characters and fill in the loud-speaker caption. Which healthy living message could the Cancertalk characters be shouting about?

Download the template >> [pdf, 80kb]

Years 3-6/P3-6

Design a poster featuring the Cancertalk characters doing some 'get active, stay healthy' activities. The poster can be as inventive or fantastical as they like but it must contain, somewhere, the words 'Macmillan Cancer Support'.

Download the template >> [pdf, 51kb]

Year 7+/P7+

Write a story about a day in the life of the Cancertalk characters and what activities they do to 'get active and stay healthy'. Stories can be as creative and imaginative as they like, and must include the words 'Macmillan Cancer Support'.

Download the template >> [pdf, 51kb]

Tips for the competition

Only children who have taken part in The Big Hush 2008 are eligible to enter the competition.
Keep posters to one side of A3 or less.
Keep hand-written stories to two pages of A4 or less. Typed stories must be no longer than one A4 page.
Send competition entries to:

The Big Hush 2008
Macmillan Cancer Support
Freepost RG172
Bracknell
RG12 1ZX

Entries must be received by 31 March 2008. Ensure that you attach all competition entries to contact details for your school / group and that every child marks the front of their entry with their:

Full name
School name
School year (ie Year 4/P4)

Competition Rules

Only children who have taken part in The Big Hush 2008 can enter the competition. There is no charge to enter the competition. Entries must be submitted on the competition template provided. Typed story written competition entries must be no longer than one side of A4 and hand-written stories must be no longer than two pages of A4. Entries must be received by 31 March 2008. Judging will take place by 30 May 2008 and Macmillan Cancer Support will notify the winners at their school within seven days of the decision. The decision of Macmillan Cancer Support is final. Macmillan reserves the right to substitute an alternative prize if necessary. Entry into the competition implies that permission has been given to publish the story in future Macmillan publications. Entries cannot be returned.

Read about the winners from 2007 >>