2026 Cover Kids Search Official Rules

 Cover Kids Search 2026 Official Rules of Entry

 We’re excited you’re joining the fun of our Cover Kids Search!

1.ELIGIBILITY: Kauai Family magazine 2026 cover kids search (the “contest”) is open only to Kaua’i residents, between three (3) and eleven (11) years of age by May 1, 2025.

2. SPONSOR: Hō’ike Kaua’i Community Media

3. CONTEST PERIOD: the contest runs between 10 a.m. Hawai‘i Standard Time (“HST”) on August 4, 2025 and 11:59 p.m. HST on November 1, 2025 (the “contest period”). Administrator’s computer is the official time keeping device for the contest. 

4. HOW TO ENTER: Upload and submit a photograph of your child (the “photo”) on KauaiFamilyMagazine.com. A $15 online entry fee will be charged for each child. You must be the parent or legal guardian of the child featured in the photo. Every entrant will receive a virtual swag bag for participating in late December with coupons valued at $100 or more.

By completing the registration, uploading your photo and paying the online entry fee, you agree that your photo conform(s) to the photo guidelines and content restrictions as defined below (collectively, the “guidelines and restrictions”) and that sponsors, in their sole discretion, may remove your photo if they believe, in their sole discretion, that your photo fails to conform to the guidelines and restrictions in any way, in which case you shall be disqualified from the contest.

First, please review the official rules below. When you enter, you acknowledge that you have read, approve and agree to adhere to these official rules.

Kaua’i Family Magazine’s Cover Kids Search has a total of four (4) categories.

  • 3-5 year old
  • 6-8 year old
  • 9-11 year old
  • Siblings
  • Please note: Photos must have been taken within the last 3 months and child(ren) in the photo must be between the ages of 3 and 11 as of May 1, 2025.

To enter the 2026 Cover Kids Search, please click here.

ELIGIBILITY and OFFICIAL RULES:

  1. The Cover Kids Search is open to children ages 3-11. Child(ren) in the photo must be between the ages of 3 and 11 as of May 1, 2025. Parents or caregivers are to complete the entry application. Only Kaua’i county residents are eligible to enter the Search and entrants acknowledge that if chosen as a finalist and/or winner, all photos will be taken in a locale or locales chosen by Kaua’i Family Magazine. Employees of Kaua’i Family Magazine and Hō’ike Kaua’i Community Media and their immediate family members are not eligible.
  2. All Cover Kid entries must be entered here and the following information is to be provided via the form: Parent or legal guardian name, phone number, zip code, email address, child’s name, child’s age as of February 1, 2025, and a recent photo (within the past 3 months) of the child you are entering. (The Photo) will be uploaded as a part of the form.
  3. The children in the Sibling Category that appear(s) in the Photo must be between the ages of 3 and 11 as of  May 1, 2025.
  4. If entering a child in the Individual categories, the photo for that entry must include only the child being entered. In other words, the photo cannot include any other people in the image.
  5. No more than four (3) children can be featured within one image for the Siblings category, and no child should appear in the photo who is not entered into the Cover Kids Search in the Siblings category. In other words, only the children entered together as siblings can appear in the submitted photo.
  6. You may NOT enter a photo that has previously been sold for publication or advertising use.
  7. Uploaded photo must be no larger than two (2) MB;
  8. The Photo must be in .jpeg format;
  9. The Photo must have been taken within the last three (3) months prior to the date of submission;
  10.  Be sure your photo clearly shows your entrant’s face without obstruction of makeup, hats, sunglasses, masks, etc.
  11. Avoid sending low quality or low resolution photos as they do not reproduce well. When using a digital camera or phone, we recommend you use “portrait mode” or the “largest” or “highest quality” setting.
  12. All submissions must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. HST, November 1, 2025
  13. Winners of Cover Kids Search agree to act as Kaua’i Family Magazine Ambassadors and when possible, help serve the community via Kaua’i Family Magazine projects and nonprofit outreach.
  14. Any entry photo or portion thereof that is, in the Judge’s sole discretion, obscene, profane, lewd, defamatory, contains any third party materials, or otherwise violates or infringes (or may infringe) any copyright, trademark, logo, mark that identifies a brand or other proprietary right of any person living or deceased (including but not limited to rights of privacy or publicity or portrayal in a false light) or entity, or is otherwise objectionable, will not be disqualified from the contest.
  15. Automated, script, macro or robotic entries submitted by individuals or organizations will be disqualified.
  16. Entrants may not copy or otherwise plagiarize the entry material from any source. Judges have the sole discretion to determine whether a photo qualifies as an entry. All entries must be the sole, original work of the entrants.
  17. Images/items used in the Photo should not contain any visible logos, drawings, cartoons, phrases, trademarks or other third-party materials.
  18. By submitting an entry, you hereby grant Kaua’i Family Magazine the irrevocable, perpetual digital and other rights to use, reproduce, edit, market, store, distribute, have distributed, publicly and privately display, communicate, publicly and privately perform, transmit, have transmitted, create derivative works based upon, and promote the Entries for editorial and promotional purposes.
  19. Kaua’i Family Magazine staff at its discretion reserves the right to add an additional entry to the four voted finalists in any or all of the four categories.
  20. Kaua’i Family Magazine is not responsible for internet crashes or slowdowns caused by network congestion, viruses, sabotage, satellite failures, phone line failures, electrical outages, natural disasters or acts of man or God.
  21. Kaua’i Family Magazine reserves the right to change the rules at any time.
  22. This contest is not intended for gambling. If it is determined that a contestant is using the contest for gambling purposes they will be disqualified and reported to authorities.
  23. Any entry not in compliance with the above and that does not meet the requirements will be disqualified. A refund will be issued within thirty days and no virtual swag bag will be emailed.

PAYMENT:

    1. All Individual entries must be accompanied by a $15 fee for each entry submitted to the Cover Kids Search.
    2. All Sibling entrants must be accompanied by a $25 fee for each entry submitted to the Cover Kids Search.
  1. PRIZE:
    1. Each entering family will receive an email with one (1) virtual swag bag at the end of the contest period in late December 2025, that includes special coupons valued over $100.
    2. Winners in the three individual categories and the one sibling category will appear on their own cover of Kaua’i Family Magazine’s 2026 quarterly issues. Kaua’i Family Magazine will dictate which issue they will appear and where the photo will be taken.
    3. Winners will receive a photoshoot with our photographer, along with one (1) high resolution digital image of the final photo of the child(ren) used on the cover, a PDF of the actual Kaua’i Family Magazine cover.
    4. Prizes are non-transferable and no cash substitution is allowed. Kaua’i Family Magazine reserves the right to substitute any prize with another prize of equal or greater value.
  2. JUDGING & NOTIFICATION:
    1. Submit your child’s portrait from August 4 – November 1. Engage your family and friends to encourage votes for your submission(s) from November 20 –November 29, 2025.
    2. Kaua’i Family Magazine’s Cover Kids Search has a total of four (4) categories.
      1. 3-5 year old
      2. 6-8 year old
      3. 9-11 year old
      4. Sibling Photo
    3. The top two-three (2-3) entries in each of the four (4) categories will be notified via email November 2, 2025  where they will be interviewed by Hō’ike Kaua’i Community Media and aired on a special episode of the Hō’ike weekly -Community Connections. The interviews will take place during November 2-10, 2025.  All semi-finalists must participate in the live interview.

    4. November 2, Semi-finalists will be chosen and announced by Hō’ike. Live interviews are required for semifinalists to be featured in a special episode of The Hōʻike Weekly’ Community Connections. *You must schedule your child’s interview by 4:30 pm on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Hōʻike hours of operation are 9:30 am – 4:30 pm. Please call within these times. If you do not schedule or attend the interview, your child will be disqualified from the contest.

    5. November 20, online readers will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite Cover Kids.

    6. November 29: The top 2-3 kids in each category will then be chosen by our reader’s votes. 

    7. December 8: One winner will be selected for each of the four categories and notified by email. Winners will be formally announced in the Spring 2026 issue and cover photoshoots will be scheduled in 2026.

    8. If a winner is unreachable after seven (7) days, or if that winner is unavailable for prize fulfillment, an alternate winner will be selected. If an eligible winner cannot be found for the prize, that prize will not be awarded.
    9. Winners may be required to provide an additional photo for promotional purposes.
    10. By entering, entrants (and their parents or legal guardians) accept and agree to be bound by these Official Rules.
    11. Each winner, by acceptance of the prize, agrees to release all Cover Kids Search Sponsors and Kaua’i Family Magazine, and their officers, directors, employees, agents, shareholders, affiliates, suppliers, distributors, and advertising agencies from all liability, claims, or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages, or losses to persons and property which may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership, or use of the prize.

To enter the 2026 Cover Kids Search, please click here.