Doodle 4 Google 2014 kicks off, winning entry will be animated

Google has officially kicked off its Doodle 4 Google contest, which offers a theme and invites kids from around the world to enter a drawing related to that theme. This year brings with it a small twist on the popular contest, however: the winning doodle will be animated in a way similar to some of Google's past features.

This year's Doodle 4 Google theme revolves around the phrase, "If I could invent one thing to make the world a better place...", giving kids free rein to doodle from the depths of their imagination. As with last year, the winner will get a $30,000 scholarship, as well as earning a $50,000 grant for his or her school.

Unlike last year, however, the winner will also get one additional perk from winning — getting to help a Google team animate the doodle. Said a company spokesperson to Mashable, "The addition is a cool parallel to the way that our own doodle have 'evolved' from static to the crazy interactive ones over the years."

Kids who want to participate need to get their submissions in by March 20, something that can be done online or through snail mail. Entry forms are available on Google's official Blogspot. The finalists will be announced on April 29 and flown to the company headquarters for creative workshops. The winner will be announced in June.

SOURCE: Mashable