Maplelea Photo Contest

Email photos to: Submissions@maplelea.com.

Share with us all the creative, fun, adventurous, caring, and educational things your kids are doing with their Maplelea dolls at their side! 

Your child's photo could be published in our next Maplelea Catalogue to earn a $50 Maplelea Store Credit! Or, they may be published digitally!

What makes a winning photo?  

1. An interesting location!  Every community and part of Canada has its own distinctive features, whether it is the wide open grasslands of the prairies, the cobblestones of Old Quebec, or the tundra of the North.  Show off the unique features of the place where you live, or where you vacation in Canada.
2. An interesting activity!  The child and and/or the doll should be actively doing something--hiking through a canyon, checking out a lighthouse, feeding the calves, preparing for a dance recital, cross-country skiing, helping a senior, learning about maple syrup, participating in a festival, or the like.
3. An interesting story!  Tell us interesting facts or background information about the location or activity or event.  We also love information that helps others learn about Canada.
4. Include diversity.  We want to show Canada's diversity—diversity of appearance, abilities, culture, heritage, or whatever!  Girls and boys!
5. All corners of Canada. We like to show photos from every province and territory. We strongly encourage families living in, or visiting, the territories and less populous provinces to submit entries. 
6. All seasons. Take pictures all year long!  We like to show the four seasons of Canada!
7. Style your Maplelea doll in Maplelea outfits. Because we are using the selected photos in our catalogue, the clothing and accessories on the doll must be Maplelea clothing and accessories. The only exception to this is clothing or accessories made by the child.  We also prefer current outfits so check that it is still available on our website, and not in the "Last Chance!" Collection.  However past Maplelea outfits are acceptable.
8. Match the doll character to the clothing:  We prefer if the outfits/accessories shown with the doll are those intended for that character or are intended for all dolls. For example, it could be a Taryn doll wearing an outfit designed for Taryn, or a Taryn doll wearing an outfit intended for all dolls.  Or, it could be a Maplelea&ME! doll wearing an outfit intended for all dolls. Outfits intended for all dolls have M as the second letter in their stock number on the seam label. Outfits intended for the Maplelea Girls have their first initial as part of the stock number.  Ie., KS10 is an outfit designed for Saila.  KM96 is an outfit designed for all Maplelea dolls. Check the tag inside the clothing.
9. Pose your doll carefully.  Make it look like the doll is engaged in the activity with the child.  Do ensure that the doll's hair is neatly combed and/or styled.
10. No need to look alike. The child does not need to look like their doll, or dress exactly like the doll, but they should be dressed compatibly.  For example, both in winterwear, or both in dance outfits, or the like—whatever is suitable for the activity or location.
11. Photo(s) must be taken in Canada or pertain to Canada.  Locations outside of Canada are acceptable only if they have a strong Canadian connection, such as visiting Vimy Ridge or representing Canada at an international sporting competition.
12. Age of participants: Maplelea is designed for children age 6 to 12 and so we tend to choose photos that include children of those ages.  People of other ages can be shown in the photo, but please note that Maplelea is safe only for children three and over due to small parts.  The photographer can be any age.
13. Safety First! If the activity shown is a sport that normally requires certain safety equipment, then that safety equipment must be shown in the photo. For example, if the child is in a boat, then they must be wearing a lifejacket. If the child is riding a horse, they must be wearing a helmet. Where appropriate, if the child has paused their activity for the photo, the safety equipment need only be in the photo. 
14. Focus on the child and doll. The best way to take photos is usually to put the child and doll up close in the photo, and let the interesting setting loom large in the background. 
15. If you are concerned about privacy you can use a pseudonym for your child. Perhaps your child will be inspired to strike a creative pose that does not show their face. See the images below of Sophia hiking with her Maplelea doll in her backpack and Renee and her doll doing headstands.  
16. Have fun!  Use this Photo Contest as an opportunity to get out and explore your home community or vacation spot with fresh eyes. What would others find interesting or different about your stomping grounds?  What does your child do all the time, that others might not?  Or what does your child do that other kids can relate to?  Or, just be creative!  Most importantly, have fun!

When is the deadline?

We accept photos year-round for both print and digital media.

Photos chosen for the printed catalogue may also be used digitally at a later date.

We may also use some submitted photos only in our social media or other digital media.  There is no compensation for photos used digitally.

Details about the Store Credit:

The Store Credit can be used to purchase anything on the Maplelea website.

If selected for our print publication, a one-time award of a $50 Store Credit is made for each photo.  The photo can then be used by Maplelea an unlimited number of times, in perpetuity, in both print and digital media.  

By submitting your photo you are agreeing to these terms.

How to submit your photos:

Email photos to: Submissions@maplelea.com.

In the email subject line, put: Photo Contest 2024, the province or territory where the photo was taken, your family name, and a name for the photo.

Ie., "Photo Contest 2024, NS, McDonald, Highland Dancing", or "Photo Contest, NU, Pauloosie, dog-sledding", or "Photo Contest, AB, Patel, exploring Morraine Lake"

Be sure to include in the body of the email:

1. Name(s) of people in the photo (their real names, for our use only)
2. How you would like the people in the photo identified (the name to be used publicly, see below)
3. Where it was taken (the town or city or landmark)
4. How you would like the location identified (a specific town, or an area of Canada)
5. The story behind the photo. (give us the details!)
6. Your name and relationship to the people in the photo

How children are identified in the published photos:  As parent/guardian it is up to you how you would like the child(ren) in the photos identified.  We usually use the child's first name, last initial, and geographic area. However, you are welcome to use a pseudonym for your child, and only the province or territory, if you prefer.

For the story behind the photo, you can give us a paragraph or two.  We will shorten and edit it!

Some examples of previous captions that have appeared:

Twenty new baby chicks arrived at Maya P.'s farm in Moosomin, SK. They will grow up to be laying hens. Saila and Maya look forward to having eggs, but they also wish the chicks would stay little and cute forever.

Tulips, tulips everywhere!  With their Maplelea dolls all dressed up in their Tulip Royale outfits, Abigail, Lennon and Olivia attended the annual Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa last year.  Every year the Netherlands sends 10,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa in gratitude for having sheltered their future Queen Juliana during WWII.

Lucy from Kelowna, BC and Brianne have fun practicing their figure skating together at a friend's outdoor rink.

Abigail and her Maplelea doll went camping in Alberta this summer. They went hiking, rock climbed in a canyon, and had toasted marshmallows over the campfire.  "Best camping trip ever!" says Abigail.

How many photos can be submitted?  There is no real limit, as long as they are all different in terms of locations, activities, and/or doll outfits. Sometimes we get duplicates of locations, activities and/or doll outfits, so it is nice for us to have more than one from you to choose from.

Communication regarding the photos.  Please note that we do not acknowledge receipt of emails sent to submissions@maplelea.com (though you can set it to request a read receipt when you send it).  Once we decide that we are going to use one of your photos, we will advise you and confirm the information we will be publishing.  Once published we will credit the appropriate amount to your Maplelea account.  You can then spend that credit on your next purchase.  

Thanks for reading!  We can’t wait to see what you submit!