MINI Minds envision the extraordinary cars of the future: colour changing designs, shape-shifting electric journeys, and giant wings!

MINI has joined forces with Crayola, the world’s leading manufacturer of children’s art supplies, to embark on a journey into the imaginative minds of children with the launch of ‘MINI Minds… with Crayola’ – a competition searching for their visions of the cars of tomorrow.

As the generation to grow up in a world dominated by electric cars, primary school children are unleashing their imaginations – cars equipped with giant wings for soaring adventures (67 per cent), electric shape-shifting automobiles that adapt to your every need (63 per cent) and colour-changing vehicles that reflect your mood (51 per cent) are just some of the imaginative predictions that mini designers aged 4 to 10 years said were important to them.

The collaboration seeks to inspire and foster creative confidence, after research from MINI found that four in five parents (80 per cent) are seeking out new ways to encourage their children and spark their imagination.

MINI and Crayola have launched a competition for children between the ages of 4 and 10 years, to encourage them to embrace their creativity and provide a platform to explore their ideas and build confidence in their creative abilities.

Young visionaries are invited to submit their designs for the car of the future; whether it’s sleek aerodynamics, eco-friendly technologies, or out-of-this-world features. The winning design will then be turned into reality using vinyl wrap on a MINI Electric, alongside a generous supply of Crayola art materials for them and their school. What’s more, the winner will also receive a private tour of MINI Plant Oxford, where young minds can witness the magic of hundreds of MINIs being built right before their eyes.

The research from MINI revealed that 83 per cent of parents feel inspired by their child’s imagination, with nearly four in five (78 per cent) keeping boxes full of drawings and ideas as keepsakes. More so, 59 per cent of parents hope their child will have a career in a creative industry in the future, with two thirds associating a creative career with ‘happiness’, and two thirds with ‘fulfilment’.

Turning to the mini futurists themselves, one in 10 of the children surveyed expressed a burning desire to be a future designer or artist, with two in five saying arts and crafts was their favourite lesson at primary school.

Cheri Sterman, Senior Director, Crayola Education and Vice-Chair of the Partnership for 21^st Century Learning commented, “Creative experiences are essential for child development. Children need opportunities to apply their imagination in tangible ways—as they draw what they dream and pretend to see other universes. Opportunities to stretch creative thoughts and make their thinking visible enable children to be seen and heard. Creative experiences, more than anything else children do, provides deep connections between self and others, and builds children’s cognitive capacity.”

As electric cars take centre stage for the next generation, nearly three in five (59 per cent) of children asked said they were concerned about the environment, with 76 per cent wanting their future car to help protect the planet. Thoughtfully designed, the MINI Electric has a WLTP range of 145-miles to easily get you to where you want to go, embracing feel-good joy while emitting zero driving emissions.

Federico Izzo, Director, MINI UK & Ireland said, “MINI has always been driven by the spirit of innovation and creative use of space. The visions and creativity of children are a boundless source of inspiration, and that’s why we’re thrilled to partner with Crayola to tap into the extraordinary imaginations of these budding designers. We can’t wait to see their ideas come to life and hope to inspire them to dream big and help shape the future of mobility.”

Jade Childs, Marketing Controller at Crayola said, “Crayola is passionate about helping to raise creatively inspired children and we believe in helping to unleash and celebrate their colourful originality by offering a wide portfolio of innovative art tools, crafting activities, and creative toys that give kids the power to express all that inspires them as they explore, discover, play, pretend, and dream. We are delighted to be partnering alongside MINI to provide children the platform to explore their creative minds and self-expression. Crayola has inspired children for more than 100 years, since the first box of Crayola crayons rolled off the assembly line in 1903 and it is exciting to focus forward into the future and glimpse into children’s amazing imagination and their wonderful ideas for what this might look like.”

MINI’s partnership with Crayola represents a shared commitment to fuelling the imagination of children, while encouraging them to feel more confident in their creative capabilities. With industry predictions seeing the 2050 car as a driverless pod that can change colour with the tap of an app^[i] what will the MINI Minds… with Crayola winner come up with?

To enter the MINI Minds… with Crayola competition, print the attached template and submit your child’s design to mini.minds@popcornpr.co.uk.* The competition closes 16 October.