Poetry surrounds us daily without realising it, from nursery rhymes to song lyrics. On top of this, more than being a medium for fun, poetry is also an excellent tool for cognitive development in kids. How is that possible? If you select the right set of poems, poetry can aid your child’s development.

How To Select Poems For Kids?

Before introducing your kid to poetry, you need to consider a few points. The aim of teaching poetry to your child is to cultivate admiration in them towards words, sounds, and the meaning of the poems. So, selecting poems that will nurture this trait is essential.

Select poems that are lively, exciting, and appeal to young kids. While looking for the rhythms and exciting meter in a poem, note that poems should emphasise language sounds and stimulate wordplay.Poetry isn’t scary, and you should teach that to your child by rendering a positive approach towards it. You can develop one by selecting a poem that is easy to remember and understand.We have compiled different poems for your child to make your job easy. These are fun and of great instructional value.

Short Poems For Kids

Easy to memorise and enjoyable to read, short poems are the perfect literacy advantage your child needs. Short poems help your child understand pitch, tone, volume and voice modulation, building their phonemic skills.Here are some famous short poems for kids –

1.Snowball By Shel Silverstein

I made myself a snowballAs

perfect as could be.I thought I’d keep it as a pet

And let it sleep with me.I made it some pajamasAnd a pillow for its head.Then last night it ran away,

But first it wet the bed.

2.The Crocodile By Lewis Carroll

How doth the little crocodil

eImprove his shining tail,And pour the waters of the Nile

On every golden scale!How cheerfully he seems to grin,

How neatly spreads his claws,

And welcomes little fishes in,

With gently smiling jaws!

3.I’m a Little Teapot by George Harold Sanders

I’m a little teapot

Short and stout

Here is my handle (one hand on hip)

Here is my spout (other arm out straight)

When I get all steamed up

Hear me shout

“Tip me over

and pour me out!” (lean over toward spout)

I’m a clever teapot,

Yes, it’s true

Here let me show you

What I can do

I can change my handleAnd my spout (switch arm positions)

Just tip me over and pour me out! (lean over toward spout)

Funny Poems For Kids

Funny poems are all about exciting wordplay meant to tickle your child’s funny bone. There are no moral lessons behind these, as they are only meant to spread happiness. Whether it is a school project or a reading session held at school, a burst of good laughter is contagious and necessary.

Here are some famous funny poems for kids –

1.Eletelephony by Laura Elizabeth Richard

Once there was an elephant,

Who tried to use the telephant—

No! No! I mean an elephone

Who tried to use the telephone—

(Dear me! I am not certain Quite

That even now I’ve got it right.)

Howe’er it was, he got his trunk

Entangled in the telephunk;

The more he tried to get it free,

The louder buzzed the telephee—

(I fear I’d better drop the songOf elephop and telephong!)

2.At the Zoo by William Makepeace Thackeray

First I saw the white

bear, then I saw the black;

Then I saw the camel with a hump upon his back;

Then I saw the grey wolf, with mutton in his maw;

Then I saw the wombat waddle in the straw;

Then I saw the elephant a-waving of his trunk;

Then I saw the monkeys – mercy, how unpleasantly they smelt!

3.The Purple Cow by Gelett Burgess

I never saw a purple cow,

I never hope to see one,

But I can tell you, anyhow,

I’d rather see than be one!

Rhyming Poems For Kids

Rhyming poems have a rhythmic pattern, similar sounding words, and repetition, making them easier to remember. The rhyming aspect also makes it easier for kids to learn new words. It diminishes the pressure of learning off your child’s shoulders and allows them to enjoy the process without realising they are learning something new.

Here are some famous Rhyming Poems for kids

1.Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne

When I was One,

I had just begun.

When I was Two,

I was nearly new.

When I was Three

I was hardly me.

When I was Four,

I was not much more.

When I was Five,

I was just alive.

But now I am Six,

I’m as clever as clever,

So I think I’ll be six now for ever and ever.

2.A Million Little Diamonds by Mary Frances Butts

A million little diamondsTwinkled on the trees;And all the little children cried,

“A jewel, if you please!”But while they held their hands outstretchedTo catch the diamonds gay,

A million little sunbeams cameAnd stole them all away.

3.I’m a Little Teapot by George Harold Sanders

The forest is the town of trees

Where they live quite at their ease,

With their neighbors at their side

Just as we in cities wide.

Animal Poems For Kids

Animals are an integral part of the environment, and kids are fond of them and love to watch them and play with animal toys. So, animal poems are a perfect way to introduce your child to the world of poetry.

Rabbits by Shannon W.

Nobody knows the rabbit’s nose,

the way it twitches,the way it goes.

Nobody knows the rabbit’s ears,

the way it listens,the way it hears.

Nobody knows the rabbit’s toes,

the way they hop the highs,

the way they bounce the lows.

I know the rabbit’s eyes,

the way they look,

the way they despise.

A Million Little Diamonds by Mary Frances Butts

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;

Close to the sun in lonely lands,

Ringed with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;

He watches from his mountain walls,

And like a thunderbolt he falls.