Poetry is an art that people of all ages can enjoy, and children are no exception. If you are a parent or teacher, you can start exposing children to poetry even at a very young age through nursery rhymes, then move up to some of the longer works by history’s greatest poets.
When the children are young, don’t worry yet about analysis or interpretation; instead, your goal should be to introduce them to these poems so they can discover on their own what types of poetry they enjoy.
If you don’t know where to start, try out some of the poems in the lists below.
Nursery Rhymes for Children in Preschool
Nursery rhymes are great favorites of young children. The singsong pattern of these short but memorable lines, whether sung or not, can thrill even the youngest child and show them the beauty of language.
Here are some of the most popular rhymes you can start with:
1. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
4. Pat-a-Cake
11. Hot Cross Buns
13. Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
14. Humpty Dumpty sat on a Wall
Poems for Elementary School Children
Children in the young elementary years might enjoy longer poems. Some of the most famous poets for this age group include Robert Louis Stevenson and A.A. Milne.
A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson contains poems written on themes that children enjoy, such as play time, romping outdoors, or even things that children wonder about.
Here are some of the poems found in this collection:
16. Excerpt from “My Shadow” by Robert Louis Stevenson
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
Read the full poem here.
17. Excerpt from “The Cow” by Robert Louis Stevenson
The friendly cow all red and white,
I love with all my heart:
She gives me cream with all her might,
To eat with apple-tart.
Read the full poem here.
18. Excerpt from “The Swing” by Robert Louis Stevenson
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
Read the full poem here.
19. Excerpt from “Block City” by Robert Louis Stevenson
What are you able to build with your blocks?
Castles and palaces, temples and docks.
Rain may keep raining, and others go roam,
But I can be happy and building at home.
Let the sofa be mountains, the carpet be sea,
There I’ll establish a city for me:
A kirk and a mill and a palace beside,
And a harbour as well where my vessels may ride.
Read the full poem here.
Meanwhile, A.A. Milne is the famous author of the Winnie-the-Pooh storybooks. Apart from the “hums” that Pooh sings throughout the stories, he also has poetry books. When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six contain fun poems that children will find relatable.
20. Excerpt from “Lines and Squares” by A. A. Milne
Whenever I walk in a London street,
I’m ever so careful to watch my feet;
And I keep in the squares,
And the masses of bears,
Who wait at the corners all ready to eat
The sillies who tread on the lines of the street
Go back to their lairs,
And I say to them, “Bears,
Just look how I’m walking in all the squares!”
You can read the full poem here.
Lewis Carroll is another favorite among children in the younger years. He was well known for his silly, nonsensical poems, similar to what he did in his classic work Alice in Wonderland.
21. Excerpt from “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Read the full poem here.
22. Excerpt from “The Walrus and the Carpenter” by Lewis Carroll
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright —
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
Read the full poem here.
23. Excerpt from “The Royal Eagle” by Jane Yolen
The regal eagle sits alone
upon a tree that serves as throne.
But sometimes when the eagle flies
(though this might come as some surprise)
a mob of crows may—wing to wing—
together drive away that king.
Read full poem here.
Poems for Older Elementary Grades
When children are exposed to classic words of poetry, then can learn to appreciate the music of the language, and they won’t be intimidated by the works of the greats.
Here are some most popular poems of all time that you can share with older elementary school students.
24. Excerpt from “The Lamb” by William Blake
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Gave thee life & bid thee feed.
By the stream & o’er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice!
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Read the full poem here.
25. Excerpt from “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” by Robert Browning
Hamelin Town’s in Brunswick,
By famous Hanover city;
The river Weser, deep and wide,
Washes its wall on the southern side;
A pleasanter spot you never spied;
But, when begins my ditty,
Almost five hundred years ago,
To see the townsfolk suffer so
From vermin, was a pity.
Read the full poem here.
26. Excerpt from “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
Read the full poem here.
27. Excerpt from “Dream Land” by Christina Rossetti
Where sunless rivers weep
Their waves into the deep,
She sleeps a charmed sleep:
Awake her not.
Read the full poem here.
28. Excerpt from “The Tyger” by William Blake
Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
Read the full poem here.
29. Excerpt from “The Arrow and the Song” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
Read the full poem here.
30. Excerpt from “Mike Teevee” by Roald Dahl
The most important thing we’ve learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set–
Or better still, just don’t install
The idiotic thing at all.
Read the full poem here.
31. Excerpt from “A Psalm of Life” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Read the full poem here.
32. Excerpt from “If” by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
Read the full poem here.
33. Excerpt from “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud of Daffodils” by William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Read the full poem here.
Poetry for Children
Poetry is a great way for children to develop a love for writing, reading, and language itself. For younger children, you can try buying illustrated poetry books to get them started.
Read one poem every day, and slowly but surely, you and your child or student will develop an appreciation for poetry. This will also make it easier to write your own poems for children!
Do you have a favorite poem from your childhood? Share it with us in the comments below!
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Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
