Kids often enjoy reading poems, such as those by Shel Silverstein, but it can sometimes be a challenge getting them to like writing their own. The key is to make the process as fun and engaging as possible! Below, we’ve compiled seven poetry writing prompts that will pique your students’ interest and inspire them to create their own poems.
Fun Poetry Writing Prompts for Kids
Looking for some poetry writing prompts to try out with your students? Here are seven ideas to get you started!
1. Object Poem (with a Tiny Twist)
Have your student look around the room or go outside and create a list of five very small objects that they see, such as a piece of lint, button, ant, or wad of gum. Once they have their list, ask them to choose one item to write a poem about. Here’s the catch: the poem must be tiny too, containing only five lines.
2. Remix Poem
Ask your student to pick a favorite song and write out the words to at least one verse or chorus. It can be a pop song, camp song, or even a nursery rhyme. Have them take a few minutes to analyze the structure and rhyme scheme. Then, ask them to keep the same structure but change the lyrics to create a new rhyming song! For example:
Do Your Ears Hang Low? (Original)
Do your ears hang low?
Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot?
Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them over your shoulder
Like a continental soldier?
Do your ears hang low?
Naughty Dogs (Rewrite)
Do your dogs have fleas?
Do they hide your Dad’s car keys?
Do they chew your brother’s socks?
Will they steal your sister’s cheese?
Do they bury all their bones
And lick your ice cream cones?
Do they love to tease?
If your students need help thinking of words that rhyme, encourage them to use a rhyming dictionary or the online RhymeZone tool.
3) Color Poem
Invite your student to pick a favorite color. Once they have one in mind, ask them to close their eyes and visualize different objects and scenes related to that color. Next, ask them to keep their eyes closed, but encourage them to think about how that color makes them feel. You can use prompting questions aloud to help trigger ideas, such as, “what does that color taste like?”Now that they’ve had time to visualize, have them write down a list of ideas they had while brainstorming. Tell them that they’ll be using this list to create a color poem that contains rich sensory details. Their poem should include:
- Things they might SEE
- Sounds they might HEAR
- Textures they might FEEL
- Aromas they might SMELL
- Flavors they might TASTE
- Feelings they might EXPERIENCE
Be sure to teach your students not to use tired words that can steal life from their writing. Poetry depends on strong word choices, so show them how to make each one count! A thesaurus is a great tool to find stronger words.
Here’s an example of a color poem that’s filled with vivid descriptions that call upon the senses. Let your kids use it as a template for their own color poem.
White is…
White is daisies bobbing in the breeze
White is frollicking lambs
White is a fresh coat of paint on the front gate
White is crashing ocean waves
White tastes like frosty vanilla ice cream
White smells like a cool morning rain
White sounds like clean sheets snapping on the clothesline
White feels like a velvety bunny
White looks like a cloud-filled sky
White makes me sing for joy
White is purity of spring
White is…
White is daisies bobbing in the breeze
White is frollicking lambs
White is a fresh coat of paint on the front gate
White is crashing ocean waves
White tastes like frosty vanilla ice cream
White smells like a cool morning rain
White sounds like clean sheets snapping on the clothesline
White feels like a velvety bunny
White looks like a cloud-filled sky
White makes me sing for joy
White is purity of spring
4. Word Bank Poem
Need a quick and simple poetry writing prompt for kids? Reach for a book and open it up to a random page. Make a list of ten words that jump out at you on the page. Once you have your list, write the words where your students can easily see. Then, ask them to write a poem using at least five of those words.
The type of poem they craft can be up to them, or you can assign a certain type—narrative, rhyming, free verse, cinquain. Just be sure to communicate your expectations clearly before they begin writing.
5. Alliteration Poem
Alliteration is a commonly used poetic device. Alliteration happens when words that appear close together in a line or verse share the same beginning sound (usually a consonant). The following poem gives a good example of alliteration.
Lacy lilacs by the lake shore.
Larkspur blooms and lady’s slippers,
Scent of lavender and lemon,
Lingers long among the lilies.
Do you hear all the words that start with the /l/ sound? That’s alliteration! Now, ask your student to write their own short poem using alliteration. Like the example above, their poem doesn’t have to rhyme, but it certainly can!
6. Acrostic Poem
Acrostic poetry is always a hit for kids. An acrostic poem is one where the first letter of the first word in each line spells out a word or phrase. Typically, the word or phrase is related to the theme of the poem. A line can be a single word, a phrase or partial thought, or a complete sentence.
Here are two examples of acrostic poems based on the word SPRING. The first example is a series of simple descriptive phrases that incorporates alliteration as well!
Sunny skies
Planting peppers
Romping like rabbits
Impatiens and irises
New nests
Glistening, green, and glorious!
The second example turns a brief bit of vivid prose into a poem simply by dividing it into lines. If they break some sentences in the middle instead of at the end, your students can give their acrostics a more poetic look and sound.
Sparrows twitter nearby as I
Press marigold seeds into the rich brown earth.
Reveling in the moment,
I wiggle my bare toes in the warm soil,
Not wanting to go inside, even for supper.
Guess I have spring fever!
You can have your students create a similar acrostic for the current season, or feel free to choose (or let them choose) a different theme word to base their poem on.
7. “Never” Poem
A “never” poem is a fun variation of an alliteration poem. To start, have your student choose a consonant letter. Then, ask them to write one sentence for each of the following, repeating their chosen consonant sound as many times as possible:
- Something you would never eat.
- An item you would never wear.
- Something you would never buy.
- Something you would never do.
- Someplace you would never go.
- Something you would always like to think about.
- “And I promise I will never ____.”
Before they begin, show your students the following example. Point out how the /b/ sound repeats throughout the poem.
Of Blue Biscuits and Bouncing Balls
I would never eat blue biscuits.
I would never wear a baggy beaded bonnet with brown buttons.
I would never buy a blind baboon’s broken bicycle.
I would never read a book about boat-building in Bulgaria.
I would never go to Brooklyn to get bologna.
I would always like to think about bouncing balls in the bathtub.
And I promise I will never let Bubba’s bunny eat barbecued beans for breakfast.
Encourage them to be creative and get silly with it! Once their “never” poem is finished, invite them to choose some words from the poem and write a related title.
Don’t forget to allow your students to share their poetry! Consider hosting a poetry reading so students can share their poems with peers or family members—complete with some fun café-esque food and drinks. This will add an extra level of excitement to the writing process.
We hope that you and your students will enjoy these poetry writing prompts! We’d love to hear if you have any other suggested prompts in the comments below.
