30 Popular Poems for Kids of All Ages
Updated: Apr. 23, 2024
These lovely poems for kids will get the little ones excited to read stanza after stanza
Poems for kids that delight and enrich
While poetry might seem like the realm of intellectuals, this literary domain is vast, encompassing everything from the love poems we send our sweethearts on Valentine’s Day to the funeral poems we recite in the throes of grief. But poetry isn’t just for adults. In fact, there are plenty of poems for kids that are both entertaining and enlightening.
From our earliest moments, we’re surrounded by poetry in the form of nursery rhymes, storybooks and singalongs. We giggle our way through silly limericks and share sidesplitting poems with our pals. We may not understand poetry in an academic sense, but we appreciate it on an emotional level.
Besides bringing joy to kids, poetry aids in children’s cognitive development by helping them understand patterns, enriching their vocabulary and enhancing retention skills. Ready to get the poetry train rolling? Read these children’s poems with your kiddo and unlock the best parts of their imagination.
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1. “The Mountain and the Squirrel” by Ralph Waldo Emerson
The mountain and the squirrel
Had a quarrel,
And the former called the latter
“Little prig.”
Bun replied,
“You are doubtless very big;
But all sorts of things and weather
Must be taken in together
To make up a year
And a sphere.
And I think it no disgrace
To occupy my place.
If I’m not so large as you,
You are not so small as I,
And not half so spry:
I’ll not deny you make
A very pretty squirrel track.
Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;
If I cannot carry forests on my back,
Neither can you crack a nut.”
What may at first glance seem like a simple nature poem holds a deeper meaning that can teach children a lot about our world. First published in 1846, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “The Mountain and the Squirrel” emphasizes the place of both the big and small things in nature. With a lively rhyme scheme that kids will love reading aloud, it explains that everything in nature plays an important role in making the world go around.
2. “The Crocodile” by Lewis Carroll
How doth the little crocodile
Improve 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!
You may know Lewis Carroll as the author of one of the best children’s books ever written: the highly imaginative, often silly Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But you may not be aware that he was truly a master of quirky poems. Raise the funny factor of this poem by reading it to your kids in a silly voice.
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!
This short quatrain was a hit in 1895, when Gelett Burgess first published his now-famous poem for kids. Despite starting his career as an academic, artist and even railroad worker, he rose to fame as a humorist and author. In the 1900s, he published a handful of children’s books, though he remains best known for this silly nonsense poem.
4. “About My Dreams” by Hilda Conkling
Now the flowers are all folded,
And the dark is going by.
The evening is arising …
It is time to rest.
When I am sleeping I find my pillow full of dreams.
They are all new dreams:
No one told them to me
Before I came through the cloud.
They remember the sky, my little dreams,
They have wings, they are quick, they are sweet.
Help me tell my dreams
To the other children,
So that their bread may taste whiter,
So that the milk they drink
May make them think of meadows
In the sky of stars.
Help me give bread to the other children
So that their dreams may come back:
So they will remember what they knew
Before they came through the cloud.
Let me hold their little hands in the dark,
The lonely children,
The babies that have no mothers any more.
Dear God, let me hold up my silver cup
For them to drink,
And tell them the sweetness
Of my dreams.
This isn’t just one of the best poems for kids—it’s also a poem by a kid. Seriously! Hilda Conkling spent the tender ages of 4 to 14 writing several poetry books. “About My Dreams” comes from the 1920 collection Poems by a Little Girl.
5. “Hey, diddle, diddle” by Mother Goose
Hey, diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
This children’s poem is a classic nursery rhyme by the most well-known—and most unknown—children’s poet of all time: Mother Goose. Countless stories, poems and songs are attributed to her, though no one quite knows who Mother Goose was. Whatever the origins of this short poem may be, it’s stood the test of time. There’s a good chance you can recite it to your kids from memory!
6. “Bed in Summer” by Robert Louis Stevenson
In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.
I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people’s feet
Still going past me in the street.
And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?
Most kids can relate to the sentiment expressed in Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Bed in Summer.” Who hasn’t sat stewing about a too-early bedtime during the season’s long days? If your kids love this poem, read them Stevenson’s even more famous work, Treasure Island. The classic children’s book is perfect for the pre-bedtime routine, and your kids may already recognize the plot from film adaptions like the family movie Treasure Planet.
7. “There Was an Old Man with a Beard” by Edward Lear
There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said “It is just how I feared—
Two Owls and a hen,
Four Larks and a wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!”
Nineteenth-century poet Edward Lear sure knew how to paint a picture with words! Through this funny poem, kids get an absurd mental picture of a man with birds nesting in his beard. They’ll have a hard time holding in their giggles once they imagine the scene Lear describes.
8. “The Star” by Jane Taylor
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
When the blazing sun is set,
And the grass with dew is wet,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Then the traveler in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see where to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveler in the dark,
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
We all know the first stanza of Jane Taylor’s poem: It is, after all, the foundation of the beloved children’s song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” Less famous than the musical version, “The Star” is one of those poems for kids that deserves greater recognition. In singsong verse, Taylor recognizes the importance of the night sky, down to the tiniest twinkling star. It’s an inspirational poem that reminds kids that even the smallest among us are important.
9. “Star Light, Star Bright” (author unknown)
Star light, star bright,
The first star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.
The poet behind these four lines may have remained anonymous, but “Star Light, Star Bright” is one of the most famous poems for kids. It’s perfect to recite on an evening with a clear sky—it’ll get your kids believing in magic. Well, believing more than they already do after reading their favorite fairy-tale stories!
10. “Mary’s Lamb” by Sarah Josepha Hale
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow,
And every where that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go;
He followed her to school one day—
That was against the rule,
It made the children laugh and play,
To see a lamb at school.
And so the Teacher turned him out,
But still he lingered near,
And waited patiently about,
Till Mary did appear;
And then he ran to her, and laid
His head upon her arm,
As if he said—”I’m not afraid—
You’ll keep me from all harm.”
“What makes the lamb love Mary so?”
The eager children cry—
“O, Mary loves the lamb, you know,”
The Teacher did reply;—
“And you each gentle animal
In confidence may bind,
And make them follow at your call,
If you are always kind.”
Published in 1830, “Mary’s Lamb” by Sarah Josepha Hale is the first version of the popular nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” It’s an engaging poem that teaches kids the importance of kindness to animals.
11. “Leap Year Poem” by Mother Goose
Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November.
All the rest have thirty-one,
Excepting February alone.
And that has twenty-eight days clear,
And twenty-nine in each leap year.
References to the mysterious Mother Goose date as far back as the 10th century, but the poems and nursery rhymes we associate with the pen name—like “Leap Year Poem”—come from the 17th-century collection of fairy and folk tales by French author Charles Perrault. After hundreds of years, they still haven’t lost their charm.
12. “Who Has Seen the Wind?” by Christina Rossetti
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you.
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I.
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.
This is a great short poem for kids to read in the fall; it could also double as a Thanksgiving poem, reflecting the holiday’s chillier weather.
13. “In the Fashion” by A.A. Milne
A lion has a tail and a very fine tail
And so has an elephant and so has a whale,
And so has a crocodile, and so has a quail—
They’ve all got tails but me.
If I had sixpence I would buy one;
I’d say to the shopman, “Let me try one”;
I’d say to the elephant, “This is my one.”
They’d all come round to see.
Then I’d say to the lion, “Why, you’ve got a tail!
And so has the elephant, and so has the whale!
And, look! There’s a crocodile! He’s got a tail!
You’ve all got tails like me!”
Kids will giggle at this silly poem by the author of the beloved Winnie the Pooh series. Read it out loud—it’s even funnier that way.
14. “The Mulberry Bush” (author unknown)
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush;
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
All on a frosty morning.
This is the way we clap our hands,
This is the way we clap our hands,
This is the way we clap our hands,
All on a frosty morning.
Did you read this one with a tune in your head? That’s because it’s often set to music. James Orchard Halliwell first recorded the rhyme in the 19th century, and it has since become a common kids’ song.
15. “Little Things” by Julia Abigail Fletcher Carney
Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean,
And the pleasant land.
So the little moments,
Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages,
Of Eternity.
So the little errors,
Lead the soul away,
From the paths of virtue,
Far in sin to stray.
Little deeds of kindness,
Little words of love,
Help to make earth happy,
Like the Heaven above.
Read “Little Things” to your little ones to remind them that even the smallest things on Earth are important. As Julia Abigail Fletcher Carney writes, teensy grains of sand and small drops of water form Earth’s great oceans—and your little tykes, though still tiny, can play big roles in the lives of those around them.
16. “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!
Your child will be begging to go to the zoo after hearing this poem from 19th-century English poet William Makepeace Thackeray. You can even recite it in the car on the way!
17. “The Boy Who Never Told a Lie” (author unknown)
Once there was a little boy,
With curly hair and pleasant eye—
A boy who always told the truth,
And never, never told a lie.
And when he trotted off to school,
The children all about would cry,
“There goes the curly-headed boy—
The boy that never tells a lie.”
And everybody loved him so,
Because he always told the truth,
That every day, as he grew up,
‘Twas said, “There goes the honest youth.”
And when the people that stood near,
Would turn to ask the reason why,
The answer would be always this:
“Because he never tells a lie.”
Moral of the story: Don’t lie! If your little ones are struggling with the truth, pull out this poem to remind them that everyone appreciates honesty.
18. “The Canary” by Elizabeth Turner
Mary had a little bird,
With feathers bright and yellow,
Slender legs—upon my word,
He was a pretty fellow!
Sweetest notes he always sung,
Which much delighted Mary;
Often where his cage was hung,
She sat to hear Canary.
Crumbs of bread and dainty seeds,
She carried to him daily,
Seeking for the early weeds,
She decked his palace gaily.
This, my little readers, learn,
And ever practice duly;
Songs and smiles of love return,
To friends who love you truly.
If your kids love Mary and her little lamb, they’ll go wild for Mary’s canary—the two make a great pair of animal poems for kids. For more fun with your young ones, break out these silly limericks.
19. “Happy Thoughts” by Robert Louis Stevenson
The world is so full of a number of things,
I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.
Remind your child that the world holds endless wonders—and that’s worth celebrating! Robert Louis Stevenson’s two-line poem gives us something to smile about, and it doubles as a happiness quote so you can share the optimism.
20. “Deeds of Kindness” by Epes Sargent
Suppose the little Cowslip
Should hang its golden cup
And say “I’m such a little flower
I’d better not grow up!”
How many a weary traveler
Would miss its fragrant smell,
how many a little child would grieve
To lose it from the dell!
Suppose the glistening Dewdrop
Upon the grass should say
“What can a little dewdrop do?
I’d better roll away!”
The blade on which it rested,
Before the day was done,
Without a drop to moisten it,
Would wither in the sun.
Suppose the little Breezes,
Upon a summer’s day,
Should think themselves too small to cool
The traveler on his way:
Who would not miss the smallest
And softest ones that blow,
And think they made a great mistake
If they were acting so?
How many deeds of kindness
A little child can do,
Although it has but little strength
And little wisdom, too!
It wants a loving spirit
Much more than strength, to prove
How many things a child may do
For others by its love.
This poem celebrates the way even the smallest of things have a place, purpose and ability to influence the world around them. The lesson is that love, rather than strength or experience, holds the greatest power to do good. It’s a wonderful poem about life that will resonate with readers of all ages.
21. “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson
“Hope” is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—
And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—
And sore must be the storm—
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm—
I’ve heard it in the chillest land—
And on the strangest Sea—
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of Me.
Emily Dickinson wrote hundreds of poems despite a lack of public recognition, perhaps because her hope never stopped singing. Her first book of poems was published in 1890, four years after her death, and she is now one of the most famous poets in the English language.
22. “Mix a Pancake” by Christina Rossetti
Mix a pancake,
Stir a pancake,
Pop it in the pan;
Fry the pancake,
toss the pancake—
Catch it if you can.
The snappy rhythms of this short poem are the perfect accompaniment to cooking pancakes on a weekend morning.
23. “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.
Rats!
They fought the dogs, and killed the cats,
And bit the babies in the cradles,
And eat the cheeses out of the vats,
And licked the soup from the cooks’ own ladles,
Split open the kegs of salted sprats,
Made nests inside men’s Sunday hats,
And even spoiled the women’s chats
By drowning their speaking
With shrieking and squeaking
In fifty different sharps and flats.
This rhyming version of the 17th-century German legend tells the whole story of the Pied Piper in several lively stanzas (you can read the full poem here), full of tongue twisters and hilarious images. If your kids laugh their way through funny roses-are-red poems each Valentine’s Day, they’ll appreciate the humor in Robert Browning’s poem.
24. “The Owl and the Pussycat” by Edward Lear
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
“O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!”
Pussy said to the Owl, “You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?”
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-Tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
“Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?” Said the Piggy, “I will.”
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.
Rhyme, repetition and hilarious made-up words make this poem irresistible to children. For even more fun, make up your own definition of what a “runcible” spoon might be.
25. “Early to bed” by Mary Mapes Dodge
Early to bed and early to rise:
If that would make me wealthy and wise
I’d rise at daybreak, cold or hot,
And go back to bed at once. Why not?
This poem cleverly responds to the well-worn maxim, and it’s sure to delight sleep-loving children and adults. If you must wake up early, at least enjoy the morning hours by reading some poetry. Not sure where to start? Kids can recite the poetry here, but adults may appreciate grown-up love poems instead.
26. “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?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat
What dread hand? & what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears
And water’d heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
This poem is sure to capture the imagination of any child, and you can have fun explaining some of the more difficult words. Read it aloud to fully appreciate its rhythms, then keep the fun going by reading some of the greatest poems by Langston Hughes.
27. “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by William Butler Yeats
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.
Irish poet William Butler Yeats uses delicious, vivid images to evoke otherworldly peace and beauty. But the lake isle of Innisfree really exists and is found in County Sligo. For more literature from Ireland, pick up some books by Irish authors that are as captivating as the Emerald Isle.
28. “The Months” by Sara Coleridge
January brings the snow,
makes our feet and fingers glow.
February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen lake again.
March brings breezes loud and shrill,
stirs the dancing daffodil.
April brings the primrose sweet,
Scatters daises at our feet.
May brings flocks of pretty lambs,
Skipping by their fleecy damns.
June brings tulips, lilies, roses,
Fills the children’s hand with posies.
Hot July brings cooling showers,
Apricots and gillyflowers.
August brings the sheaves of corn,
Then the harvest home is borne.
Warm September brings the fruit,
Sportsmen then begin to shoot.
Fresh October brings the pheasants,
Then to gather nuts is pleasant.
Dull November brings the blast,
Then the leaves are whirling fast.
Chill December brings the sleet,
Blazing fire, and Christmas treat.
Sara Coleridge’s poem was written with 19th-century England in mind, but you and your child can play together by changing the words to reflect what the seasons bring wherever you live. Reading has a ton of benefits, and in this case, it’s a great way for kids to learn the months of the year.
29. “Answer to a Child’s Question” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Do you ask what the birds say? The Sparrow, the Dove,
The Linnet and Thrush say, “I love and I love!”
In the winter they’re silent—the wind is so strong;
What it says, I don’t know, but it sings a loud song.
But green leaves, and blossoms, and sunny warm weather,
And singing, and loving—all come back together.
But the Lark is so brimful of gladness and love,
The green fields below him, the blue sky above,
That he sings, and he sings; and for ever sings he—
“I love my Love, and my Love loves me!”
Sara Coleridge’s father, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, was also a renowned poet. This is his answer, in verse, to one of those questions that only a child could come up with. Bonus: This doubles as a wonderful love poem to send the man or woman in your life.
30. “If All the World Were Apple Pie” by Mother Goose
If all the world were apple pie,
And all the sea were ink,
And all the trees were bread and cheese,
What should we have to drink?
This fun kid’s poem can inspire you and your child to create your own poetry by imagining other ways the world might be different. It’s a great way to improve your and your child’s creativity.
Additional reporting by Kelly Kuehn.
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Sources:
- Poetry Foundation: “Mother Goose”
- Poetry Foundation: “Emily Dickinson”
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: “Hameln”
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: “Sara Coleridge”
Originally Published: December 07, 2020
