Poetry is so much fun to read with kids! My family did a weekly poetry tea time for the longest, then we took a long summer break, and now the kids are requesting it again. This month we'll be starting a poetry "hot cocoa" time, to change things up a bit.
Do your kids like poems?
- Poetry doesn't take a long time to read, so you can start and finish multiple poems in one sitting.
- Poetry can provide comfort, improving your child's mental health.
- Poetry can also improve your child's vocabulary.
- Poetry can give your child a new perspective on the world and help with creative thinking.
- Some poems can make you laugh out loud, which is always a welcome treat.
Throughout our years of homeschooling, my kids have memorized dozens of poems. Memorywork is just one of those curriculum ideas that I never took off the schedule, even as my oldest girls advanced into high school. How nostalgic it is for them to recite an old poem from memory - at the drop of a hat. It's an especially useful skill when we get a Tornado Warning alert, and we all have to pile into the same closet for safety.
Here are some old and newer favorite poetry books to add your your family's collection (affiliate links included):
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
The poetry of Mister Rogers is simply delightful, as is the front cover of this book. For those of you from my generation, this book will quickly take you down memory lane. 75 beloved songs from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and The Children's Corner are collected in this charmingly illustrated treasury, sure to be cherished by generations of children as well as the millions of adults who grew up with Mister Rogers. FIND THE BOOK ONLINE>>>
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Every home with kids needs a poetry collection by Shel Silverstein. You'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. Shel Silverstein's masterful collection of poems and drawings stretches the bounds of imagination and will be cherished by readers of all ages. I was introduced to this book in second grade, and I still simply adore it as an adult. FIND THE BOOK ONLINE>>>
A Child's Book of Poems
The illustrations in this book are insanely precious, depicting children of all ages sweetly interacting with each other. The poems are carefully curated and include Longfellow’s “Christmas Bells,” Lewis Carroll’s “The Melancholy Pig,” and Eugene Fields’ “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,” along with proverbs, limericks, nursery rhymes, and folk songs. This is one of those books where your little one will stare intently at the pictures and might need extra time to gaze before turning the page. FIND THE BOOK ONLINE>>>
A Child's Garden of Verses
If you choose to add this book to your family's collection, take note that it's available with several sweetly illustrated covers, so browse Amazon to choose your favorite. Robert Louis Stevenson poems are simply the best. He's a master poet and storyteller, and the poems in this book tell the stories of childhood, from sailing boats down a river, to waiting for the lamplighter, to sailing off to foreign lands in his imagination. The book my family owns is illustrated by Brian Wildsmith, and is bright, colorful, and simply marvelous.
Here are are some of the other cute covers you'll find of this book:
National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry
Nature lovers, rejoice! This book contains more than 200 Poems with photographs. rom trickling streams to deafening thrunderstorms to soaring mountains, discover majestic photography perfectly paired with contemporary (such as Billy Collins), classics (such as Robert Frost), and never-before-published works. FIND THE BOOK ONLINE>>>
A Poem for Every Day of the Year
This collection of 366 poems (because... leap year!) is magnificent. Reflecting the changing seasons and linking to events on key dates – funny for April Fool's Day, festive for Christmas – these poems are thoughtful, inspiring, humbling, informative, quiet, loud, small, epic, peaceful, energetic, upbeat, motivating, and empowering. The poems are perfect for reading aloud with family. FIND THE BOOK ONLINE>>>
A Stick is an Excellent Thing
This book of poems is on the thinner side, but not to worry. It's full of delight on every page. . Lyrical poems and bold illustrations capture the energy of a group of children in one neighborhood as they amuse themselves over the course of a summer day. FIND THE BOOK ONLINE>>>
