Poetry is a part of your child’s everyday life. Whether it’s nursery rhymes, storybooks, songs, or singalongs, poems fill your child’s day with joy and aid in developing his/her cognitive ability. Besides improving comprehension, poems can help your child: Understand patterns Enrich vocabulary Remember information Enhance imagination Improve reading and speaking skills To help you start out, we have compiled below a list of famous short poems that are easy and enjoyable to learn and recite. Also, check out these other fun activities that you can do with your child. How to select poems for kids? Below are a few tips to help you pick the right poems for your child. Choose poems for kids that are: Easy to understand and memorize Short, rhyming, and fun to recite Entertaining and educational Meaningful to both you and your child A great way to foster a love and appreciation for poetry in your child Remember to make learning and reciting poems a positive experience for your child, as these shared moments will one day become fond memories for your child. 15 famous short poems for kids Listed below are 15 bite-sized poems for kids that are easy to remember and a joy to recite. Funny, silly, witty, and thoughtful, these famous short poems for kids are a great way to introduce your child to the world of poetry. So, share these poems with your child and make learning enjoyable for him/her. By memorizing and reciting these poems, your child can improve his/her vocabulary as well as reading and speaking skills while having fun. The Crocodile 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! Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Jane Taylor Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Little Miss Muffet Mother Goose Little Miss Muffet Sat on a tuffet, Eating her curds and whey; Along came a spider, Who sat down beside her, And frightened Miss Muffet away. Eletelephony 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 song Of elephop and telephong!) The Purple Cow 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! Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall Mother Goose Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall; All the king's horses and all the king's men Couldn't put Humpty together again. Bed in Summer 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? At the Zoo 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! Who Has Seen the Wind? 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. Baa, Baa, Black Sheep Mother Goose Baa, baa, black sheep Have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full. One for the master, And one for the dame, And one for the little boy Who lives down the lane. Clouds Anonymous White sheep, white sheep, On a blue hill, When the wind stops, You all stand still. When the wind blows, You walk away slow. White sheep, white sheep, Where do you go? Hickory, Dickory, Dock Mother Goose Hickory, dickory, dock, The mouse ran up the clock; The clock struck one, And down he run, Hickory, dickory, dock. Happy Thoughts Robert Louis Stevenson The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings. Little Jack Horner Mother Goose Little Jack Horner Sat in the corner, Eating a Christmas pie; He put in his thumb, And pulled out a plum, And said, "What a good boy am I!" Two Little Dicky Birds Anonymous Two Little Dicky Birds, Sat upon a wall. One named Peter, The other named Paul, Fly away Peter. Fly away Paul. Come back Peter! Come back Paul!! Tips to teach poems to your child Teaching poems to your child not only helps in building his/her language and comprehension skills, but it also helps nurture the bond between the two of you. Here are some tips to make teaching poems to your child fun and easy: Sing the poem to a popular, catchy tune. Since music is retained and recalled more easily, your child could find memorizing the poem this way more effortless. Modulate your voice while reciting the poem. Using different scales, speeds, and emphases for different parts can make memorizing and reciting the poem more fun. Enact the characters in the poem. If there are characters in the poem, act them out, giving them each a unique voice. This not only aids in memorization, but also makes learning a positive experience. Erase the words as you practice. For this, write down the whole poem on a board and get your child to recite it a few times. After that, start erasing the words one by one, either from the top or the bottom. Break down the poem into lines or stanzas, and then teach your child in increments. This takes off the pressure of learning in one go and helps your child memorize more comfortably. Practice using repetition. Let your child repeat the poem over and over till he/she can remember it by heart. Explain the meaning of the poem. Tell your child what the poem is about as if you’re telling him/her a story. Understanding what the poem is about can help your child memorize and recite it more easily. Once your child successfully memorizes a poem, you can make a video of your child reciting the poem alone or along with you. This way, you can create a keepsake for your family as well as share your child’s accomplishment with your family and friends. As always, remember to have fun! Also, do share your favorite poems for kids in the comments below.
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