Inside: Top poetry games for kids that will spark their imagination in the classroom and at home.
Poetry is such an amazingly beautiful medium. I remember the first time a poem actually resonated with me, and it led me to create my very own poem! Now I use it as a creative outlet everytime my emotions feel like they are a little too much to handle.
If I could change anything about the way that I was introduced to poetry, it would be that it took me so long to actually read it. Obviously I had been exposed to poetry throughout my life when I was younger, but it never stuck. I think this is because of the WAY that it was introduced: boring lectures in english class.
I want to revamp this idea of teaching poetry, that way the younger generations can connect with it easier and sooner. So I have come up with some of the best creative poetry games for kids that will inspire them to lean on the written word! These can be played in class, or even at home.
Table of Contents
Poetry Games for Kids
I really wanted to try and get out of the box with these ideas, but you can’t REALLY invent the poetry wheel, now can you? Reguardless, the internet had a LOT of awesome ideas and games to play that I know the kids in your lives are going to enjoy.
1. Rhyme Time: Have a rhyming competition where kids take turns coming up with words that rhyme with a given word.
2. Story Poem Relay: Kids form teams and take turns adding one line to a poem to create a collaborative story.
3. Nature Haiku Hunt: Go outdoors, observe nature, and write haikus about what they see.
4. Emoji Poetry: Create poems using emojis to represent different words and emotions.
5. Poetry Pictionary: Draw pictures representing various poems or poetic concepts for others to guess.
6. Name Acrostics: Write poems using the letters of their names as the starting point for each line.
7. Color Poetry: Write poems that describe different colors and their emotions.
8. Poetry Mad Libs: Fill in the blanks of a poem with silly or random words.
9. Shape Poems: Create poems that form shapes related to the topic of the poem.
10. Sound Effects Poetry: Use onomatopoeic words to create a poem with fun sound effects.
11. Opposite Poetry: Write poems about opposites, such as day and night, happy and sad, etc.
12. Sensory Poems: Use all five senses to describe a specific object or experience.
13. Collaborative Limericks: Kids take turns contributing lines to create a limerick.
14. Animal Haikus: Write haikus about different animals.
15. Time Travel Poetry: Imagine traveling to the past or future and describe what they see in poetic form.
Simple Poetry Games for Kids
Sometimes, keeping it simple is the best way to go. I find that this is especially true when introducing a new topic to children, otherwise it may be a little too much for their brains to handle. These simple poetry games for kids are sure to make poetry fun and digestible.
16. Alphabet Poetry: Create poems where each line starts with the next letter of the alphabet.
17. Riddle Poems: Write riddles in poetic form for others to solve.
18. Colorful Similes: Write poems using colorful similes, e.g., “As red as a blazing fire.”
19. Poetry Charades: Act out poems for others to guess.
20. Book Spine Poetry: Stack books to create a poem using the titles on the spines.
21. Sensational Six-Word Memoirs: Write short poems using only six words to tell a story.
22. Magnetic Poetry: Use magnetic words on a fridge to create poetic verses.
23. Weather Poetry: Write poems inspired by different weather conditions.
24. Synonym Swap: Replace words in existing poems with synonyms to create new versions.
25. Poetry Memory Game: Create matching cards with lines of poetry and play a memory game.
26. Poetry Journaling: Encourage kids to keep a poetry journal to write and illustrate their poems.
27. Poetry Telephone: Play the classic game of “telephone” but with poems.
28. Poetry Detective: Analyze and find poetic devices in famous poems.
29. Recipe Poetry: Write poems as recipes for happiness, success, friendship, etc.
30. Magnetic Haiku: Create haikus using magnetic words on a magnetic board or surface.
More Ways to Make Poetry Fun
There are many different ways that you can make poetry fun for kids, but the ideas below are my favorite thus far. As you read, imagine which ones would be enjoyed most!
31. Imaginary Creature Poems: Invent mythical creatures and write poems about them.
32. Nursery Rhyme Remix: Rewrite traditional nursery rhymes with a modern twist.
33. Poetry Puzzle: Create puzzles using lines from poems for others to solve.
34. Found Poetry: Create poems by arranging words and phrases from magazines or newspapers.
35. Poetry Relay Race: Teams compete to run and pick a word to add to a collaborative poem.
36. Poetry Postcards: Write short poems on postcards and send them to friends or family.
37. Color Palette Poetry: Write poems inspired by different color palettes.
38. Acrostic Nature Walk: Take a nature walk and collect words to create acrostic poems.
39. Magnetic Word Association: Use magnetic words to create spontaneous poems based on associations.
40. Poetry Balloon Pop: Write poems on slips of paper, insert them into balloons, and pop them to read.
BEST Creative Poetry Games for Kids
There are so many different facets to poetry, and I think the games below touch upon every single one of them. It’s important to get the entirity of the picture when you are trying to teach poetry. It’s about emotion, choice of words, and flow. These games embody that!
41. Blindfolded Poems: Write poems while blindfolded to focus on imagination and sensory language.
42. Sensory Walk Poetry: Take a sensory walk and write poems inspired by the experience.
43. Emotion Expressions: Write poems that express different emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, etc.
44. Poetry Fashion Show: Dress up and perform poems as if they were fashion shows.
45. Poetry Doodling: Create doodles and drawings while brainstorming for poetry.
46. ABC Emotions: Write poems describing different emotions starting with each letter of the alphabet.
47. Conversation Poems: Write poems that mimic conversations between two or more people.
48. Texture Poetry: Use texture words to describe different objects or experiences.
49. Poetry Simon Says: Play “Simon Says” but with poetic actions like “Simon says act out joy.”
50. One-Word Poems: Create poems using only one word per line.
51. Torn Paper Poetry Collage: Create poems by arranging torn paper pieces into poetic verses.
I hope that these games sparked the same creative joy in you that they did in me. I think the best part about these games is that you get to participate with them if you want. At the end of the day, having fun in life is really all that matters(as long as the important things are getting done), so why not take a few minutes to be young again?
I really think that these amazing games will help change children’s lives, if even by a little bit. That is the beauty of poetry, the way that it is interpreted is unique to each person.
One child may adapt it into their everyday lives, another may just have it as a fond memory. Either way, these games will help to bring this medium to the forefront of their minds for the day. Next up, I think you should check out these printable word games kids will love to carry on this word fun!