Teaching a “Poem of the Day” is a fun way to introduce children to the beauty of language, early reading skills, and the wonders of self-expression.

To help you get started, we’ve created a collection of themed and seasonal printable poems for kids in prek, kindergarten, first grade, and beyond.

Introducing the Poem of the Day

The Poem of the Day is a captivating practice where a new poem takes center stage each day.

This exciting routine allows children to immerse themselves in the world of poetry and nursery rhymes, building a deeper connection to language and reading.

If you prefer to spend more than one day on a poem, we suggest doing a Poem of the Week activity.  You can read more in the post, “Poetry Notebooks: Free Printables and Daily Schedule“

Suggested activities to do with the kids when using poems to teach reading:

• shared reading
• echo reading
• letter/word hunts
• practice concepts of print
• highlight sight words
• buddy read
• build a poem
• illustrate to surprise (they had to draw a “super good” illustration on the BACK of the poem. It had to be good enough to surprise their partner, or lucky listener. We were looking for the wow factor, not rushing to be done.)
• make up movements
• sing the poem
• mini-lesson
• cloze reading/writing

Getting Started with the Poem of the Day

1. Daily Selection: Begin by selecting a diverse range of poems, considering themes that resonate with your children or tie in with seasonal events.
2. Reciting and Discussion: Read the chosen poem aloud to the children, engaging them in a fun discussion about the poem’s meaning.
3. Visualization: Invite kids to close their eyes and visualize the poem’s imagery as you read it again. This activity sparks their imagination and allows them to create mental pictures related to the poem.
4. Dramatic Interpretation: Encourage dramatic interpretation by having children act out the poem, using expressive gestures and facial expressions.
5. Vocabulary Exploration: Highlight interesting or challenging words in the poem and discuss their meanings. This exploration enriches their vocabulary and enhances language comprehension.
6. Writing Prompts: Use the Poem of the Day as a springboard for writing activities. Children can write their poems inspired by the themes, emotions, or imagery they encountered in the daily poem.
7. Poem Display: Create a dedicated space to display each daily poem, accompanied by illustrations and decorations related to the theme.

Themed and Seasonal Poems for Kids

To elevate your Poem of the Day experience, we’ve prepared a delightful collection of printable poems that encompass various themes and seasonal wonders.

From captivating autumn leaves to joyous holiday celebrations, these poems will enchant and inspire your young learners throughout the year.

You can find the Poem of the Day Product with these printable poems HERE, ready to download and use with your children.

Poem of the Day is not just for National Poetry Month, or World Poetry Day. These poems are going to get your kids excited to read every day of the year

Back to School Poems

• All About Me
• Riding the Bus
• Families
• Days of the Week
• Hand Washing Song

Color Poems

When teaching kids about colors, I wanted simple poems that incorporated the spelling of the color words, and examples of colored objects. This way, the kids can make a better connection while reading or singing color songs.

• Color Song
• Red
• Orange
• Yellow
• Green
• Blue
• Purple
• Black
• Brown
• White

Click here to see the Color Poems for Kids

Fall Poems for Kids

Fall is my favorite season of the year. These poems about autumn cover everything from apples to a Thanksgiving handprint poem.

• A is for Apple
• 10 Little Apples
• Leaves
• 5 Little Pumpkins
• I’m a Little Pumpkin
• Halloween
• Veterans Day
• Scarecrow, Scarecrow
• Ted the Turkey
• 5 Little Turkeys
• Funny Bird
• Turkey, Turkey
• Turkey Dinner
• Handprint Turkey Poem

Click here to see the Fall Poems for Kids

Click here to see the Thanksgiving Poems for Kids

Christmas Poems for Kids

• Christmas Lights
• Gingerbread Man
• I’m a Little Reindeer
• Ring the Bells
• Where is Santa
• Christmas Handprint – Everlasting Mistletoe
• Five Little Reindeer

Click here to see the Christmas Poems for Kids

Winter Poems for Kids

• Chubby Little Snowman
• Great Big Snowman
• I’m a Little Snowman
• I’m a Snowflake
• Snowball
• New Year’s Here
• President’s Day
• Dr. King
• I’m a Little Groundhog
• Brushing My Teeth

Click here to see the Winter Poems for Kids

Valentine’s Day Poems for Kids

• My Valentine
• Hearts
• Valentine Friendship
• I’m a Little Valentine
• Valentine Handprint

Click here to see the Valentines Day Poems for Kids

St. Patrick’s Day Poems for Kids

• Leprechaun Stew
• I’m a Little Leprechaun
• I’m a Little Shamrock
• Happy St. Patrick’s Day
• Five Little Leprechauns

Click here to see the St. Patrick’s Day Poems for Kids

Spring Poems for Kids

• Caterpillar Garden
• A Little Seed
• Five Little Flowers
• Spring
• Spring is Here
• Springtime
• Recycle
• This Old Earth

Click here to see the Spring Poems for Kids

Summer Poems for Kids

• Caterpillar Garden
• Summertime
• Ladybug, Ladybug
• Summer, Summer

Click here to see the Summer Poems for Kids

End of the Year Poems and Songs

Some of these end of the year graduation poems, youtube read alouds, and songs are exclusive to the Poem of the Day Bundle.

• ABC Kindergarten Graduation
• Pre-K Graduation Alphabet Rap
• Kindergarten Graduation Alphabet Rap
• First Grade Graduation Alphabet Rap
• Pre-K Graduation: We Will Rock You
• Kindergarten Graduation: We Will Rock You
• First Grade Graduation: We Will Rock You
• End of Year Poem to Students from Teacher

Poem of the Day Bundle

If you’re as excited as I am about using poetry to get kids wanting to read and building fluency, then grab your POEM OF THE DAY BUNDLE, today!

You’ll have a printable for every day of the school year!

My printable poems sell for $1.99 a piece. With 115 poems included, including the popular nursery rhymes, this bundle is worth $230!

Not only will you get the 115 printable poems, you will also be getting the links to the poems being read aloud on YouTube, many of which are exclusive to the bundle.

Free Poetry Printables

Now that you have a complete list of poems for kids, grab your FREE poetry guide for more fun activities.

Included in this free poetry notebook guide:

• Poem of the Week Schedule
• Poetry Notebook Cover
• Lucky Listener (Parent Signature Page)
• Humpty Dumpty Printable
• Humpty Dumpty Pocket Chart Poem

Before you go, here are more posts you’ll enjoy:

34 Best Nursery Rhymes for Kids

10 Reasons Why Kids Need More Recess

15 Important Benefits of Playtime for Kids

Poem of the Day