25 Short Christmas Poems for Kids

Kick off the holiday season with some cute Christmas poems for kids! Christmas is a magical holiday, cherished by nearly all adults and kids of all ages.

Whether you are looking for ideas for a Christmas program at school, or ways to build reading fluency and language skills, these Christmas poems for kids are sure to bring joy to everyone!

 

Best Christmas Poems

Get in the Christmas spirit with these short Christmas poems for kids. As your kids have so much fun reciting these festive Christmas poems, you will feel an inner sense of peace – a moment that puts you into the spirit of Christmas.

 

Poems About Santa Claus

The spirit of dear old Santa brings joy to children across the world. On the last night before Christmas, kids get into bed and make one last plea to Santa Clause for their favorite toy to appear under the tree on Christmas morning.

 

Where is Santa

Sung to the tune of frere Jacques, “Where is Santa” is a simple, repetitive, and great for expression and fluency!

Hang picture cards of Santa, his sleigh, the chimney, and more around the room to send them on a hunt. Better yet, you can hang the picture cards and give them a recording sheet to record the words. These Christmas picture cards and recording sheet are included in my Christmas Write the Room.

 

Santa

Author Unknown

Two merry blue eyes

A very little nose

A long snowy beard

And cheeks like a rose

A round, chubby man

A big, bulging pack

Hurray for old Santa

We’re glad he’s come back!

 

 

Poem for Santa

Author Unknown

Stockings are hung

Christmas carols are sung

Each child is in bed

Slumber stories are read

It’s that magical night

When reindeer take flight

In your sleigh you do sit

(With toys – a tight fit!)

This key is for you

Dear Santa, it’s true

A long wait it’s been

We beg you – come in!

 

 

When Santa Claus Comes

Author Unknown

A good time is coming, I wish it were here,

The very best time in the whole of the year;

I’m counting each day on my fingers and thumbs —

the weeks that must pass before Santa Claus comes.

Then when the first snowflakes begin to come down,

And the wind whistles sharp and the branches are brown,

I’ll not mind the cold, though my fingers it numbs,

For it brings the time nearer when Santa Claus comes.

 

 

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

By John Piersol McCaskey

Jolly old Saint Nicholas,

Lean your ear this way,

Don’t you tell a single soul

What I’m going to say.

Christmas Eve is coming soon,

Now you dear old man,

Whisper what you’ll bring to me,

Tell me if you can.

 

Santa’s Watching

Author Unknown

Christmas time is coming,

It’s time we must be good,

For Santa’s watching everyday,

And we forgot we should.

Clean our room and wash the car,

Help mom with every chore,

For presents we are after,

And a good one we must score.

No time to chat, no time to play,

There’s dishes to be done.

There will be time later,

For us to have some fun!

 

 

Reindeer Poems for Kids

What’s the Christmas season without reindeer? Little children light up when they learn about the tale of magical reindeer flying Santa around the world in one night.

Do you know Santa’s reindeer names? They are Dasher, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph.

 

I’m a Little Reindeer

Sure to bring excitement about the holiday, this Christmas song for kids is a must have addition to your poetry notebook.

 

 

Five Little Reindeer

Oh my goodness, this Five Little Reindeer poem, is a class favorite year after year! Whether you are simply looking for a fun reindeer poem for your poetry notebooks, or an interactive Christmas poem for readers theater, this is a winner!

 

Magic Reindeer Food

Author Unknown

Be sure to take this magic food

and sprinkle it on the lawn.

On Christmas Eve, Santa’s reindeers

travel miles before the dawn.

The smell of oats and glitter

will guide them on their way.

And you’ll wake up to Santa’s gifts

on merry Christmas day! 

 

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, is a character created by Robert May in 1939. Robert May worked in a Chicago department store, and was given an assignment to create a Christmas coloring book to give to the customers. Shortly after, May’s brother-in-law, Jonny Marks, created a song about Rudolph, which went on to be recorded by Gene Autry. The Christmas song became number one on the Billboard charts in 1949. 

 

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer

By Johnny Marks

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer

had a very shiny nose.

And if you ever saw it,

you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer

used to laugh and call him names.

They never let poor Rudolph

join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say:

“Rudolph with your nose so bright,

won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

Then how the reindeer loved him

and they shouted out with glee:

“Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,

you’ll go down in history!”

 

A Christmas Lights Poem

First up, “Christmas Lights” is sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star; making this an easy to learn Christmas song for kids.

This Christmas poem for kids is great for integrating colors, color words, and rhyming. Learning to identify colors skill taught heavily in preschool. However, learning to read color words is taught in kindergarten and reinforced at the beginning of first grade. When teaching the kids this poem about Christmas lights, I also have a color words writing center set up with Making Words worksheets and color word cards. 

 

Christmas Bells Poems

Pop your head into any early childhood or primary classroom around Christmas time, and you are sure to hear talk of the Polar Express.

This popular Christmas movie, originated from an award-winning children’s book, is becoming a holiday tradition for many families and classrooms. A Polar Express lesson isn’t complete without a bell!

Ring the Bells

Ring the Bells is the perfect Christmas poem for kids to integrate with your Polar Express experiences.

Give the kids a small Christmas bell for a memorable school Christmas program for families. After reciting the poem, let the kids take the bells home. Having the object will trigger their memory, and likely have them reciting the poem around the house.

 

Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow

In a one-horse open sleigh,

O’er the fields we go,

Laughing all the way.

Bells on bob-tails ring,

Making spirits bright.

What fun it is to ride and sing

A sleighing song tonight, oh!

Jingle bells, jingle bells,

Jingle all the way.

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a one-horse open sleigh, hey!

Jingle bells, jingle bells,

Jingle all the way.

Oh what fun it is to ride,

In a one-horse open sleigh.

 

 

Short Poems of Christmas Treats

This collection of Christmas poems will get you into the festive season. Think of your favorite Christmas smells…do gingerbread, candy canes, and peppermint come to mind? Although this Christmas poetry can’t fill your home with these blissful scents, they are great to kick off your family traditions.

Gingerbread Man

Next, this short and simple Christmas poem will be the perfect addition to your gingerbread lesson collection.

 

Peppermint Stick

Author Unknown

I took a lick

Of a peppermint stick

And oh it tasted yummy!

It used to be

On the Christmas tree

But now it’s in my tummy!

 

 

Candy Cane Poem for Kids

Candy cane, candy cane,

Oh, so sweet. 

But this little candy cane

is not for you to eat.

I made it with my thumbs

so you can always see.

How very small

my little thumbs

used to be. 

 

 

Christmas Handprint Poem

Use paint, or trace the kids hands and let them color the mistletoe any way they’d like. Either way, this is the greatest gift for any family member. If you already made the perfect Christmas gift, but are looking for Christmas cards from kids, this wonderful poem is your solution.

 

Collection of Poems about Christmas

 Christmas is a Day Full of Joy

Author Unknown

Christmas is a day full of joy,

Ask any girl or boy.

Santa’s reindeers fly up high,

By the twinkling stars in the sky.

Children love a snowball fight,

Although its freezing day and night.

 

I Like to See Christmas

Author Unknown

I like to see the stockings

I like to see the gifts

I like to see the bells

I like to see the tree

And I like to see Santa

Looking at me!

 

A White Christmas

By Carla Jean Laglia Esely

Twas the night before Christmas.

With a blanket of white.

That covered the earth all through the night.

The trees sparkled like diamonds.

With a glitter so bright.

That each little twinkle made its own Christmas light.

A hope and a prayer a white Christmas would be.

Awaiting the dawn so all could see.

The beauty and joy a white Christmas does bring.

To the holiday season as carolers sing.

For twas the night before Christmas.

God answered your prayer.

With a blanket of white.

Placed with God’s loving care.

 

The Day Before Christmas

Author Unknown

We have been helping with the cake,

And licking out the pan,

And wrapping up our packages,

As neatly as we can.

We have hung our stockings up,

Beside the open grate.

And now there’s nothing more to do,

Except to wait.

 

I’ve Been Waiting for Christmas

Author Unknown

I’ve been waiting for Christmas,

And it’s almost here.

I’ve been waiting for Christmas,

Santa’s getting near.

Can’t you hear the sleigh bells ringing?

Reindeer up so high.

Can’t you hear the children singing,

As they watch the sky?

 

The Grinch (Excerpt from the movie)

By Dr. Seuss

…And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,

Stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?

It came without ribbons. It came without tags.

It came without packages, boxes or bags.

And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store?

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?

 

Little Pine Tree

Author Unknown

I’m a little pine tree

As you can see,

All the other pine trees

Are bigger than me.

Maybe when I grow up

Then I’ll be

A great big merry Christmas tree! 

 

Twas the Night Before Christmas 

By Clement Clarke Moore

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

“Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ’ere he drove out of sight,

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

 

 

Before you go, here are more Christmas blog posts you may enjoy:

25 Best Christmas Thank You Poems

Polar Express Worksheets and Activities for Kids

25 Popular Christmas Gifts for Kids (VIDEO)

55 Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids 

December Would You Rather Questions for Kids

December Write the Room

Christmas Poems for Kids