Spring! A time of renewal! A time for blooms, fresh air and buzzing bees! And also a time for POETRY! These spring poems for kids will wake up their senses and fill them with the sparkle that only comes as the earth wakes up from the cruelty of winter.
Was that too dramatic? Never! But seriously folks, there's a reason April is National Poetry Month. Do you feel scared of verse? Don't be! Read this introduction about why you should read poetry and all your fears will melt away (just like that winter snow and ice).
Included below are:
- a selection of classic poems, for which you can get a free printable to carry every where you go (you think I'm joking, but I'm not)
- recommendations for contemporary spring poems for children, with links to follow and read the full poem
- book selections of spring poetry collections
Classic Spring Poems for Kids
Don't be scared by classic poems! Sure, some of them have archaic language and grammar, but these classic spring poems are sure to appeal to kids. Read through the selections and start with the one that first jumps out at you (or the shortest!).
Tip: When you read the poem aloud to your children, ask them to close their eyes and picture the imagery being described.
Classic spring poems in the printable:
- "Dear March - Come in" by Emily Dickinson
- "It Was a Lover and His Lass" by William Shakespeare
- "After the Winter" by Claude McKay
- "Magdalen Walks" by Oscar Wilde
- "Spring Storm" by William Carlos Williams
- "Spring, the Sweet Spring" by Thomas Nashe
- "[in Just-]" by e.e. cummings
- "Mr. Toad" by Kenneth Grahame
- "The Rainbow" by Christina Rossetti
- Sonnet 98 by William Shakespeare
Get a printable version of the poems by plopping your email into the form below:
Contemporary Spring Poems
If you still feel daunted by classic poetry, never fret! These contemporary spring poems for kids will get the imagination flowing. The tantalizing first lines of each poem are below, along with a link to entice you to read the full poem. Enjoy!
april is a dog's dream
"April Is a Dog's Dream" by Marilyn Singer
the soft grass is growing
the sweet breeze is blowing
Wind in pines
"March Weather" by Tessa Ransford
wind on water
wind in rushes
wind on feather
The birds were louder this morning,
"Spring (Again)" by Michael Ryan
raucous, oblivious, tweeting their teensy bird-brains out.
I’m in the house.
"Poem" by Ron Padgett
It’s nice out: warm
sun on cold snow.
I have this and it isn't a mouth
"I Have This Way of Being" by Jamaal May
full of the names of odd flowers...
Spring Poetry Books for Children
Head off to the library and check out a stack of poetry books. Here are some titles especially good for your spring reading. (Titles are affiliate links that may earn commission.)
Handsprings by Douglas Florian. Florian has a number of wonderful themed poetry books for kids. Every poem in this collection will make you smile.
Laughing Tomatoes: And Other Spring Poems / Jitomates Risuenos: Y Otros Poemas de Primavera by Francisco X. Alarcon, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. I love Alarcon's seasonal poetry books, with poems in both English and Spanish. I keep recommending them again and again!
Hello Earth, Poems to Our Planet by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Miren Asiain Lora. April is also Earth Month, and these cheerful poems will encourage kids to celebrate our miraculous planet. Sidman even has a helpful reader's guide!
The Cuckoo's Haiku: and Other Birding Poems by Michael J. Rosen, illustrated by Stan Fellows. The watercolor illustrations are gorgeous and birds are divided into seasons, which is perfect for enthusiastic birders and those who welcome birds as a sign of spring.
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