30 Funny and Short Poems for Kids That Are Definitely Kindergartener-Approved
There's no such thing as being too young to appreciate poetry! In fact, you'd be surprised by how much kids can get on board with the rhyming and humor in easy, fun children's poems. They're short, they're sweet and kids really love 'em. After all, a poem is like a story and we all know how much kids love bedtime stories. Whether written by Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss or Maya Angelou, some of the most iconic kids' poems have one thing in common—they stand the test of time.
Keep reading for 30 kids' poems—from ones written with kindergarteners in mind to short ones and long ones and some of the most famous ones.
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30 Best Poems for Kids
1. "Sick" by Shel Silverstein
“I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
“I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I’m going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox
And there’s one more—that’s seventeen,
And don’t you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut—my eyes are blue—
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I’m sure that my left leg is broke—
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button’s caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle’s sprained,
My ‘pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow’s bent, my spine ain’t straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is—what?
What’s that? What’s that you say?
You say today is... Saturday?
G’bye, I’m going out to play!”
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2. "Puzzle" by Matt Goodfellow
Puzzle
we are
all
jigsaw pieces
before
we
are gone
we
must
find
a
way
to
fit
together
as
one
3. "Firefly" by Elizabeth Madox Roberts
A little light is going by,
Is going up to see the sky,
A little light with wings.
I never could have thought of it,
To have a little bug all lit
And made to go on wings.
4. "Winter Luck" by Mattie Stepanek
Snowflakes...
They come down so slow,
And sometimes so fast,
Looking like pretty stars
Falling down, down, down
To the ground.
Little stars with little holes,
Bigger stars with bigger holes,
They are all cuddly snowflake stars.
Snowflakes ofthe tiny snows,
Snowstars of the bigger snows,
I will catch you on my hand
Or on my tongue
And make a wish...
I will make a wish on
My falling snowstar,
And then have good luck
All day, all night, all Ever.
5. "A Worm in My Pocket" by Jodee Samano
One rainy day on my way home from school,
I found a big worm and thought it was cool.
I picked up the worm with my bare hand,
held it up high, thinking how grand!
The worm was so cute and wiggled a lot.
I put him in my pocket to show Mom what I'd caught.
What will she say when I show her my find?
Will she let me keep it? I hope she won't mind.
Mom was in the kitchen when I showed her what I'd found.
She screamed, "No, way! Put it back in the ground!"
Now I'm so angry; she always says, "No."
If she won't let me keep it, then I will just go!
So me and my worm packed a sandwich or two,
ran out the door, and down the street we both flew.
We walked to the park and sat on a bench.
I pulled out my worm and noticed a stench.
He looked kind of floppy but wiggled a bit.
I thought, "Oh my Gosh, my worm is not fit!"
I laid him in the dirt and let him go free.
I guess that my pocket was not the best place to be.
Related: Beat Boredom with 125 Brain Teasers for Kids
6. "Happy Thoughts" by Robert Louis Stevenson
The world is so full
of a number of things,
I’m sure we should all
be as happy as kings.
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7. "Being Brave at Night" by Edgar Guest
The other night 'bout two o'clock, or maybe it was three,
An elephant with shining tusks came chasing after me.
His trunk was wavin' in the air an' spoutin' jets of steam
An' he was out to eat me up, but still I didn't scream
Or let him see that I was scared - a better thought I had,
I just escaped from where I was and crawled in bed with Dad.
One time there was a giant who was horrible to see,
He had three heads and twenty arms, an' he came after me
And red hot fire came from his mouths and every hand was red
And he declared he'd grind my bones and make them into bread.
But I was just too smart for him, I fooled him mighty bad,
Before his hands could collar me I crawled in bed with Dad.
I ain't scared of nothin' that comes pesterin' me at night.
Once I was chased by forty ghosts all shimmery an' white.
An' I just raced 'em round the room an' let 'em think maybe
I'd have to stop an' rest awhile, when they could capture me.
Then when they leapt onto my bed, Oh Gee! But they were mad
To find that I had slipped away an' crawled in bed with Dad.
No giants, ghosts or elephants have dared to come in there
'Coz if they did he'd beat 'em up and chase 'em to their lair.
They just hang 'round the children's rooms
an' snap an' snarl an' bite
An' laugh if they can make 'em yell
for help with all their might.
But I don't ever yell out loud. I'm not that sort of lad,
I slip from out the covers and I crawl in bed with Dad.
8. "There's a Jungle on My Head" by Tony Zhou
There's a jungle on my head.
My hair's gone absolutely wild.
It looks like the Amazon rainforest.
I really don't like this style.
It's been ages since I saw a barber.
I've been stuck at home for weeks.
My hair is like a thicket;
I think it's growing weeds.
There is a jungle on my head;
it feels untamed and beastly.
I think a tiger lives in there;
getting him out won't be easy.
There is a forest on my head.
It's getting kind of funky.
Animals swing from the vines to and fro;
I think my head has monkeys.
Snakes are in the undergrowth.
They slither and hiss and slide.
I think they must be huge,
At least four inches wide.
Next time I see a barber,
I hope he has a machete.
He'll have to cut right through my jungle.
I look just like a Yeti!
9. "All My Great Excuses" by Kenn Nesbitt
I started on my homework,
but my pen ran out of ink…
My hamster ate my homework…
My computer's on the blink…
I tripped and dropped my homework
in the soup my mom was cooking…
My brother flushed it down the toilet
when I wasn't looking…
My mother ran my homework
through the washer and the dryer…
An airplane crashed into our house…
My homework caught on fire…
Tornadoes blew my notes away…
Volcanoes rocked our town…
My books were taken hostage
by an evil killer clown…
Some aliens abducted me…
I had a shark attack…
A pirate swiped my homework
and refused to give it back…
I worked on these excuses
so darned long my teacher said,
"I think you'll find it's easier
to do the work instead."
10. "Life Doesn't Frighten Me" by Maya Angelou
Shadows on the wall
Noises down the hall
Life doesn't frighten me at all
Bad dogs barking loud
Big ghosts in a cloud
Life doesn't frighten me at all
Mean old Mother Goose
Lions on the loose
They don't frighten me at all
Dragons breathing flame
On my counterpane
That doesn't frighten me at all.
I go boo
Make them shoo
I make fun
Way they run
I won't cry
So they fly
I just smile
They go wild
Life doesn't frighten me at all.
Tough guys fight
All alone at night
Life doesn't frighten me at all.
Panthers in the park
Strangers in the dark
No, they don't frighten me at all.
That new classroom where
Boys all pull my hair
(Kissy little girls
With their hair in curls)
They don't frighten me at all.
Don't show me frogs and snakes
And listen for my scream,
If I'm afraid at all
It's only in my dreams.
I've got a magic charm
That I keep up my sleeve
I can walk the ocean floor
And never have to breathe.
Life doesn't frighten me at all
Not at all
Not at all.
Life doesn't frighten me at all.
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Short Poems for Kids
11. "Now We Are Six" by A.A. Milne
When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five,
I was just alive.
But now I am Six,
I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.
12. "My Best Friend" by Abby Jenkins
Black and white
Thick and furry
Fast as the wind
Always in a hurry
Couple of spots
Rub my ears
Always comes when his name he hears
Loves his ball; it's his favorite thing
What's most fun for him? Everything!
Great big tongue that licks my face
Has a crate, his very own space
Big brown eyes like moon pies
He's my friend till the very end!
13. "The Crocodile" by 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!
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14. "At the Zoo" by 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!
15. "maggie and milly and molly and may" by e.e. cummings
10
maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and
milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and
may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
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16. "Caterpillar" by Christina Rossetti
Brown and furry
Caterpillar in a hurry,
Take your walk
To the shady leaf, or stalk,
Or what not,
Which may be the chosen spot.
No toad spy you,
Hovering bird of prey pass by you;
Spin and die,
To live again a butterfly.
17. "Aim High to the Sky" by James McDonald
Aim high to the sky,
In all that you do.
Because you just never know,
What it takes to be you.
Be strong and be brave,
But at the same time be kind.
And always be sure,
That you’re using your mind.
18. "Brother" by Mary Ann Hoberman
I had a little brother
And I brought him to my mother
And I said I want another
Little brother for a change.
But she said don’t be a bother
So I took him to my father
And I said this little bother
Of a brother’s very strange.
But he said one little brother
Is exactly like another
And every little brother
Misbehaves a bit, he said.
So I took the little bother
From my mother and my father
And I put the little bother
Of a brother back to bed.
Related: The Most Diverse Books for Both Kids and Teens
19. "Then Laugh" by Bertha Adams Backus
Build for yourself a strong box,
Fashion each part with care;
When it’s strong as your hand can make it,
Put all your troubles there;
Hide there all thought of your failures,
And each bitter cup that you quaff;
Lock all your heartaches within it,
Then sit on the lid and laugh.
Tell no one else its contents,
Never its secrets share;
When you’ve dropped in your care and worry
Keep them forever there;
Hide them from sight so completely
That the world will never dream half;
Fasten the strong box securely-
Then sit on the lid and laugh.
20. "Monday's Child" Nursery Rhyme
Monday’s child is fair of face
Tuesday’s child is full of grace
Wednesday’s child is full of woe
Thursday’s child has far to go,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for a living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.
Poems for Kindergartners
21. "Today the Teacher Farted" by Emma Briody
Today the teacher farted.
It was an awful smell.
It was just like a rotting egg,
Straight from the depths of hell!
She tried to keep it secret
By sitting in a group.
But it was really obvious,
When she said, "Who did that poop?"
She screwed her bright, red face up
And blamed it all on Claire.
But later when I needed help,
The stench was round her chair!
She avoided my eye contact
And ticked my work in green.
But she knew that her body smells
Were foul and quite obscene.
I asked her what that smell was.
She said she'd not a clue.
I hope to God that eggy smell
Was fart and not a poo!
Today the teacher farted.
My word, what had she ate?
I'll always remember what she did,
And now I'm thirty eight!
Related: The Funniest Jokes for Kids
22. "Please Mrs Butler" by Allen Ahlberg
Please Mrs Butler
This boy Derek Drew
Keeps copying my work, Miss.
What shall I do?
Go sit in the hall, dear.
Go sit in the sink.
Take your books on the roof, my lamb.
Do whatever you think.
Please Mrs Butler
This boy Derek Drew
Keep taking my rubber, Miss.
What shall I do?
Keep it in your hand, dear.
Hide it up your vest.
Swallow it if you like, my love.
Do what you think is best.
Please Mrs Butler
This boy Derek Drew
Keeps calling me rude names, Miss.
What shall I do?
Lock yourself in the cupboard, dear.
Run away to sea.
Do whatever you can, my flower.
But don't ask me!
23. "One fish two fish red fish blue fish" by Dr. Seuss
Here are some
Who like to run.
They run for fun
In the hot, hot sun.
Oh me! Oh my!
Oh me! Oh my!
What a lot
Of funny things go by.
Some have two feet
And some have four.
Some have six feet
And some have more.
Where do they come from? I can’t say.
But I bet they have come a long, long way.
We see them come.
We see them go.
Some are fast.
And some are slow.
Some are high
And some are low.
Not one of them
Is like another.
Don’t ask us why.
Go ask your mother.
Say!
Look at his fingers!
One, two, three...
How many fingers
Do I see?
One, two, three, four,
Five, six, seven,
Eight, nine, ten.
He has eleven!
Eleven!
This is something new.
I wish I had
Eleven, too!
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24. "Wee Willie Winkie" by William Miller
Wee Willie Winkie rins through the town,
Upstairs and doon stairs, in his nicht-gown,
Tirlin’ at the window, cryin’ at the lock,
“Are the weans in their bed? – for it’s noo ten o’clock.”
Hey, Willie Winkie! are ye comin’ ben?
The cat’s singin’ gay thrums to the sleepin’ hen,
The doug’s speldered on the floor, and disna gie a cheep;
But here’s a waukrife laddie, that winna fa’ asleep.
Onything but sleep, ye rogue! – glowrin’ like the moon,
Rattlin’ in an airn jug wi’ an airn spoon,
Rumblin’, tumblin’ roun’ about, crawin’ like a cock,
Skirlin’ like a kenna-what – wauknin’ sleepin’ folk!
Hey, Willie Winkie! the wean’s in a creel!
Waumblin’ aff a bodie’s knee like a vera eel,
Ruggin’ at the cat’s lug, and ravellin’ a’ her thrums:
Hey, Willie Winkie! – See, there he comes!
25. "If You Ever Meet a Whale" by Myra Cohn Livingston
If you ever, ever, ever,
If you ever, ever, ever,
If you ever, ever, ever, meet a whale,
You must never, never, never,
You must never, never, never,
You must never, never, never touch its tail.
For if you ever, ever, ever,
If you ever, ever, ever
If you ever, ever, ever touch its tail,
For if you ever, ever, ever,
If you ever, ever, ever
If you ever, ever, ever touch its tail,
You will never, never, never,
You will never, never, never,
You will never, never
Meet another whale.
Related: Riddles for Kids
26. "Eletelephony" by Laura Elizabeth Richards
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!)
27. "Turn Off the TV!" by Bruce Lansky
My father gets quite mad at me;
my mother gets upset—
when they catch me watching
our new television set.
My father yells, “Turn that thing off!”
Mom says, “It’s time to study.”
I’d rather watch my favorite TV show
with my best buddy.
I sneak down after homework
and turn the set on low.
But when she sees me watching it,
my mother yells out, “No!”
Dad says, “If you don’t turn it off,
I’ll hang it from a tree!”
I rather doubt he’ll do it,
’cause he watches more than me.
He watches sports all weekend,
and weekday evenings too,
while munching chips and pretzels—
the room looks like a zoo.
So if he ever got the nerve
to hang it from a tree,
he’d spend a lot of time up there—
watching it with me.
28. "Purple Cow" by 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!
29. "Every Time I Climb a Tree" by David McCord
Every time I climb a tree
Every time I climb a tree
Every time I climb a tree
I scrape a leg
Or skin a knee
And every time I climb a tree
I find some ants
Or dodge a bee
And get the ants
All over me.
And every time I climb a tree
Where have you been?
They say to me
But don’t they know that I am free
Every time I climb a tree?
I like it best
To spot a nest
That has an egg
Or maybe three.
And then I skin
The other leg
But every time I climb a tree
I see a lot of things to see
Swallows rooftops and TV
And all the fields and farms there be
Every time I climb a tree
Though climbing may be good for ants
It isn’t awfully good for pants
But still it’s pretty good for me
Every time I climb a tree.
30. "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
Any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And
you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll
decide where to go.
You’ll get mixed up,
of course, as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up with
many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great
tact and remember that
Life’s A Great Balancing Act.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU’LL MOVE
MOUNTAINS!
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