Kids of all ages will love these funny poems by some of the world’s most famous poets, and reading poetry with children allows them to explore structure, rhythm and rhyme and be inspired by the creative and witty use of language. If you want more, there's even some additional suggestions at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!
The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear (1871)
Lear and Lewis Carroll both challenged and reinvented Victorian literature for children by joyously celebrating nonsense and humour, and refusing to be didactic or moralistic. This sweet little tale of an anthropomorphic love story relishes its literal singsong nursery rhyme and fable-like narrative, and the imaginative story and characters will delight young readers.
The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carroll (1871)
This long narrative poem is great to read aloud, and plays about with contradictions, paradox and logic and ethic problems. There is a legitimate moral as a cautionary tale about talking to strangers, but Alice’s conundrum about who is the ‘villain’ in the story after Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee recite the poem for her in Through the Looking Glass is also something older children will want to think about.
The King’s Breakfast by A.A. Milne (1924)
Best beloved for the Winnie-the-Pooh tales, Milne’s explores repetition and formula in its narrative, and suggests that even for royalty it’s the small kindnesses and the little things in life that are worth being happy about. Young children will love acting this poem out, and older students can think about how the poem responds to the saying about knowing what side of your bread is buttered
The Old Gumbie Cat by T. S. Eliot (1939)
This classic from Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats is one of many possible choices in the collection for exploring inventive rhyme and meter, but the playful gap between the regular cat behavior by day and the unexpected things the Gumbie cat gets up to at night is both funny and saying something poignant about what ‘ordered households’ might actually need in order to function!
The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss (1957)
For rhythm and rhyme that really resonates with and sings out to kids, anything by Dr. Seuss is perfect. His simple language is wonderful for young readers, but the pace and energy and wit of his stories and ideas are magic. This poem is literally about letting your imagination go wild, the joy of chaos, and the importance of restoring order after being creative, but students will just love the sound and comedy of the words too.
Boa Constrictor by Shel Silverstein (1962)
Silverstein wrote many poems for kids, but there is a particular charm in the first-person narration in this short and simple verse. The clear rhyming couplets and plot twist at the end of the poem helps young students listen for and understand rhyme schemes, and appreciate the comedy in the unexpected finale.
On the Ning Nang Nong by Spike Mulligan (1968)
This fabulous little poem is playing beautifully with onamatopoeia, but also showing how comedy is about upsetting expectations. Celebrating nonsense is always liberating for children, and promotes imaginative and creative responses: try making up some more verses together about what else happens and is heard on the Ning Nang Nong!
Cinderella by Roald Dahl (1982)
Kids love Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, though some adults baulk at the violent and grotesque turns both his novels and his rewrites of classic fairytales take! However this particular poem is a good place to open up discussion about why there are gruesome elements in traditional fairy stories and nursery rhymes, how the abject and taboos in comedy and parody work, and what the poem is suggesting about morality and happy ever after endings.
Oh, I Wish I’d Looked After Me Teeth by Pam Ayres (1992)
This British comedian’s poems have dated a little, but the timing and humour of this poem is coupled with an important message about going to the dentist, brushing your teeth and cutting down on sugar. Don’t forget when you read aloud to do the last verse with your lips pulled back as though you left the dentures out: the kids will love it!
Custard the Dragon by Ogden Nash (1994)
Cute couplets tell the tale of a cowardly monster who looks scary but isn’t, and the denouement when Custard find his courage and bravely stands up for his friends offers a way to talk about the nature of heroism and the ways we face things that scare us. The concern of living up to expectations from school, family and peers is also a very real one for kids and the reassurance that you can be yourself and still find ways to step up and be there when people need you is a wonderful moral.
Children always enjoy the energy and challenge of rhyming and metrical poetry, and respond vigorously to the imagery and imagination unleashed in a good poem. When choosing books for children to read, check out some animal poetry or other classic poems kids will love, or look at ways to study poetry in more depth with older students.
Be sure to add any other favourite famous poems for children in the comments below!
Kim Edwards - Dr. Kim Edwards holds a PhD in literature, and when not teaching English, drama, cabaret or writing, she is a freelance writer, scholar, ...
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