Tired of hearing groans when you announce it’s time for some poetry? Poems can be hard for kids to connect with, so it helps to have some clever poetry games and activities up your sleeve. These poetry activities help kids learn about poetry in general, connect with specific poems, and even write their own!
Jump to:
- Hands-On Poetry Games and Activities
- Poetry Activities With Free Printables
- Poems to Share With Kids and Teens
- More Free Poetry Resources For All Ages
Hands-On Poetry Games and Activities
Use these ideas to learn about poetry in general and for exploring specific poems and styles. Looking for more poetry roundups? See all of our poetry resources here.
1. Poetry Speed Date
This is a cool way to introduce older readers to a poetry unit. Gather up all the poetry books you can find, and invite students to bring their favorites too. Students spend the class period “speed dating” the books—they simply browse and skim, looking for poems and authors that catch their eye. Encourage them to make notes of their favorites for further reading.
2. Couplet Battle
Ask students to stand in a circle, and give a ball to one. The first player makes up a line of poetry, then tosses the ball to another student. That student has 15 seconds to make up a matching line that rhymes, making a couplet. If they can’t come up with one, they toss the ball to another player, and then sit down. The new player tries to finish the couplet. If they do, they start the next one and toss the ball to a new student. The game continues until only one student is left standing!
3. Poetry Recital
A poem really takes on personal meaning when you can recite it by heart. It’s important to let students choose their own favorite poems for this assignment, ones that they’ll recall for years to come. Once everyone is ready, hold a poetry recital where each student shares their memorized poem with their classmates, and offers a few words about why they picked that particular composition.
4. Haiku Dice
These are so cool! Haikubes are perfect for all sorts of poetry games. Roll the cubes and create a haiku, or draw a handful from a bag and use them to make your poem. You can use these for other poetry activities too.
Buy it: Haikubes at Amazon
5. Found Poetry
Found poetry is likely to become one of your students’ favorite poetry games. Give them a stack of magazines, newspapers, or books to look through, along with a pair of scissors. Have them cut out words and phrases they like, and then arrange them into a brand-new poetic masterpiece!
Learn more: Why I Have My Students Write Found Poetry Instead of Essays
6. Class Poem Book
There are a few different ways you can try this poetry activity. If your students are writing their own poems, ask them to provide an illustration to accompany their composition. You can also have students choose a favorite poem from a published author, then write a short paragraph about why they love it and create an illustration for it. Whichever you choose, gather the poems and artwork together into a book to share with others. (Consider an online version to make it easy for everyone to access.)
7. Poetry Slam
Round off your poetry unit with a poetry slam! These events are a combination of recitations and poetry games, like freestyle rhyme battles. This is the ultimate event for poetry lovers of any age. Hold it in person, or stream it on Zoom so anyone can easily attend.
Learn more: How To Host a Poetry Slam and Slam Poetry Examples
8. Poetry Gallery Walk
Turn poems into big posters you can hang in school hallways. Students can work on their own or in pairs to choose a poem, letter the poster, and then add illustrations and other decorations to make their poem really stand out. Once all the poems are in place, invite other students to tour the displays, while your students stand nearby to share more about the poems they chose to display!
9. Book Spine Poetry
Pull some books off the shelves and stack them so their titles create a poem. Kids can take a pic, write the titles down as they are, or use their stack as inspiration for a more fleshed-out masterpiece.
10. Translate a Poem
Try this with students in advanced world language classes. It’s relatively easy to translate a poem word for word, but often the rhythm, rhyme, and meter are lost. Can your students find a way to translate a poem while keeping it true to the author’s intention?
11. Poetry for Neanderthals
This silly game requires you to make poetry with just the words available on your cards. Throw grammar and syntax out the window, and simply create clever constructions to get your message across. (It’s up to you whether you use the inflatable “club” to bonk other players when they lose; that part of the game might work best in older classrooms!)
Buy it: Poetry for Neanderthals at Amazon
12. Add-a-Verse
Have students choose any poem they like, then try to write another verse in the same style as the original. This could be another ending or a new verse in the middle to add more details. Be sure to follow the original poem’s meter, rhyme scheme, and general tone.
13. Paint Chip Poetry
This is easily one of the most popular poetry games, and for good reason. Colors are so easy to relate to and evoke lots of feelings and memories. Paint chip poetry works for every age group, too, and makes for a neat classroom display.
14. Song and Poem Pairs
Ask students to look for songs and poems that complement one another, perhaps by covering the same topic or using the same types of literary devices. Students can use songs you’ve analyzed in class or take inspiration from their own favorites. You can also try this activity with favorite movies, books, pieces of artwork, or even video games!
15. Online Magnetic Poetry
Did you know you can play with classic poetry magnets online? This clever site gives you new words every time, so there are always fresh new ideas to explore.
Buy it: Magnetic Poetry at Amazon
16. Vocabulary Word Poems
Sneak in some vocabulary or spelling practice during this creative writing activity. Ask students to use some or all of their current vocab or spelling lists to create a clever poem. To use the words properly, they’ll definitely have to know the meanings!
17. Sticky Note Poetry
We love using sticky notes in the classroom, and they’re fantastic for poetry games. Have kids write a selection of words of their choice and stick them to the wall or whiteboard. Then let each student select words to use for their own verses.
18. Poetry Puzzle
Print out some poems and cut them apart so each line is a separate strip. Break students into groups and give them each a poem to reassemble. Make this activity easier with rhyming poems, or more challenging with free verse!
19. Metaphor Dice
The right metaphor is the gateway to a unique and meaningful poem. Roll these dice to find a metaphor that will inspire and challenge your young poets.
Buy it: Metaphor Dice at Amazon
20. Mystery Poem Write-and-Pass
Start a poem by writing the first line at the top of the page. Pass the paper to the first student and ask them to write the next line. Now comes the fun part! The student folds over the top of the paper so only the line they added is showing, then passes it to another student. They add a line to poem, based on the line that’s visible to them. Then, they fold over the paper again, so that now only their line is showing, and pass the page along. Continue until everyone has added a line, then unfold the paper and discover the result!
21. Song Lyrics as Poetry
One of the easiest ways for many students to connect with poetry is by linking it with song lyrics. Choose a popular song with strong lyrics, then analyze it as you would a poem. Look for literary devices such as alliteration or metaphors, talk about the meter and rhymes, and discuss ways in which poetry and music are similar and different.
22. Poetry Snowball Fight
Each student writes the first line of a poem on a piece of paper, then crumples it into a “snowball.” Give kids 30 seconds to gently toss their snowballs around the room. Each student picks up a snowball close to them and adds a line to the poem. Then, they crumple it back up and the snowball fight resumes! Continue until the poems are as long as you want, then gather up the papers and share the finished compositions.
23. Scrabble Tile Poems
This is kind of like an acrostic, with a random twist: Each student pulls eight scrabble letter tiles from the bag (take pity on them and remove the X first!). Now, they must write an eight-line poem, where each line begins with a word that starts with one of their letters. For an extra challenge, require them to use the letters in the order they were drawn!
24. Paper Bag Poetry
Introduce poetry to little ones with a paper bag filled with several items of different sizes, shapes, textures, etc. Kids reach into the bag without looking and describe what they feel in a few words. These words make their first poem. This is one of the best poetry games for younger students.
25. Go Fish Poetry
Try this take on the classic magnetic poetry games for little kids. Cut out a big collection of colorful paper fish, and slip a paperclip onto each one’s head. Then, write a word on each fish, including some from each of the parts of speech. Tie a string to a stick, and attach a magnet to the end of the string. Now, go fish! Kids “catch” word fish one by one, then arrange them to form a poem.
Poetry Activities With Free Printables
Every one of these interactive activities includes free printable worksheets you can use with your students, making your poetry lessons easier and more fun!
26. Concrete Poem
Students will love concrete poems, with combine art and poetry to create compositions that look like their subject! We’ve got lots of examples for you to share, plus templates to help students write their own.
CONCRETE POETRY BUNDLE
Get your free set of concrete poem examples, plus templates for helping students craft their own poetry!
27. Acrostic Poem
Acrostics are simple enough for beginning poets, but even Edgar Allan Poe used this style to create beautiful works. Writing an acrostic poem is like putting together a puzzle!
Help students compose their own acrostic poems with our free printable templates!
28. Haiku
Haiku poems with their standard 5-7-5 syllable structure are fun to write. With just a few short lines to work with, kids can really take the time to polish their word and structure choices, making a big impact with very little.
Give your students a hand as they compose their own 5-7-5 syllable poems with our free set of templates!
29. Limerick
Kids love limericks—and really, who doesn’t? Their biggest challenge is usually coming up with the rhymes they need. This cool poetry activity creates a bank of rhyming words students can pull from as they craft their own lovable limericks to share.
Use our free template to give students a leg up as they write their own clever limericks!
30. Blackout Poetry
Blackout poems are a unique way of looking at the written word. This activity is easily differentiated for students from elementary through high school, and the results are often stunning.
Download our free blackout poetry activity for an easy, hands-on way to introduce this type of poem to your students.
31. “I Am” Poem
Many students feel overwhelmed at the idea of composing poems: “I don’t know where to start!” This worksheet set makes it easy for any student to compose a simple poem about themselves, even if they sometimes find it hard to find the right words.
These free printable sentence starters make it a snap for any student to create a poem about themselves!
32. Autobiography Poem
When you’re ready to expand on the “I Am” poem, try this autobiographical poetry activity. Have kids tell you all about themselves, including their biographical information, what they love, their feelings, and more.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY POEM TEMPLATE
Guide students as they craft a poem telling the world who they are and what they love with this free printable template.
33. Ode
Odes aren’t just for Shakespeare and Keats. Anyone can write a poem celebrating someone or something they’re truly passionate about. Our worksheet set walks kids through the process!
Download our free printable set of templates to help students craft an ode to something they really love.
34. Couplets
Couplets are some of the simplest building blocks of poetry, made of up two rhyming lines. Our free worksheet starts with the rhyming words, helping kids work backward to create complete couplets.
These free downloadable templates help kids craft clever couplets, the building blocks of many types of poetry!
35. Figurative Language
imiles, metaphors, idioms, alliteration … poetry thrives on figurative language. Help your students understand poetic devices with our big free bundle of printable worksheets.
Prepare your students to read, analyze, and write their own poetry with this set of printable figurative language activities!
Poems to Share With Kids and Teens
Looking for poems you can share with your students in a wide variety of styles?? Check out our collections of poems for kids and teens on a huge array of topics!
- Math Poems for Students of All Ages
- Graduation Poems to Inspire Students
- Free-Verse Poems for Middle School and High School
- Cozy Fall Poems
- Delightful Winter Poems
- Beautiful and Inspiring Spring Poems
- Cool Summer Poems
- Must-Share Poems for Your Elementary Classroom
- Must-Share Poems for Middle School and High School
More Free Poetry Resources For All Ages
We’ve got even more free resources for teaching poetry! Check out some of our favorites below, and click here to see the rest.
- Celebrate Poetry Month With Amanda Gorman
- Best Poetry Websites for Kids, Teens, Teachers, and Classrooms
- Types of Poetry, With Poem Examples (Plus Free Printables)
- Our Favorite Videos for Teaching Poetry in Elementary School
- How Kids Can Tap Into Science & Nature to Write Amazing Poems
- Terrific Novels in Verse for Your Classroom
Get your free printable poetry worksheet bundle!
Ready to share these activities with your classroom? Download our activities bundle to pair with your poetry lessons! We have templates for eight poetry styles including haiku, limerick, ode, and more.
