Kids often enjoy reading poems, such as those by Shel Silverstein, but it can sometimes be a challenge getting them to like writing their own. The key is to make the process as fun and engaging as possible! Below, we’ve compiled seven poetry writing prompts that will pique your poets’ interest and inspire them to create their own poems.

Fun Poetry Writing Prompts for Kids

Looking for some poetry writing prompts to try out with your students? Here are seven poetry prompts to get the creative juices flowing!

1. Object Poem (with a Tiny Twist)

Have your student look around the room or go outside and create a list of five very small objects that they see in the scene, such as a piece of lint, button, ant, or wad of gum. Once they have their list, ask them to choose one item to write a poem about. Here’s the catch: the poem must be tiny too, containing only five lines.

2. Remix Poem

Ask your student to listen to a favorite song and write out the words to at least one verse or chorus. It can be a pop song, camp song, or even a nursery rhyme. Have them take a few minutes to analyze the structure and rhyme scheme. Then, ask them to keep the same structure but change the lyrics to create a new rhyming song! For example:

If your students need help thinking of phrases that rhyme, encourage them to use a rhyming dictionary or the online RhymeZone tool.

3) Color Poem

Ask your student to write a poem inspired by their favorite color. Once they have one in mind, ask them to close their eyes and visualize different objects and scenes related to that color. Next, ask them to keep their eyes closed, but encourage them to think about how that color makes them feel. You can use prompting questions aloud to help trigger ideas, such as, “what does that color taste like?” Invite them to conjure up as much detail as they can using their five senses. Now that they’ve had time to visualize, have them write down a list of ideas they had while brainstorming. Tell them that they’ll be using this list to create a color poem that contains rich sensory details. They should write a poem inspired by their own experiences, including:

• Things they might SEE
• Sounds they might HEAR
• Textures they might FEEL
• Aromas they might SMELL
• Flavors they might TASTE
• Feelings they might EXPERIENCE

Be sure to teach your students not to use tired expressions that can steal life from their writing. Poetry depends on strong word choices, so show them how to make each one count! A thesaurus is a great tool to find stronger selections.

Here’s an example of a color poem that’s filled with vivid descriptions that call upon the senses. Let your kids use it as a template as they start writing.

4. Word Bank Poem

Need a quick and simple poetry writing prompt for kids? Reach for a book and open it up to a random page. Write a list of ten words that jump out at you on the page. Once you have your list, write the words where your students can easily see. Then, ask them to write a poem using at least five of those words. 

The type of poem they craft can be up to them, or you can assign a certain type—narrative, rhyming, free verse, cinquain. Just be sure to communicate your expectations clearly before they start writing.

5. Alliteration Poem

Alliteration is a commonly used poetic device. Alliteration happens when words that appear close together in a line or verse share the same beginning sound (usually a consonant). The following poem gives a good example of alliteration.

Do you hear all the words that start with the /l/ sound? That’s alliteration! Now, ask your student to write their own short poem using alliteration. Like the example above, their poem doesn’t have to rhyme, but it certainly can!

6. Acrostic Poem

Another one of our favorite poetry writing prompts is acrostic poetry. An acrostic poem is one where the first letter of the first word in each line spells out a word or phrase. Typically, the word or phrase is related to the theme of the poem. A line can be a single word, a phrase or partial thought, or a complete sentence. 

Here are two examples of acrostic poems based on the word SPRING. The first example is a series of simple descriptive phrases that incorporates alliteration as well!

The second example turns a brief bit of vivid prose into a poem simply by dividing it into lines. If they break some sentences in the middle instead of at the end, your students can give their acrostics a more poetic look and sound.

You can have your students create a similar acrostic for the current season, or feel free let them write a poem based on a different theme.

7. “Never” Poem

Writing prompts often encourage students to elaborate on their preferences, but writing a poem inspired by personal aversions is a great way to inspire your students to write a poem and start a conversation.

A “never” poem is a fun variation of an alliteration poem. To start, have your student choose a consonant letter. Then, ask them to write one sentence for each of the following, repeating their chosen consonant sound as many times as possible:

1. Something you would never eat.
2. An item you would never wear.
3. Something you would never buy.
4. Something you would never do.
5. Someplace you would never go.
6. Something you would always like to think about.
7. “And I promise I will never ____.”

Before they begin, show your students the following example. Point out how the /b/ sound repeats throughout the poem.

Encourage them to be creative and get silly with it! Once their “never” poem is finished, invite them to choose some words from the poem and write a related title.

Don’t forget to allow your students to share their poetry! Consider hosting a poetry reading so students can share their poems with peers or family members—complete with some fun café-esque food and drinks. This will add an extra level of excitement to the writing process. You can even ask your students to come up with a few poetry prompts of their own.

We hope that you and your students will enjoy these poetry writing prompts! We’d love to hear if you have any other suggested prompts in the comments below. Happy writing!

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