It’s that time again for the Children’s Poetry Blog Post Roundup! Let’s see what’s been stirring in the world of children’s poetry this past week. Get ready to jot down some new ideas and maybe even get inspired!
Author: Kenn Nesbitt
Kenn Nesbitt, former U.S. Children's Poet Laureate, is celebrated for blending humor and heart in his poetry for children. Known for books such as "My Cat Knows Karate" and "Revenge of the Lunch Ladies," he captivates young readers globally.
My Smelly Telephone
Welcome to Poetry4kids. I’m Kenn Nesbitt.
One of the things that I enjoy most about writing poems is playing with words—especially when a word sounds like something else entirely. Today’s poem is one of those where the idea came from imagining a mix-up… the kind of mix-up that might happen if you were shopping for something high-tech and got something completely unexpected instead. This is…
My Smelly Telephone
My telephone is smelly.
It’s a smelly telephone.
I wish it didn’t stink but
it’s the only one I own.
I thought I bought a smartphone
that was also cellular.
It seems that’s not exactly what
they meant by “smellular.”
And so, I learned the hard way
what I didn’t know before…
They don’t sell normal cellphones
when you’re at the smellphone store.
— Kenn Nesbitt
Weekly Children’s Poetry Roundup – Saturday, April 26, 2025
Time again for the Children’s Poetry Blog Post Roundup! Here’s what’s been happening in the world of kids’ poetry over the past week, with a little help from some of my poet and teacher friends.
Weekly Children’s Poetry Roundup – Saturday, April 19, 2025
It’s that time again for our weekly Children’s Poetry Blog Post Roundup. So, let’s see what’s been happening in the wonderful world of children’s verse this past week, shall we?
An Oyster Celebration
Welcome to Poetry4kids. I’m Kenn Nesbitt.
Sometimes a poem begins with just a sound—two words that almost rhyme, or a funny phrase that gets stuck in my head. That’s what happened with today’s poem. I started playing with the sounds of two familiar words, and before long, I found myself wondering, “What if there were a place where people celebrated one of these things instead of the other?” Though the result may seem a little bizarre, I had so much fun writing it that I just had to share it. This is…
An Oyster Celebration.
There’s an Oyster celebration
every year in Oyster Bay,
when the Oyster Bunny brings
his Oyster eggs on Oyster Day.
They put their Oyster clothes on,
Oyster morning, getting dressed
in their brand-new Oyster bonnets
and their Oyster Sunday best.
They watch the Oyster Day parade
go marching through the streets,
and enjoy their Oyster baskets
filled with tasty Oyster treats.
They listen to the Oyster sermon
given by the priest,
then they have an Oyster egg hunt
and prepare their Oyster feast.
It might seem odd to you and me,
but this is just the way
that they celebrate on Oyster Island
every Oyster Day.
— Kenn Nesbitt
Weekly Children’s Poetry Roundup – Saturday, April 12, 2025
It’s time again for our weekly Children’s Poetry Blog Post Roundup, where we gather the latest news, reviews, and musings from the world of children’s verse. Let’s see what’s been happening this past week!
A Milestone Worth Celebrating: 1,000 Poetry4kids Members!
Today is a special day here at Poetry4kids—and it’s all thanks to you.
I’m thrilled (and a little stunned) to share that Poetry4kids now has 1,000 active members supporting the site through BuyMeACoffee.com. That’s right—one thousand of you have joined the community to help make sure this whimsical world of poems, lessons, and laughter keeps going strong.
When I started Poetry4kids in 1996, my dream was simple: to make reading fun for children. Over the years, that dream has grown into a mission—to help improve childhood literacy by offering poems, writing lessons, classroom activities, and educational resources that engage kids and support educators around the world.
But I’ve never done it alone.
Weekly Children’s Poetry Roundup – Saturday, April 5, 2025
It’s that time again! Time for the Children’s Poetry Blog Post Roundup. Here’s what’s been happening in the world of children’s poetry over the past week.
National Poetry Month: Fun Activities & Challenges for Kids!
April is National Poetry Month! That means it’s time to celebrate the wonderful world of words and rhymes! You probably know that poetry is more than just something you read in class. It’s like a secret code for expressing yourself, playing with language, and discovering new ways to see the world. And guess what? It’s SUPER fun!
Why Poetry Rocks for Kids
Poetry helps you in so many ways! It makes you a better reader because you learn how to understand the rhythm and flow of language. It boosts your imagination, encouraging you to create pictures in your mind with words. Also, writing poetry helps you express your feelings and thoughts in unique and creative ways. Poetry isn’t just about writing long, complicated poems, either. Poems can be short, silly, serious, or anything in between. Think of it like an awesome game you get to play with words.
Splash!
Welcome to Poetry4kids. I’m Kenn Nesbitt.
The seasons are changing, and it feels like winter is finally over—but spring hasn’t really started yet. Where my sister lives, people like to say they have only three seasons: summer, winter, and mud. I always thought that was a funny way to describe this in-between time of year, when the snow is melting, the ground is wet and messy, and everything turns to sludge.
So I decided to write a poem celebrating the muddy, splashy, sock-soaking season that comes right before the flowers bloom and the trees start to bud. For kids who love jumping in puddles and getting a little dirty, it might just be the best season of all!
Splash!
The snow is gone.
Outside I dash.
I jump up high
and then I SPLASH!
A spray of sludge
goes everywhere.
It cakes my clothes
and hands and hair.
I stomp around
in mucky ooze.
It soaks my socks.
It fills my shoes.
It’s such an awesome
time of year
before the signs
of spring appear.
Before new leaves
and flowers bud,
we have my favorite season:
MUD!
— Kenn Nesbitt
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