Kids’ Activities for World Poetry Day
March 21st marks World Poetry Day. How can you celebrate this special day with your child? The obvious way is by reading poetry. But, that’s not the only kids’ activity that you can try out on World Poetry Day. Check out these imaginative, playful and fun ideas that all support early literacy!
Act It Out
Instead of just reading poetry, put it into a fully dramatic pretend play. Pick a kid-friendly poem that your child adores. Choose roles, make costumes (use that old stash of Halloween costumes or go through your child’s dress-up bin), craft props and even make artsy backdrops. Put on the play for the family and close friends. Capture your kiddo’s poetry play on video, and to it next year.
Draw It
Poetry doesn’t have to stay on the page – at least not in a written way. After reading a poem, ask your child to draw what she thinks it means. Give her crayons, markers or colored pencils and encourage her to get as creative as possible. This is an easy way to explore the stories that poetry can tell in a concrete way.
Write Your Own
Who says that your child can only read (or hear) poetry? Even preschoolers can write their own poems. Explore rhyming, picking out words that sound the same. Help your child to craft a poem around these words, talking about what the sentences mean. Name the poem and stage a dramatic reading of it.
