Poems For Primary Elementary Students (Grades K-3)

Published: October 2017

Poems To Use With Students In Grades K-3

Introducing young children to poetry is a great way to help them develop language. The rhyming nature of many poems helps with this development. The poems in this collection are great for students in grades K-3. They are filled with humor and relatable topics for primary elementary children. Some of those topics include pets, being sick, imagination, spending time with family members, and many more. You'll also be able to find poems written by famous children's poets such as Shel Silverstein and A.A. Milne. These simple yet engaging pieces help children develop a love of words and reading that will hopefully last a lifetime.

49 Poems To Use With Students In Grades K-3

  1. Sick

    Famous Poem

    When children don’t want to do something, they come up with every excuse they can think of to get out of it. There are many kinds of sicknesses children try to convince their parents they have been afflicted with in order to get out of going to school. The character in this poem seems to have come down with every possible illness, but what happens when she realizes it’s not a school day? Shel Silverstein crafts a poem that will resonate with children and adults alike.

    in Famous Children Poems

    “I cannot go to school today,"
    Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
    “I have the measles and the mumps,
    A gash, a rash and purple bumps.

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    Featured Shared Story

    I routinely skipped school for some reasons that even I couldn't understand at the time. In a thorough medical checkup after 10th grade, my parents realized that I couldn't see well. I...

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  2. Now We Are Six

    Famous Poem

    A.A. Milne was an English author who lived from 1882-1956. He is best known for his stories about Winnie the Pooh, which were inspired by his son, Christopher Robin Milne's, stuffed animals. In this poem, a young child recounts the previous five years and how life was just beginning. But six, oh, six is the best year.

    in Famous Children Poems

    When I was One,
    I had just begun.
    When I was Two,
    I was nearly new.

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    Featured Shared Story

    I remember my dad reading this poem to me when I turned 6! He read many poems and stories to me but this was one of my favorites! Did not realize it was Winnie the Pooh until recently. To...

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  4. Snowball

    Famous Poem

    Shel Silverstein's (1930-1999) comedic genius is demonstrated in this short, funny poem that is sure to bring a smile to children of all ages and adults as well.

    Bonus pleasure points: If you're sharing this poem with a child be sure to catch the look on their face as they figure out why snowballs don't make good pets!

    in Famous Children Poems

    I made myself a snowball
    As perfect as could be.
    I thought I'd keep it as a pet
    And let it sleep with me.

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    Featured Shared Story

    I love the humor, innocence and whimsy of this poem. But there's more here than meets the eye. If you look a bit deeper, you can see how we sometimes don't properly interpret our experiences,...

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  5. Wind On The Hill

    Famous Poem

    The wind is a unique phenomenon. While we are unable to see it, we can see the result of it blowing. “Wind on the Hill” shows a child grappling with this understanding. A.A. Milne wrote books and poems for children. His most famous creation was Winnie the Pooh.

    in Famous Children Poems

    No one can tell me,
    Nobody knows,
    Where the wind comes from,
    Where the wind goes.

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    Featured Shared Story

    This is beautiful! I love the description, and I will be using this for a presentation. Thank you so much for sharing. This is a question I think everyone has thought about at some point in...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (13)

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  7. Waiting At The Window

    Famous Poem

    “Waiting at the Window” is about a child looking outside on a rainy day. He could be wishing to be outside playing, but then he notices the raindrops falling down the window. As he continues to watch, he sees the rain drops falling, and he pretends the raindrops are in a race to see which one will get to the bottom of the window first.

    in Famous Children Poems

    These are my two drops of rain
    Waiting on the window-pane.

    I am waiting here to see

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    Isn't it awesome how while there is rain we still have something to do!

    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (3)

  8. The Rainbow

    Famous Poem

    There are many pretty sights in this world, some of which are manmade, but nothing compares to the beauty found in nature. The beauty of clouds and rainbows cannot be replicated by human hands.

    in Famous Children Poems

    Boats sail on the rivers,
    And ships sail on the seas;
    But clouds that sail across the sky
    Are prettier far than these.

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    Featured Shared Story

    My 11-year-old daughter loved this and learned quickly to recite it.

    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (3)

  9. Friends

    Famous Poem

    Abbie Farwell Brown was an American author who lived from 1871-1927. While attending the Girls' Latin School, she created a school newspaper, The Jabberwock, which is still being published today. In the poem "Friends," Brown shares that even things in nature can be children's friends, giving them comfort whenever they fear.

    in Famous Children Poems

    How good to lie a little while
    And look up through the tree!
    The Sky is like a kind big smile
    Bent sweetly over me.

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    No Stories yet, You can be the first!

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  10. Sneezles

    Famous Poem

    This humorous poem by A.A. Milne shows parents taking care of a child with a cold, but they are worrying about the symptoms turning into something worse. Christopher Robin, mentioned in this poem, was A.A. Milne’s son. Milne was the creator of Winnie the Pooh.

    in Famous Children Poems

    Christopher Robin
    Had wheezles
    And sneezles,
    They bundled him

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    Featured Shared Story

    I am an 80-year-old woman who has just moved into a seniors' residence. Shortly after I arrived, COVID-19 did too! For over a month now, we have been kept in isolation from the rest of the...

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  11. Halfway Down

    Famous Poem

    “Halfway Down” is a poem written from a child’s perspective about the special spot in the middle of the staircase. What makes it special is it’s not at the top or bottom, it’s not upstairs or downstairs. It’s in a place all its own. Children have a wonderfully unique way of looking at the world.

    in Famous Children Poems

    Halfway down the stairs
    Is a stair
    Where I sit.
    There isn't any

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    Featured Shared Story

    My mum and dad would read and recite all of AA Milne's poems and stories to the four of us in the early 1950's. There was one piece that I can vaguely remember; it was about a leather donkey...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (3)

  12. Dirty Face

    Famous Poem

    Shel Silverstein, who died in 1999, was a singer, song writer, poet and author of many children's books. "Dirty Face" is a fun poem to read for both children and adults. Silverstein reminisces fondly about the carefree childhood existence.

    in Famous Children Poems

    Where did you get such a dirty face,
    My darling dirty-faced child?
    I got it from crawling along in the dirt
    And biting two buttons off Jeremy's shirt.

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    Featured Shared Story

    So cute!! Like the spaghetti, chocolate, ice-cream. It's the kids that get the dirtiest, that have the most fun. It's a lifetime of adventure and silliness that they will remember forever....

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  13. The Swing

    Famous Poem

    Swinging provides an entirely new perspective of the world around you. It is a freeing activity that makes you feel like you’re flying. You feel as though you’re on top of the world, and it’s a staple of the childhood experience.

    in Famous Children Poems

    How do you like to go up in a swing,
    Up in the air so blue?
    Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
    Ever a child can do!

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    Featured Shared Story

    The poem is really relaxing. I smiled as I read; it's just like riding a swing. Simple things like this make life beautiful. And the garden green, the roof so brown, the air so blue.... it's...

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  14. My Shadow

    Famous Poem

    A child tries to understand the concept of his shadow. He finds it to be a silly companion who doesn’t seem to understand how it ought to act.

    in Famous Children Poems

    I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
    And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
    He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
    And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

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    Featured Shared Story

    No Stories yet, You can be the first!

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  15. Us Two

    Famous Poem

    In this poem, A.A. Milne (1882-1956), the creator of Winnie the Pooh, shows that having a friend by your side provides strength and courage. It also removes the fear we experience when we are alone. This is a narrative poem that tells a story.

    in Famous Friendship Poems

    Wherever I am, there's always Pooh,
    There's always Pooh and Me.
    Whatever I do, he wants to do,
    "Where are you going today?" says Pooh:

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    Featured Shared Story

    Well my name is Rahma and my best friend is called Innocent. We have been friends for 10 years now since I was in primary school. He was good at math, and I was great in English. Our...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (1)

  16. The Land Of Nod

    Famous Poem

    This poem captures the uniqueness of dreaming. At night, we are given a chance to escape from our reality and be present in an entirely different world. Even though it feels real, it cannot be fully explained or located outside of sleep.

    in Famous Children Poems

    From breakfast on through all the day
    At home among my friends I stay,
    But every night I go abroad
    Afar into the land of Nod.

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    Featured Shared Story

    It's a simple yet great poem. We cannot ignore the importance of sleeping and dreaming. Dream big and try hard to achieve it.

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  17. Morning Prayer

    Famous Poem

    Ogden Nash was an American poet who lived from 1902-1971 and was known for his light verse. This poem captures the honesty of a child who has a difficult time behaving during the day. It’s much easier when he’s sleeping. It’s a reminder to all of us to look for new opportunities presented each day.

    in Famous Children Poems

    Now another day is breaking,
    Sleep was sweet and so is waking.
    Dear Lord, I promised you last night
    Never again to sulk or fight.

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    Featured Shared Story

    He did an amazing job on this poem.

    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (1)

  18. Bed In Summer

    Famous Poem

    Most children have an early bedtime. In the winter it’s not a problem for them to fall asleep, because it gets dark early, but summer makes it difficult. With more daylight, children long to be able to play until the sun dips far below the horizon.

    in Famous Children Poems

    In Winter I get up at night
    And dress by yellow candle light.
    In Summer, quite the other way,
    I have to go to bed by day.

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    No Stories yet, You can be the first!

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  19. What Is Pink?

    Famous Poem

    This is a color poem that captures the beauty in the natural world. Color is all around us, from a rose and a poppy to the clouds and sky.

    in Famous Children Poems

    What is pink? A rose is pink
    By the fountain's brink.
    What is red? A poppy's red
    In its barley bed.

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    Featured Shared Story

    This was a poem I learned at school in my elocution lessons in the early 1960s. It was recited at the end of term and if deserved, a certificate was awarded. The Covid-19 outbreak means I am...

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  20. When The World Turned Upside Down

    • By Margaret A. Savage
    • Published by Family Friend Poems February 2017 with permission of the Author.

    I started writing humorous ditties for family and friends many years ago, but since having grandchildren, my desire changed to write humorous rhymes for them. As I write each one, another pops into my head (I currently have 2 on the go at the moment). I now have a small collection of poems.

    in Funny Poems for Kids

    The day when the world
    turned upside down:
    when a frown became a smile
    and a smile became a frown.

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    Featured Shared Story

    Hello Anna, I notice that you sent this message 3 months ago and want to apologise as I have been very busy in other areas of my life that my poems came to a halt for nearly a year. Things...

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    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (7)

  21. My Next Door Neighbor Is A Witch

    • By Samiya Vallee
    • Published by Family Friend Poems September 2014 with permission of the Author.

    Poem about a witch... for children everywhere. My daughter, Samiya, is eight years old, and she has had a talent for rhyming and writing since she was little. She wrote this poem for our family and delighted us with its wit and humor. Samiya loves playing outdoors, reading, singing, and of course, writing. She hopes to be an author and an archaeologist when she is older.

    in Funny Poems for Kids

    My next door neighbor is a witch,
    And she lives way down in a ditch.
    Her clothing is a little strange,
    Because she never wants to change.

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    Featured Shared Story

    I REALLY GOT SCARED OMG but YES this poem is really so so so funny.

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  22. A Worm In My Pocket

    • By Jodee Samano
    • Published by Family Friend Poems September 2008 with permission of the Author.

    My family and I moved to Japan a little over two years ago from America. I am the mother of two, a daughter, age 9, and a son who just turned 7. Since coming to Japan, my son has become obsessed with all things that wiggle and crawl. I have seen things here that look like they came from outer space. He is constantly bringing home bugs to show me. One day, after playing at the park, he had filled his pant pocket with worms. Not knowing this, I proceeded to do a load of laundry. You can imagine my surprise when I opened the washer!

    in Animal Poems for Kids

    One rainy day on my way home from school,
    I found a big worm and thought it was cool.

    I picked up the worm with my bare hand,

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    Featured Shared Story

    Great poem. My daughter also likes worms. When she was younger she would play happily in the muck collecting worms for hours.

    Touched by the poem? Share your story! (4)

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