Tag Archives: poems for children

A Fluffy Thermometer

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A Fluffy Thermometer

 

There’s plenty of ways

to tell if the day is

too hot or cold

without being told.

 

You could try and catch

a fluffy pet cat

then watch and observe

to see how it’s curved.

 

When days are too hot

it’s likely as not

that cat’s all sprawled-out

in some shaded spot.

 

When researchers test

what temperature’s best

for comfort of cats

they find out these facts.

 

Those felines agree

that eighteen degrees

is purr-fectly warm

for cat’s furry form.

 

Then when it’s too cold

those pussycats fold

up cosy and still

to keep out the chill.

 

by Celia Berrell

 

While the weather is warming up in Australia, winter is well on its way in the northern hemisphere.  Does that mean there will be more outside cats curled up when I go to visit?  Living in the tropics, I think even eighteen degrees is decidedly chilly!  What’s your purrfect temperature?

Scoot Scoot

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Scoot Scoot

 

Scoot Scoot

Said the scooter

Shining in the sun

Time for me

To have some fun

 

Zoom Zoom

Said the scooter

Rider and helmet ready

Today we go fast

But take it steady

 

Whoosh Whoosh

Said the scooter

Down the street

Feet on kickboard

Who can we beat?

 

Zip Zip

Said the scooter

What a fun day

Zooming along

Smiling all the way

 

Jump Jump

Said the scooter

Trying a trick

Up in the air

And down real quick

 

Ring Ring

Said the scooter

A loud ring of the bell

Turn and head back

All is well

 

Yawn Yawn

Said the scooter

I’ve had a big day

Time to go home

Slowly make my way

 

Shuffle Shuffle

Said the scooter

Trudging back to the shed

Time for scooters

To be in scooter bed

 

Snooze Snooze

Said the scooter

Snoring away

Dreaming of tomorrow

Another scooter day

 

by Jeanie Axton (my first poem ever in a published book)

 

The inspiration for Scoot Scoot was in restoring this old scooter I found in a second hand shop

This poem was included in “The Toy Chest” a novel Anthology from Prints Charming Books

Edited by Sally Odgers Published July 2017

 

 

 

I Can, I Can’t

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I CAN, I CAN’T

 

I can, I can’t, the difference is

One tiny little letter

‘won’t use the “T”, or I will be

Worse off, instead of better

 

But if I say “I can, I can”

My confidence will soar

And hope will come my way because

I opened up its door

 

“I can, I can!” will make me brave

My thinking it will change

And pocketsful of obstacles

Will vanish down the drain!

 

And if I cultivate “I can”

“I can’t” will sound so weird

And soon I’ll wonder where they went

Those things that I once feared

 

 

Lenny McGoo             ©         2017

“Progression” with Teacher notes

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Progression

 

She showed it

to her slavedriver

who saw the possibilities

He promoted slave Hannah

to supervise

the sawing team

 

Before,

hundreds pulled the immense stone block

on its log rollers

A team of twenty waited at the back

to grasp the log-load

when it had been run over

The back log had to be

hauled to the front

to be run over yet again

 

If only the stone could stay still

on the logs while they kept rolling

Clearly impossible. Hannah scowled

But a slice of log sawn from one end

would roll the same way

With a hole in the middle

supporting – well we’d call it an axle

and a second round piece from the log

On her model it worked perfectly

Wheels! Wooden wheels!

The first cart

 

Wheelbarrows, trains, cars, trucks

cogs, pulleys, clocks,  machines

 

Life on earth would never be the same.

 

Virginia Lowe

Notes:

The Israelites or Jews were kept slaves by the Egyptians, so I’m imagining it was the same time as they built the pyramids – that’s why I called the slave Hannah, originally a Jewish name.

In fact it wasn’t the same time – the pyramids were built about 300 years before the Israelite’s turned up. But it makes a more interesting story. A very very old story.

I couldn’t think of any way to describe the axle apart from our word, but it’s a concept they wouldn’t have had. I’d like to hear if anyone can think of how the rod holding the two wheels together and on the ground, could be described otherwise.

The Jews escaped from Egypt with the help of Moses, who persuaded the king, Pharaoh, to let them go with the help of ten plagues. It is all there told in the Bible in the book Exodus, and is celebrated each year by the Jewish community as Passover.

Ideas:

Maths:           Looking at shape make Pyramids with cardboard

Humanities: Research the logistics of the building of the Pyramids

Learn about Jewish history and culture

Music:          “Let my people go” This includes images that will help in learning about

Jewish history

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkEmS3hWmmU

Art:               Paint: Make a giant class cardboard pyramid and creatively decorate it

The Wrong Wheels

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The Wrong Wheels

 

When the humans were asleep

In nightgowns and nightcaps,

The midnight rat would creep inside

And feast upon their scraps.

 

The midnight rat was crafty,

The midnight rat was sly,

He’d always slink in shadows,

Unseen by human eyes.

 

But there was someone watching,

With eyes that gleamed in black,

The midnight rat could see him:

The cunning household cat.

 

The midnight rat was agile,

And cautious, quick and smart,

That cat could never catch the rat,

When the house was clothed in dark.

 

So the cat approached politely

And he bent down very low.

“Oh rapturous rat I love your work,

I do admire you so.

 

“But I would make a suggestion,

If I could be so bold.

A king like you should never dine

On scraps so soggy and cold.

 

“The humans have cake in the daytime,

And bread and scones and pies,

There’s so much good food in the daytime,

You wouldn’t believe your eyes.

 

“The only thing you really need,

Ask anyone who steals,

If you are going to make a getaway –

Is a brand new set of wheels.”

 

The rat told him to keep away

And ran off with his loot,

But then he started pondering

As he chewed on soggy fruit.

 

He was the Midnight Rat!

The cleverest rat by far!

It would be a snap for him

To build a speedy car.

 

And build away he did,

Though you may find it surprising,

The rat had made that car

By the time the sun was rising.

 

And he could smell the breakfast

And he didn’t stop to think,

The car whizzed straight inside

Faster than a blink.

 

And what a tale of glory!

What a momentous day,

The rat snatched a delectable haul

And was making his getaway.

 

But outside the car slowed

And the cat caught him with ease…

Instead of using tyres,

He had used four wheels of cheese.

 

As he watched them melting on the road

The rat knew we was done,

His greatest foe was not the cat

But that infernal sun.

 

The cat smiled a wicked grin,

“I never thought of that!

I think my favourite meal might be

Grilled cheese à la rat.”

 

By Kylie Covark

Car Sick

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CAR SICK

 

Green

Our fast green car

Green world

Stomach churning

Head spinning

Spinning

The world turning

Upside down

Downside up

Around and around

Wheels rolling

Streets passing

Blurred buildings

Blurred faces

Blur blur blur

Ur…

Dad, stop!

I’m going to throw …

 

Too late.

 

 

© Dianne Bates

Warm and Fluffy

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Warm And Fluffy

 

The animals have hairy fur.

The birds have got their feathers.

These keep their bodies warm enough

throughout the chilly weather.

 

The fibres in those fluffy coats

criss-cross to form some air-holes

that can’t escape or waft away

because of all the hair-folds.

 

Their skin gives off some body-warmth.

Just like a radiator.

Their fluffy coats help keep that heat

as thermal insulators.

 

The warm air’s trapped inside the fur

to shield them from the outside.

The way that blankets on a bed

are cosy on the inside.

 

But if that fluffy coat gets wet

those air-holes fill with water.

Their body’s warmth escapes as that

wet coat’s a heat conductor.

 

The soggy fur clings to their skin.

No longer insulated.

And water makes their body cold

as it’s evaporated.

 

Any fluffy animal will

shake that water well away.

So if your puppy’s had a swim …

Watch-out for all that water spray!

 

 

When it comes to having a fluffy coat, it’s a good idea to shaking off any water, so as not to get cold.  Dogs are the best shakers!  I love the sound of their lips and soggy ears slapping their head as they do it.

 

by Celia Berrell

A Goat Afloat

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A Goat Afloat

I wear a silver collar, I’m a rather special goat.

Hooves firmly planted on the ground, but once I was afloat.

‘A goat afloat?’ I hear you say.

It’s true. Ask Captain Cook.

Twice I’ve sailed around the world.

I’d like to write a book

 

Called

Memoirs of my life at sea

Jottings by a goat

The good the bad the ugly facts

Of life upon a boat.

 

Well, all right, ships,

Let’s get it right

Named

Dolphin and Endeavour

And with respect, I must say this,

I really hope I never set hoof again on either one.

Three years was long enough.

Giving milk for all that time quite frankly dears was tough.

 

Smelly sheep and smelly hens, smelly cattle too,

Smelly cats and smelly dogs

And very smelly crew.

Snow and storms and slippery decks, fresh grass in short supply.

No other goats for company to help the time pass by.

 

But now I’m home and quite well known

(My story’s in the press)

Enjoying my retirement, free from stormy seas and stress.

 

I wear a silver collar, I’m a rather special goat.

Hooves firmly planted on the ground, but once I was afloat.

Pat Simmons

 

 

 

 

 

Feathers Fur or Fins with Teacher Notes

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Feathers Fur or Fins.

 

Vertebrates are covered

In spikes, feathers and scales

Most mammals wear fur

Skin covers humans and whales

 

With skeletons covered

In scaled skins.

Fish breathe under water

And glide with their fins.

 

With skeleton covered

In thick armored plates

Eyes and nose above water

The crocodile waits

 

With skeleton covered

In skin soft and cool

Tadpoles become frogs

In creek, river and pool.

 

With hollow skeletons

And fragile feather

Birds swoop and soar

In flocks together

 

With skeletons covered

In thick fur or fine hair

Bats, seals and elephants

Share earth water and air

 

Robyn Youl

 

 

 

Teaching Notes:

A basic introduction to Taxonomy – Vertebrates – Animals with Backbones.

The five classes of Vertebrates are introduced in this poem.

Verse 1. General introduction about vertebrates who have spines.

Verse 2. Fish

Verse 3. Reptiles

Verse 4. Amphibians

Verse 5. Birds

Verse 6. Mammals

Activities:

English:

* Writing Acrostic Poetry: The human spine has 33 Bones. Snakes have 200-400! Construct a human spine from card. Each child makes an individual vertebrae. (Google – labeled vertebrae) Names it and writes an acrostic on that vertebrae about a member of ONE of the five classes of vertebrates. String them together for a Class Backbone mobile.

Use a different color card for each of the five classes of vertebrates

Drama:   Dem Bones:

Emphasizes the magic boney structure of our skeleton!!

Creates body awareness.

With this old favorite students can enjoy a complete lower/upper body shakeout work out

Move each section of the body after each line. Example: after line one shake the right foot & shake the left foot

Chorus after Verse 1 Actions:

  • Only the lower body does the skeleton dance.
  • Students move freely to invent their own dance.
  • Moving in slow motion is a real challenge.
  • Students can pair and mirror image

Chorus after Verse 2.

  • Actions as for Verse 1.
  • Only the upper body does the skeleton dance

Final Chorus Repeat: The WHOLE skeleton dance.

Dem Bones is also the basis for Skeleton (Simon) Says. Skeleton says: Shake the foot bone/bend the backbone/shake the knee bone/shake the finger bones/nod the head bone etc

 

Chorus:

Dem Bones, them bones, dere my bones

Dem bones dem bones dere my bones

Dem bones dem bones dere my bones

Doin’ the skeleton dance

The foot bone connected to the leg bone

The leg bone connected to the knee bone

The knee bone connected to the thigh bone

The thighbone connected to the backbone

The backbone connected to the neck bone

The neck bone connected the head bone

Doin’ the skeleton dance

Chorus: Lower body only

The hand bone connected to the wrist bone

The wrist bone connected to the elbow bone

The elbow bone connected to the shoulder bone

The shoulder bone connected to the neck bone

The neck bone connected to the head bone

Chorus: Upper body only

Chorus Repeat: The WHOLE skeleton dance.

Humanities: Endless possibilities! Slots in well with any current ecology projects!

 

 

 

Birds of a Feather

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Birds of a Feather

There’s a paddling of ducklings in my lake
And a purr of pussycats half awake

There’s a trembling of finches on my lawn
And a purr of pussycats stretch and yawn

There’s a troubling of hummingbirds in my blossom
And a purr of pussycats playing possum

There’s a pitying of turtledoves cooing to their mate
And a purr of pussycats rubbing on the gate

There’s a quarrel of sparrows busy with their fight
And a purr of pussycats keeping out of sight

There’s a peep of chickens and a bevy of quails
And a purr of pussycats wagging their tails

But then, in the sky, is a murder of crows
And a prickle of pussycats hide in the rose

Jackie Hosking