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Your child might know how to read and recite poems. But did you know that they can make poems easily too? Shape poems for kids can teach them shapes and help the poet inside of them thrive.
The words of a shape poem are arranged in the shape the poem describes. Shape poems are also called calligrams or concrete poems.
They free your children’s imagination as they bend and change words to fit the shape. Making shape poems is an excellent activity for children aged eight and older.
Read through this post to learn how to write, types, and examples of shape poems for kids.
How To Write Shape Poems For Children
Writing a shape poem is easy and fun. Here are the steps to follow:
- Think of a shape. For younger children, you can suggest a shape. If the children are older, encourage them to pick more complex shapes.
- Think of all the words associated with the shape. For example, if it is a circle, round, no corners, no straight lines, roly-poly, can be used. Ask them to write down all the words they can think of about the shape.
- Draw the shape using a light hand. It can be a freehand drawing. If it is a complex shape (like a car or a house), draw several basic shapes together to form the shape.
- String the words they have written down together in coherent sentences.
- Write the sentences inside the shape or on the outline of the shape. They can fit the words within the shape with trial and error.
- Erase the shape. Only the words will remain.
For beginners, it may be a bit difficult. The children can repeat words to get the outcome they want. As they practice, their word associations and sentence structure will improve.
Point to consider
A shape poem will be appealing only if presented visually. If someone reads out the poem, the effect is lost considerably.
Types Of Shape Poems
Shape poems can be of two types. Either you can arrange the words to fill the shape, or you can create an outline of the shape using the words. Both are fun and require different sets of skills. A large poem cannot fit on the outline of a shape. On the other hand, big words may not fit inside a shape. Therefore, it is vital to choose the correct words to write a shape poem.
You can write these poems in rhyming form or simple sentences. Some children may also prefer simply repeating the words without making any sentences.
Did you know?
30 Examples Of Shape Poems For Kids
Whether your children are learning new words or have been writing poetry for some time, shape poems are a new challenge they will enjoy.
1. I am a cute circle
My name is Roundy
I am never straight
My outline is always bendy
2. I am a square
You can find me everywhere
All my sides are the same
Squatty is my name!
3. Star, star up in the sky
Look up and see me twinkling
Merry and happy you see me
High, high up, always blinking
4. Sparkle sparkle, I am a diamond
I look just like a kite
If you think I am just a square
With two corners pulled out tight!
5. Richard is my name
I am a rectangle
Two sides are long, and two are short
And 90-degree angles
6. I am a triangle
I have sides three
I can be big or small
I am so good, look at me!
7. Look at an egg
Is it a circle?
No, it’s an oval
And that is me!
8. A heart am I
Full of love
Draw me with a point on the bottom
And two humps above
Trivia
“A Mouse’s Tale” is a funny shape poem in the classic book “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll. In the book, a mouse starts telling his story to Alice, but she mistakes “tale” for “tail” and starts imagining the story in the shape of a mouse’s tail.
9. Octagon is my name
Eight sides have I
A stop sign has the same shape
Count my sides!
10. I am a hexagon
Do you know how many sides I have?
Count them one-by-one
1-2-3-4-5-6
11. Rhombus is my name
A square and I are the same
But I lean over with all my might
Like a kite
12. Parallelogram is a funny name
But I am a simple shape
Just a rectangle
Tipped over to the side
13. Stars are so bright
Give us light at night
Shining over us all
Silent and bright
14. A rainbow has so many colors
So bright and cheerful
From red to violet, these colors range
When the rain and the sun come together
It comes to brighten the gray sky
15. Coiled like a spring
I am a spiral
Which is my start and which is my end
I do not know
I go on and on
16. This is my hand
Reaching out to yours
Let’s hold hands
And walk together
17. A circle am I
I have no sides
Just a single line
Going round and round
Trivia
John Hollander was a famous 20th-century American editor, anthologist, and poet who wrote a book named “Types of Shape” full of shape poems.
18. Red as blood
Orange as fall leaves
Yellow as the sun
Green as a leaf
Blue as the sky
Indigo as a petal
Purple as royalty
Rainbow!
19. Flower, flower, colorful and bright
Always brings happiness on sight
Red and yellow, purple and blue,
With a lovely smell I attract you!
20.Dewdrops on the ground
Teardrops on the face
Raindrops falling from the clouds
I am the drop shape
21.Square is my name
My shape is my fame
Anyone can draw me
Just keep all sides the same!
22.Oh! I am a triangle
Which am I?
Right, Isosceles, or Scalene?
23.What happens when
A circle is pulled on two sides?
An oval it becomes!
And looks like an egg besides
24.Oh! Look, a leaf!
So fresh and green
Do not pluck it
That would be so mean!
25.A circle is so awesome!
It can be anything!
A moon in the sky
A wheel on a car
A pizza in the box
26. Stars so bright
Shining through the night
Giving us all their light
If I could reach out and touch them, I might
Did you know?
27. Snowflakes big, snowflakes small
They are unique, one and all
Put out your hand or catch them on your tongue
Have fun making snowmen whether you’re old or young
28. A circle on the top
A circle at the bottom
Two circles for eyes
And a triangle for the nose
This is how to make a snowman
When it is snowing outside
Hide yourself behind it
And “boo” anyone who passes!
29. A car isn’t just a machine
That takes us place to place
It is magic in motion
Created by moving parts
Coming together and moving in tandem
Such magic created by human hands
Isn’t it wonderful?
30. A home is where the heart is
And my home is the same
My loved ones live here with me
And it is filled with love and light
Who wouldn’t love to live here?
I know I do
My friends come here often
And they love it too!
1. Do shape poems have to rhyme?
Shape poems may or may not rhyme. It depends on your child’s preference and ability.
2. What are the rules of a shape poem?
A shape poem has no rules except that the words have to be arranged in the shape of the topic. It can be as long or short as your child likes and contain different or the same words.
3. How many lines does a shape poem have?
If the shape is basic, your child can write two or three lines. If it is a complex shape, they can go for bigger poems. If your child plans on writing on the outline of the shape, the poem will have fewer lines than if they write within a shape.
4. Is Easter Wings a shape poem?
Yes, Easter Wings is a shape poem by George Herbert. It has two ten-line stanzas arranged in the form of a bird’s wings.
Shape poems for kids are a great way to unleash your child’s imagination and let them create and assemble new words to create beautiful poems. They can be long or short, different or repetitive. What matters is that your child should have fun creating them. They could be the next big poet in the making! Let your children experiment with words and shapes and create an entirely new poem.
Key Pointers
- The shape and the poem can be as simple or complex as your child wants.
- Shape poems encourage out-of-the-box
- Let your children experiment with different words and shapes to get the desired result.
