Poetry for kids, about Springtime?

[ShadesOfGrey]

Hi guys,

I know we have a lot of teachers, librarians and parents on the board, so I thought I would give you guys a shot.  Does anyone have any recommendations for a poem about springtime for children? I am looking for something fairly simple for my niece - a few lines, simple words, about a 1st grade level, to read on her own.

Suggestions on what to google would be appreciated too.  I have tried various combinations of spring, season, children's, kids, poems, poetry, etc. and the results are not what I am looking for (i.e. they are several stanzas, or use old english or discuss things in difficult 'poetic grammar' - I just want something to send along with a spring time gift for my niece.


As an aside, I will be purchasing a copy of Shel Silversteins "Where the sidewalk ends" but wont be able to get to it before I send this gift...

Thanks in advance!

[Bijou]

Hi guys,

I know we have a lot of teachers, librarians and parents on the board, so I thought I would give you guys a shot.  Does anyone have any recommendations for a poem about springtime for children? I am looking for something fairly simple for my niece - a few lines, simple words, about a 1st grade level, to read on her own.

Suggestions on what to google would be appreciated too.  I have tried various combinations of spring, season, children's, kids, poems, poetry, etc. and the results are not what I am looking for (i.e. they are several stanzas, or use old english or discuss things in difficult 'poetic grammar' - I just want something to send along with a spring time gift for my niece.


As an aside, I will be purchasing a copy of Shel Silversteins "Where the sidewalk ends" but wont be able to get to it before I send this gift...

Thanks in advance!

I adore Shel Silversteins 'Where the Sidewalk ends".  One of my favorite books!
How about some Haiku? I found a neat link but when I posted it it came out all in Japanese.  I googled Children's haiku garden and nifty. com came up.  I also went to Amazon and found a Haiku book for ages 4-8, called One Leaf Rides the Wind.  The illustrations are beautiful and you can look inside the book.   A link to the book   http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0670035254/ref=sib_dp_pt/104-7227949-2785509#reader-link

[ShadesOfGrey]

ooh, thanks for the tip I will definitely look into that for next time. 

[ShadesOfGrey]

hey, a co-worker gave me a few suggestions. I think they are totally cute!

A kite, a sky, and a good firm breeze,
And acres of ground away from trees,
And one hundred yards of clean, strong string --
O boy, O boy!  I call that Spring!


Mud on my ankles and mud on my clothes
I stumbled face-first and got mud up my nose!
Spring will be pretty, but I must confess,
The first days of spring are a muckety mess!

[Lisbeth]

How about "The Swing" by Robert Louis Stevenson?

It's not really "about spring" but it's a good kids' poem about the out-of-doors.

[artk2002]

Here's the one that I think of, whenever someone mentions spring:

Spring is here, spring is here
Life is skittles and life is beer
I think that the loveliest time of the year
Is the spring, don't you?

But there's one thing that makes Spring complete for me
And makes every Sunday a treat for me...

All the world seems in tune
One a Spring afternoon
When we're poisoning pigeons in the park
...

Umm... well,  maybe not.   

[ShadesOfGrey]

Thanks KeenReader, I will look into that.

And artk2002, um, well, I dont know what to say.  Thanks for giving it a shot? 

[Chonsil]

Might be a bit more than you are looking for, but e.e. cummings's "in Just-" maybe?

in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman

whistles far and wee....

There's a few more verses but that's a spring-time poem for me!

[Lisbeth]

Thanks KeenReader, I will look into that.

And artk2002, um, well, I dont know what to say.  Thanks for giving it a shot? 

You're welcome!

Artk2002 was quoting from a Tom Lehrer song.

[LifeOnPluto]

Seem to recall a Robert Frost poem (I think?) from my school days called "Spring Hail". I recall it was a fairly short, but nice poem.

[artk2002]

And artk2002, um, well, I dont know what to say.  Thanks for giving it a shot? 

Well, my kids like it!     Of course, there are probably people who would call CPS because I let my kids listen to Tom Lehrer.

[ShadesOfGrey]

And artk2002, um, well, I dont know what to say.  Thanks for giving it a shot? 

Well, my kids like it!     Of course, there are probably people who would call CPS because I let my kids listen to Tom Lehrer.

 

well, at least it wasnt rude...

Chonsil, that poem is a bit above my niece, but I will keep it in mind for future reference, and heartstar1 - I love Frost, so I will definitely be looking into that. 

I ended up finding a short one on the internet after a few leads on search terms.  I will probably send her some more, though, so thanks for all the suggestions!

[BatCity]

Spring is here, spring is here
Life is skittles and life is beer
I think that the loveliest time of the year
Is the spring, don't you?

But there's one thing that makes Spring complete for me
And makes every Sunday a treat for me...

All the world seems in tune
One a Spring afternoon
When we're poisoning pigeons in the park

My daughter LOVES Tom Lehrer.  I sing his songs to her as Lullabys.  She loves "Lobachevsky" because she's Russian, she says.

[Sootikin]

Spring has sprung, the grass is ris,
I wonder where the birdie is,
They say the bird is on the wing,
But that's absurd, the wing of course is on the bird.

It's how I learned that birds fly away for winter and return in spring.