Academy of American Poets
The Academy of American Poets has a ton of free children’s poetry on its website, where you’ll find more than 25 themed and curated collections of children’s verse. These subject-specific selections are perfect for parents and teachers who are looking for poems on educational topics like “Black History Month: Poems for Kids,” “Myths and Fairy Tales: Poems for Kids,” and “Social Justice: Poems for Kids.” The Academy of American Poets also offers a Materials for Teachers section with lesson plans, a glossary of poetic terms, essays on teaching poetry, and more. The Academy of American Poets definitely earns the status as a must-bookmark resource for free children’s poetry.
The Children’s Poetry Archive
At the Children’s Poetry Archive, you’ll find a large database of recorded reading of poems, either by the poem’s author or by a narrator. Whether you’re an adult reader or a kid getting interested in poetry, it’s so important to emphasize how poetry has its roots in the oral tradition. Hearing poems read out loud brings them and their language alive in a way that reading silently cannot. That’s what makes the Children’s Poetry Archive so special. The free poem recordings on this site are searchable by many factors, including age groups, topic, and themes. Don’t miss the Teaching Space section for more free educational resources on children’s verse.
Family Friend Poems
At Family Friend Poems, adults can find tons of ways to bring poetry into children’s lives. The site collects thousands of poems that are family friendly and ready to go for introducing poetry into children’s lives. Family Friend Poems curates children’s verse into collections, where you’ll find poems organized by theme, age group, educational topic, and more. For instance, collections include “Poems for Veterans,” “Overcoming Hardships Poems,” and “Self-Acceptance Poems.” Family Friend also has a special section in the site devoted to National Poetry Month, with articles, resources, prompts, and more. Be sure to check out the School Resources for homework help and content for educators.
Kenn Nesbitt’s Poetry4Kids
This site is created and maintained by Kenn Nesbitt, former Children’s Poetry Laureate. On Poetry4Kids, Nesbitt has created and organized a multitude of resources for children’s poetry. Along with his own poetry, Nesbitt also includes free poetry for kids from other authors both classic and new. The poems are thoughtfully arranged by length, grade, subject, and more. And if you’re looking for ideas for teaching poetry, you’ve come to the right spot. Nesbitt includes poetry writing lessons, activities, a rhyming dictionary, and so much more.
PBS: Poetry in America
From PBS, this special series focuses on the history, present, and future of poetry in America. Geared towards middle school and high school students, Poetry in America includes multimedia featuring famous poets and poetry fans. Video content highlights influential American poets, like Allen Ginsberg and Langston Hughes, as well as important poems in America’s history, like Emma Lazarus’s “The New Colossus.” The PBS site is a jumping off point, as more free poetry content is to be found on the project’s website, Poetry in America.
The Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation is a great place to find free poetry for kids. In its Children’s section of the site, the Foundation has comprehensive poetry coverage. Not only does the Foundation curate articles about children’s poetry, there is also a searchable database of 450+ poems for kid audiences. Additionally, there are animated poetry themed videos for children. And there’s a space for content from the Young People’s Poet Laureate. For more Book Riot coverage of children’s poetry and kid lit, check out the stories below:
“50 Must-Read Poetry Books for Kids” “15 Silly and Funny Poems for Kids” “Free Books for Kids: Great Resources for Ebooks and Audiobooks”
