Funny poems for kids are a wonderful way to introduce children to the world of poetry while entertaining them. These poems often feature amusing narratives, playful language, and a rhythm that captivates young minds.
This article will dive into a collection of funny poems that are perfect for kids, encouraging a love for reading and creativity. They are an excellent resource for parents and teachers looking to engage children in literature.
Best Funny Poems for Kids
Finding funny poems for your kids can be daunting, so we’ve put together a list of 20 short examples to start you off.
You’re welcome.
Jack
By Jane Yolen
Jack was quite nimble,
Jack was quite quick,
Jack gave the beanstalk
A mighty big kick.Down came the giant—
GIGANTIC fall—
Bottoms up in a crater,
Thus ending it all.
The Vulture
By Hilaire Belloc
The Vulture eats between his meals,
And that’s the reason why
He very, very, rarely feels
As well as you and I.His eye is dull, his head is bald,
His neck is growing thinner.
Oh! what a lesson for us all
To only eat at dinner!
Tom Tigercat
By J. Patrick Lewis
Tom Tigercat is noted
for his manners and his wit.
He wouldn’t think of lion,
No, he doesn’t cheetah bit.Tom never pretended
to be something that he’s not.
I guess that’s why we like him
and why he likes ocelot.
Porcupines
By Marilyn Singer
Hugging you takes some practice.
So I’ll start out with a cactus.
Herbert Hilbert Hubert Snod
By Denise Rodgers
Herbert Hilbert Hubert Snod
was known for eating all things odd.
The thing that bothered me the most
has he spread toothpaste on his toast?“It’s springtime fresh, so cool and minty.”
His smiling eyes were bright and squinty.
On baked potatoes, he would slather
one half can of shave cream lather.I don’t know how his tum could cope
as he ingested cubes of soap.
At times his food choice made a scene;
at least he kept his innards clean.
Mosquitoes
By Katherine Hauth
Mosquitoes,
with needle-noses
sucking blood
from elbows, cheeks, and chinwhy were you not
designed to thrive
on brine, on swine,
or likewise-spiny
porcupines?SLAP!
SLAP!
SLAP!
Room with a View
By Stephen Swinburne
I live in a room by the sea,
where the view is great and the food is free.
Some of the tenants come and go.
Some I eat, if they’re too slow.One end of me is firmly locked.
The other end just gently rocks.
I live in a room by the sea.
It’s perfect for an anemone.
Little Boy Blue
By Darren Sardelli
Little Boy Blue, please cover your nose.
You sneezed on Miss Muffet and ruined her clothes.
You sprayed Mother Hubbard, and now she is sick.
You put out the fire on Jack’s candlestick.Your sneeze is the reason why Humpty fell down.
You drenched Yankee Doodle when he came to town.
The blind mice are angry! The sheep are upset!
From now on, use a tissue so no one gets wet!
Daddy Fell into the Pond
By Alfred Noyes
Everyone grumbled. The sky was grey.
We had nothing to do and nothing to say.
We were nearing the end of a dismal day,
And then there seemed to be nothing beyond,
Then Daddy fell into the pond!And everyone’s face grew merry and bright,
And Timothy danced for sheer delight.
“Give me the camera, quick, oh quick!
He’s crawling out of the duckweed!” Click!Then the gardener suddenly slapped his knee,
And doubled up, shaking silently,
And the ducks all quacked as if they were daft,
And it sounded as if the old drake laughed.
Oh, there wasn’t a thing that didn’t respond
When Daddy Fell into the pond!
The Crocodile
By Lewis Carroll
How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale.How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in,
With gently smiling jaws!
My Cat Is Fat
By James McDonald
I’ve a cat named Vesters,
And he eats all day.
He always lays around,
And never wants to play.Not even with a squeaky toy,
Nor anything that moves.
When I have him exercise,
He always disapproves.So we’ve put him on a diet,
But now he yells all day.
And even though he’s thinner,
He still won’t come and play.
The Upside-Down World
By Hamish Hendry
I know a place that holds the Sky
A place where little white clouds lie;
The edge is all green as Grass,
The middle is as smooth as Glass;And there the round sun makes his Bed;
And there a tree stands on its Head;
Sometimes a Bird sits on that Tree;
Sometimes it sings a song to me;And always in that shining place
I see a little smiling Face;
She nods and smiles; but all the same
The Girl down there won’t tell her name.
The Silliest Teacher in School
By Darren Sardelli
Our teacher gave detention
to the fountains in the hall.
She handed extra homework
to the artwork on the wall.We saw her point a finger
at a banner and a sign.
She said their bad behavior
was completely out of line.The principal approached her
and said, “What is all this fuss?
I heard you tried to punish
all the tires on a bus.“You’ve made the teachers angry
by disrupting all their classes,
so if you want to keep this job,
you have to wear your glasses!”
Snowball
By Shel Silverstein
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.I made it some pajamas
And a pillow for its head.
Then last night it ran away,
But first, it wet the bed.
Standing on a Chair
By Steve Hanson
I’m standing on a chair!
I’m standing on a chair!
I don’t know why Mom’s worried
I’m just standing on a chair!You’d think she’d be freaked out
By the lion in my room
But seeing shoes on fabric
Is what makes her fume.I bath with toxic jellyfish.
I ride a crocodile.
But if I’m on the sofa then
Her mood becomes hostile.I often sleep with scorpions
And wrestle with a bear.
I don’t know why Mom’s worried.
I’m just standing on a chair!
Bee
By Denise Rodgers
A bee comes tapping at my screen,
Buzzing, bumping, sounding mean.
Bouncing, pushing, acting wired,
With no thought of getting tired.¨I could say, “Dear bee, what is it?
Would you like to come and visit?”
But I feel his anger’s keen.
So I’m glad I have a screen!
Help Wanted
By Timothy Toucher
Santa needs new reindeer.
The first bunch has grown old.
Dasher has arthritis;
Comet hates the cold.Prancer’s sick of staring
at Dancer’s big behind.
Cupid married Blitzen
and Donder lost his mind.Dancer’s mad at Vixen
for stepping on his toes.
Vixen’s being thrown out—
she laughed at Rudolph’s nose.If you are a reindeer
we hope you will apply.
There is just one tricky part:
You must know how to fly.
Crabby
By Barbara Vance
I am a crab
Who walks the shore
And pinches toes all day.If I were you
I’d wear some shoes
And not get in my way.
I Have a Little Frog
By Author Unknown
I have a little frog
His name is Tiny Tim,
I put him in the bathtub,
To see if he could swim,
He drank up all the water,
And gobbled up the soap!
And when he tried to talk
He had a BUBBLE in his throat!
Granny
By Spike Milligan
Through every nook and every cranny
The wind blew in on poor old Granny
Around her knees, into each ear
(And up her nose as well, I fear)All through the night the wind grew worse
It nearly made the vicar curse
The top had fallen off the steeple
Just missing him (and other people)It blew on man, it blew on beast
It blew on nun, it blew on priest
It blew the wig off Auntie Fanny-
But most of all, it blew on Granny!
Benefits of Poems for Kids
Poetry benefits children of all ages in a variety of ways.
Let’s look at some of the highlights of funny kids’ poems.
Language Development
Phonemic awareness is the name given to the ability to focus on specific sounds in the spoken word and manipulate those sounds to make different words (1). The rhymes and rhythms of poetry demonstrate how these sounds can be used in ways that are distinct from regular speech.
Cognitive Development
The repetition found in poetry helps children anticipate and recognize patterns, as well as improve their memory. These skills are important, not only in language, but in other academic subjects.
Reading Skills
Reading poetry to your child helps them learn basic poetry has a rhythm and that the sounds at the end of certain parts of a poem can rhyme. With this knowledge, children are able to predict what word might be found at the end of a line.
Guessing these words correctly helps a child to read words they haven’t previously seen written down. That boosts a child’s confidence in their reading ability, as well as aiding word recognition.
Creative Expression
In poetry, there is a certain degree of freedom from the rules of structure and form found in non-poetic writing. Children who struggle to write prose in other forms may thrive when given the opportunity to write poetry.
Expand Vocabulary
Poetry can sometimes be more expressive than prose. By reading and creating poetry with your child you are exposing them to new ways of narrating, describing, and conveying things.
This not only expands a child’s repertoire of words, but it helps them put words together in new ways.
Poetry Appreciation
Funny poems for children are an accessible introduction to the world of poetry. Rather than focus on the fact that they are reading a differently structured piece of writing, children see the humor.
Children who have the opportunity to enjoy humorous poetry are more likely to be receptive to other pieces of poetry.
Expressive Skills
Silly poems for kids are wonderful for reading aloud. Read them to your child using different voices and faces. You’ll demonstrate how facial expressions and tone of voice can convey different emotions.
How Do You Make a Funny Poem?
What if you want to try your hand at writing funny poems yourself? Or perhaps you would like to help your child write their own?
Here are five funny poem writing hacks that will have the words flowing in no time.
- Try limericks: Limericks are short poems with a specific five-line structure (2). They are a good starting point for funny poem writers because the rhythm is easy to grasp.
- Use parody: A parody is an amusing copy of an existing piece of work. Instead of starting from scratch you can take an existing poem and rewrite it, keeping the same structure and basic story, but with your own funny spin.
- Start with one word: Begin by thinking of a word that is enough to make you laugh on its own. Then think of words that rhyme with that word, and go from there.
- Find rhymes: Using an online rhyming dictionary, like Rhymezone.com, can help avoid the frustration of trying to think of a rhyme for a certain word.
- Don’t give up: Just as with anything else, writing poetry takes practice. Keep playing with words, rhymes, and rhythms in a freeform way and you’ll discover your inner poet.
Poems Can Be Fun
Poetry has the potential to benefit your child in a multitude of ways, and funny poetry is an especially accessible way to reap those benefits.
Whether you are writing them yourself, listening to your child share their creations, or reading them, funny poems for kids are more than just a few lines that rhyme.
