Celebrating National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month and what a fun opportunity to play with language.  Poetry is one of those subjects that can seem to get lost if we don't make an intentional effort to incorporate it into our homeschool.  But the language is so rich and it's really very easy to place into our homeschool plans.  Good poetry is like good books.  It plays into the family culture, building vocabulary and creating a shared experience.  It expands our world and forces us to look at life differently.  Poetry takes big universal truths and distills them down into simple lines with layers of meaning and importance.  And there are so many resources to draw from.

Additionally, poetry is great for teaching metaphorical thinking in the older grades.  Subtlety of language, layers of inference, critical thinking are all part of having poetry in your homeschool.  Playing with poetry in a fun and engaging way can create life-long poetry lovers and thinkers in your home.   Avoid the urge to dissect everything you read. Read silly poems, thoughtful poems, poems about nature and poems about life.  And just enjoy!

Pick only a few to look at deeply.  Talk about how the poet uses letter sounds, line breaks, rhyme, etc to convey his meaning.  And don't be afraid to disagree with a poet's style.  That level of deep thinking is valuable too.

Start with reading.  Share some of your favorite poems with your kids.  I personally love Robert Frost's poetry.  The library is a great resource for finding new poems to read.  Hearing the language spoken adds beautiful depth and nuance.  There are also a variety of resources online of finding new poetry.  Try Ambleside Online, Youtube or 21 Must Read Poems for Kids.  Looking for something different?  What about The BreakBeat Poets or Echo Echo. And listen to beautiful orators recite their favorite poems.  One I particularly love is Sr. Michael Caine sharing Rudyard Kipling's IF.

Watch a mini biography about a favorite poet.  Try: Edgar Allen Poe,  Walt Whitman,    William Blake, Phyllis Wheatley,   Robert Frost, or  Christina Rossetti. Talk about what may have influenced their writing and the themes they presented.

Memoize rich poetry together. Practice one of the poems you've been reading or pick from 12 Poems to Memorize. Check out silly kids' poetry books from the library and find one that you can great hand motions for.  Laugh, be silly, memorize tongue twisters or The Jabberwocky from Lewis Carroll.

Do SOME Analysis work.  Don't overdo it, but when you get comfortable, some analysis can be fun.  Look for things like this Easter Poetry Analysis Pack, or Learning through Literature's Poem of the Month.

And don't forget to Create!  Let your students become poets too.  Have a special poetry tea time to share what they're writing themselves and celebrate their hard work.

Write a blackout poem 

Create a poem with this poem generator

Or maybe this one

Spring Acrostic Poetry

Write an "I Am" poem

Create a partner poem like the Echo Echo book

Discover National Haiku Day

AND HAVE FUN!

Don't forget that poetry is all about playing with language.  Pushing the boundaries of creativity and conveying meaning as concisely as possible.  Read deep poetry, read nature poetry, read silly poetry... read with voices... read slow... read poets you disagree with ... and especially read poets you love!

How Do You Celebrate National Poetry Month?

Teaching Poetry Memorization to Children

 

Do you struggle with how to start memorizing poetry in your homeschool?  This video will give you some simple ideas for getting started.

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Weekend Links ll April 10, 2026

 

Earth Day Word Scrambles

Recycle Mania! A Fun Printable Recycling Game for Kids

Activities for Studying the Civil War

Garden Seed Starting Tips

Family Spring Bucket List

Twelve Women of the Bible Study Guide {Review}

 

Discover lessons from Women of the Bible including:

1. Eve: finding Lasting Contentment in the Truth

2. Rebekah: Breaking Free from Feminine Stereotypes

3. Leah: Overcoming Rejection and Insecurity

4. Hannah: Surrendering in Waiting

5. Abigail: Dealing with Confrontation in Relationships

6. Gomer: Learning to Accept Unconditional Love

7. Mary, Mother of Jesus: Moving from Comfort to Courage

8. Mary Magdalene: Transforming from Outcast to Follower

9. Mary of Bethany: Putting Our Faith in Action

10. Martha: Finding Our Identity in Jesus

11. The Woman at the Well: Turning Our Messes into Messages

12. The Syrophoenician Woman: Approaching God with Persistency and Boldness

Each profile follows one woman, an example of faith in an imperfect world.  Though each lives a life very different from the modern world, her story parallels today's woman in both troubles and joys.  These 12 studies include a video lesson, a devotional on the woman's life, and both study and reflection questions for a women's group.

I did appreciate that this study covers a variety of women from the Bible, both in their strengths and weaknesses.  Each session included an overview of her story and didn't shy away from showing her humanity.  The questions were reflective and the lessons seemed a good length for a beginning to intermediate study.  On the con side, I did find that some of the studies seemed contradictory.  For example, the second study was about breaking stereotypes, but then goes on to stereotype that women focus on their physical appearance.  These contradictions appear to be few in number, but were distracting when they popped up.

I do think this study would be a beneficial for those groups wishing to go deeper without being inundated by homework.  If you have an established group that's looking for a little more, this would be a good place to start.  There are a variety of contributors which will appeal to a wide audience, and the teaching is Biblically sound.  Over all, a good study for a women's group.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this study from the publisher.  All options are my own.

25 Spring Break Ideas

  

*photo from hiking in spring 2013

1. Purchase a roll of art paper and get creative with your kids.  Watercolors, finger paints, markers, outline each other's bodies and add the details, be creative!

2. Make Smores!  Get the fire pit going in the backyard or pop them in the microwave.  And don't forget to add those colored Peeps for a fun twist.

3. Memorize a piece of Scripture together.  Pick on that pertains to where you're family is at and challenge each other to memorize by the end of the week.

4. Make an Easter Garland.  Pick bunnies, eggs, or peeps and make a seasonal garland together.

5. Have a sleepover!  Pitch a tent in the living room, pop popcorn, and turn out the lights.

6. Make ice cream.  Pull out that homemade ice cream recipe or try a new one.  What a great way to spend time in the kitchen with your kids.

7. Do a community service project.  Select a project to donate your time to and work alongside your kids.  Show them the value of working hard and serving others.

8. One on one dates.  Take your kids out and spend some one on one time together.  Let them pick the activity (within reason) and just listen.  Who knows what you'll learn?

9. Read a book together.  Pick a book to read as a family and read a bit each day.  Great cuddle time.

10. Learn something new together.  Go to a museum, open up the internet, take a class together.  What are your kids interested in?  Learn about it together.

11. Tackle a project together.  Do you have a fun creative project you'd like to work on together?  Use the extra time to tackle that project.

12. Get ready for guests.  Create a new spring wreath, bake a special dessert, freshen up the guest room. Work together and remember the joy of spring.

13. Make a new batch of Play-doh.  Try some Pumpkin Pie Play-doh or Kool-aid.  And play with the spring colors.

14. Create cards.  Break out the scrapbook paper and markers and make a stack of cards to send to loved ones.

15. Plan a neighborhood bike ride.  Get the neighborhood kids together, add some streamers to the bikes, and have a bike ride.  What a great idea for community pride!

16. Plan a playdate at the park.  Pack up a picnic, gather some moms, and let the kids play as long as they want.

17. Cook a meal together.  Allow the kids to help you plan and cook the meal.

18. Go local.  Make a list of local places you've always wanted to visit and plan to see 3-4 of those throughout the day.

19. Plan a family game night.  Put together some fun prizes like no chores for one day, pick your favorite dessert, or day out with mom.

20. Have a pizza party.  Lay out all the toppings and let them build their own pizzas.  Top the night off with a family movie.

21. Create a Spring Break scrapbook.  Spend the day taking photos of each other and put them in a special book to remember your time together.

22. Start a journal together.  Create a journal where you can write letters back and forth to each other.  Save it for times of encouragement and love.

23. Make a batch of Peanut Butter Easter Eggs.

24. Create a family movie.  Let the kids come up with a script, create the costumes, and act it out before the camera.  Have a movie premiere with fresh popped popcorn.

25. Plan a nothing day.  Let the kids jump on the trampoline, play with the dog or watch cartoons.  Stay in your jammies and catch up on some relaxing.