This is the season of fresh snowfall, sledding, building snowmen, and cuddling up with hot chocolate. Why not embrace the season with these winter poems for kids?

Poems have a wonderful way of helping us embrace feelings. What one can say simply “I enjoy sledding”, the poets will say “Sing a song of winter, sing a song of sleds, sing a song of tumbling over heals and heads”.

The beauty of poems also increases vocabulary, embraces the cadence of the English language, and encourages creativity.

I tried to group these winter poems but found it really hard so if you don’t immediately see a poem you like, keep scrolling!

Winter Poems that Rhyme

Don’t all kids’ poems rhyme? I’d say most of them do, but you are sure to love these winter poems that rhyme. Most of them are not sing-songy and will be enjoyed by kids of all ages.

Ryhming poems are important for kids because it develops a recognition of sounds and the cadence of the English language. When seeking out winter poems that rhyme, I avoided the “annoying” ones lol As much as I enjoy many of Dr. Suess’s books, you can only read so many, right? I wanted rich poems parents could enjoy as well.

White Fields by James Stephens

Int he winteritme we go Walking in the fields of snow;

Where there is no grass at all; Where the top of every wall,

Every fence and every tree, Is as white as white can be.

Pointing out the way we came, -Every one of them the same-

All across the fields there be Prints in silver filigree;

And our mothers always know, By the footprints in the snow,

Where it is the children go.

Sledding is one of my favorite winter activities and my kids feel the same way. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized people sometimes say “coasting” instead of sledding. Which do you say? Coasting or sledding?

A Sledding Song by Norman C. Schlichter

Sing a song of winter, Of frosty clouds in air! Sing a song of snowflakes Falling everywhere.

Sing a song of winter! Sing a song of sleds! Sing a song of tumbling Over heels and heads

Up and down a hillside When the moon is bright, Sledding is a tip-top Wintertime delight

I love poems by Robert Louis Stevenson! The children’s poems he penned are easy to read and understand. He has lovely winter poems for kids. It always makes me smile when he talks about his “nurse”. My kids were like, “his what??” 😉

Winter-Time by Robert Louis Stevenson

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.

Before the stars have left the skies,
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.

Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.

When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap;
The cold wind burns my face, and blows
Its frosty pepper up my nose.

Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding cake.

What are winter poems for kids without embracing winter fun? Here is another poem about sledding, but what winter fun do you embrace with your kids? What winter activities do your students enjoy? This poem would be a great guide for them to write about their own winter fun, whether it be skiing, ice skating, snowball fights, or sledding.

Coasting Down the Hill

Frosty is the morning;
But the sun is bright,
Flooding all the landscape
With its golden light.

Hark the sounds of laughter
And the voices shrill!
See the happy children
Coasting down the hill.

There are Tom and Charley,
And their sister Nell;
There are John and Willie,
Kate and Isabel –

Eyes with pleasure beaming,
Cheeks with health aglow;
Bless the merry children,
Trudging through the snow!

Now I hear them shouting,
“Ready! Clear the track!”
Down the slope they’re rushing,
Now they’re trotting back.

Full of fun and frolic,
Thus they come and go.
Coasting down the hillside,
Trudging through the snow

February Twilight is a lovely poem that I relate too because on frosty winter nights, I love to stand outside and see the bright stars. I’m a baby about the cold so it is not something I do often, but the night sky is just as beautiful in winter as in summer and I don’t see it nearly as often!

February Twilight by Sara Teasdale

I stood beside a hill
Smooth with new-laid snow,
A single star looked out
From the cold evening glow.

There was no other creature
That saw what I could see —
I stood and watched the evening star
As long as it watched me.

Snowflake Poems

Poems about snow and the glistening wintery blanket many of us get in the winter. I can’t imagine Christmas without it. Do you live in a place where kids can relate to snowflake poems? If not, these winter poems for kids are a great way to show them what winter is like in other climates.

Here is where imagination and imagery come into play. Isn’t it wonderful that we can experience winter whether we are familiar with it or not?!

Books about winter give that same wonderful experience for kids. Check out “Awesome Books about Winter to Read Today” for some great ideas.

Falling Snow

See the pretty snowflakes
Falling from the sky;
On the wall and housetops
Soft and thick they lie.

On the window ledges,
On the branches bare;
Now how fast they gather,
Filling all the air.

Look into the garden,
Where the grass was green;
Covered by the snowflakes,
Not a blade is seen.

Snowman Poems: Winter Poems Perfect for Kindergarten and Preschool

These snowmen poems are perfect for preschool and kindergarten because they are fun and simple and so stinkin’ cute!

If you are looking for cute snowman crafts to go along with these poems, check out I heart arts and crafts for some great ideas that are simple for all ages.

Chubby Snowman

There was a chubby snowman
And he had a carrot nose
(put fist to nose like carrot)

Along came a bunny
(2 fingers up for ears)

And what do you suppose
(hands on hips)

The hungry little bunny
(rub tummy)

Was looking for his lunch
(hand to forehead, looking)

He grabbed that snowman’s carrot nose
NIBBLE!  NIBBLE!  CRUNCH!!
(Pretend to eat carrot)

I’m a Little Snowman

I’m a little snowman short and fat. Here is my scarf and here is my hat.

When it’s cold and snowy I will stay. But when it gets hot, I melt away.

This next poem is my 6 year old’s favorite of the snowman (actually it is a snowball in this poem) poems. He laughed and laughed and we now read it together every day.

Snowball by Shel Silverstein

I made myself a snowball As perfect as can 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!

Easy Peasy and Fun has great winter craft ideas both younger and older kids will enjoy.

“A Story in the Snow” is a fun winter poem for children that talks about animal tracks and will have you smiling at the end.

 

Next is another poem that lends itself to imagine a time and place that is different from our current lives.  I enjoy how these winter poems for kids can bring about discussions and imagery we might not be exposed to otherwise.

Winter by Dorothy Aldis

The street cars are
Like frosted cakes —
All covered up
With cold snowflakes.

The horses’ hoofs
Scrunch on the street;
Their eyelashes
Are white with sleet.

And everywhere
The people go —
With faces tickled
By the snow.

 

Winter Poems for Kids

Which of these winter poems for kids did you like the best? Are you looking for younger or older kids? I’d love to see any of these poems that you use paired with a craft. There are so many fun possibilities with this collection of poems.

Be sure to check out my other collections for seasonal poems!

15 Delightful Spring Poems for Children

14 Autumn Poems to put you in the Mood for Fall