Earth Day is April 22nd and each year, taking time to focus on our planet and think about how we can make changes, be more sustainable and protect our planet for future generations, becomes more and more important.
Many children, like my 10 year old boy, are passionate about protecting our planet and natural world, respecting living things, and stopping climate change as much as possible. Children’s passion on these topics is something that we could all learn from, after all this is our only planet and we need to find the best way to keep it safe and well.
Here are a few short nature poems for Earth Day that you can use to discuss with the kids, or even use them for inspiration and have the children write some Earth Day Poems of their own.
Short Earth Day Poems for Kids
Even a short poem can convey so much! Here are a few poems suitable for Earth Day, by famous poets of the past – and some contemporary poems.
We have chosen these poems because of their themes of awe of nature. Appreciation for beautiful clear blue skies or the feeling of damp grass, inspires us to take care of our planet, Mother Earth.
The Crocus by Walter Crane
The golden crocus reaches up
to catch a sunbeam in her cup.
Trees by Sara Coleridge
The Oak is called the King of trees,
The Aspen quivers in the breeze,
The Poplar grows up straight and tall,
The Peach tree spreads along the wall,
The Sycamore gives pleasant shade,
The Willow droops in watery Glade,
The Fir tree useful timber gives,
The Beech amid the forest lives.
A Minor Bird by Robert Frost
I have wished a bird would fly away,
And not sing by my house all day;
Have clapped my hands at him from the door
When it seemed as if I could bear no more.
The fault must partly have been in me.
The bird was not to blame for his key.
And of course there must be something wrong
In wanting to silence any song.
Until I Saw the Sea by Lilian Moore
Until I saw the sea
I did not know
that wind
could wrinkle water so.
I never knew
that sun
could splinter a whole sea of blue.
Nor
did I know before,
a sea breathes in and out
upon a shore.
Beyond Winter by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Over the winter glaciers
I see the summer glow,
And through the wild-piled snowdrift
The warm rosebuds below.
Remember by Joy Harjo
Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star’s stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother’s, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of this universe.
Remember you are all people and all people
are you.
Remember you are this universe and this
universe is you.
Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is, that life is.
Remember.
May Flower by Emily Dickinson
Pink, small, and punctual,
Aromatic, low,
Covert in April,
Candid in May,
Dear to the moss,
Known by the knoll,
Next to the robin
In every human soul.
Bold little beauty,
Bedecked with thee,
Nature forswears
Antiquity.
Shall Earth No More Inspire Thee by Emily Bronte
Shall earth no more inspire thee,
Thou lonely dreamer now?
Since passion may not fire thee
Shall Nature cease to bow?
Thy mind is ever moving
In regions dark to thee;
Recall its useless roving—
Come back and dwell with me.
I know my mountain breezes
Enchant and soothe thee still—
I know my sunshine pleases
Despite thy wayward will.
When day with evening blending
Sinks from the summer sky,
I’ve seen thy spirit bending
In fond idolatry.
I’ve watched thee every hour;
I know my mighty sway,
I know my magic power
To drive thy griefs away.
Few hearts to mortals given
On earth so wildly pine;
Yet none would ask a heaven
More like this earth than thine.
Then let my winds caress thee;
Thy comrade let me be—
Since nought beside can bless thee,
Return and dwell with me.
Of Many Worlds in this World by Margaret Cavendish
Just like as in a nest of boxes round,
Degrees of sizes in each box are found.
So, in this world, may many others be
Thinner and less, and less still by degree:
Although they are not subject to our sense,
A world may be no bigger than two-pence.
Nature is curious, and such works may shape,
Which our dull senses easily escape:
For creatures, small as atoms, may be there,
If every one a creature’s figure bear.
If atoms four, a world can make, then see
What several worlds might in an ear-ring be:
For millions of those atoms may be in
The head of one small, little, single pin.
And if thus small, then ladies may well wear
A world of worlds, as pendants in each ear.
More Earth Day Poems for Kids
If you would like to read even more nature poems with the kids, including longer poems, then we can suggest
- Earth Day by Jane Yolen
- The Humble-Bee by Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Mother Nature by Emily Dickinson
- I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth
- The Way Through the Woods by Rudyard Kipling
- A Bird came down the Walk by Emily Dickinson
- Don’t Kill the Birds by D.C Colesworthy
- Give me the Splendid Silent Sun by Walt Whitman from Leaves of Grass
- Irish Prayer May the Road Rise Up To Meet You
Write your Own Earth Day Poem
Kids can use this page from our Earth Day printables pack to write and decorate their own Earth day poem.
Take inspiration from these classic nature poems that we have shared, and take inspiration from their own experiences out in nature, with bare feet in the grass, or the sound of a free running stream.
Writing their own nature poems is a great way for children to express all of the diverse ways in which they love our planet Earth, and to express their concerns on matters such as global warming, or the endangerment of animal species.
Download and print this template on our free printables for Earth Day page below.
More Earth Day Ideas and Inspiration
- Earth Day Coloring Pages and Printable Activities for Kids
- 50+ of The Best Funny Earth Day Jokes for Kids
- Recycled Jar Pencil Holder Earth Day Craft
- Creative Ideas to Make with Cardboard Shoe Boxes
- Celebrating Earth Day Sensory Play Ideas for Kids
- Earth Day Eco Bead Bracelet Craft
- Earth Day Color by Number (color by letter)
Young people have the power to make a significant change, and every little girl or little boy who is passionate about becoming more sustainable, recycling and saving our planet can help bring positive environmental effects for the future. We must never feel like as just one person that we can’t make an impact.
More Poetry for Kids
We are big fans of reading poetry with kids, and finding poems to tie in with all kinds of themes and occasions. Here are a few more of our favourite poems for kids here on In The Playroom.
Studying poetry is a great way to learn new words, and get inspired.
- 17 Sweet Valentine’s Day Poems, Quotes and Love Messages
- Rainbow Poem for Kids (Free Printable Worksheet)
- Introducing Children to the Poems of Robert Louis Stevenson
- From a Railway Carriage PDF Printable with Activities
Share
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Thanks so much! Happy Earth Day on 22nd April!
The poems included are in the public domain
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
I love the collection of poems and the selection of nature images you selected to go with them, I’m inspired to print out the worksheets and take the kids out on a nature walk on the day!