🦁 Animal Poems KS2: Fun Writing Ideas & Examples ✍️

🌟 Why Try Animal Poems in KS2?

Children love animals — from fierce predators to wriggly worms — and that makes them an excellent theme for poetry.

Through animal poems KS2, pupils can:

• Build descriptive vocabulary linked to science and nature 🐾

• Experiment with rhyme, rhythm, kennings, riddles, epitaphs, and alliteration ✍️

• Link English with science (habitats, food chains, classification) 🌍

• Perform poems with humour and energy 🎤

👉 I often use animal themes in my Poetry Days and online workshops to hook pupils straight away. For more information about my work in schools contact me here➡ Poets in Schools – Ian Bland

📝 Example Animal Poems for KS2

1. The Crocodile (Short Funny Poem) 🐊

The crocodile is green and long,
Its teeth are sharp, its bite is strong.
It waits beside the river bend,
You’ll never see it till the end!

💡 Activity: Pupils write their own “creepy creature” quatrain — four lines describing an animal with a surprise twist.

2. Epitaph Poem: Worm Fred

Here lies the body of my pet worm Fred
He was alive but now he’s dead
I found him wriggling on the floor
But he’s not wriggling anymore.

Not much company didn’t talk
Did not come with me for a walk
Did not fuss did not complain
Won’t find a friend like him again.

Here lies the body of my pet worm Fred
He was alive but now he’s dead
I found him wriggling on the floor
But he’s not wriggling anymore.

💡 Activity: Children can create their own funny epitaph poems for animals or imaginary pets. These short verses are great for sparking humour and imagination.

3. Animal Riddle Poem 🦈

You’ll see me swimming in the sea
Everybody is afraid of me
I love the smell and taste of blood
Meeting me wouldn’t be much good
I could make somebody die…
What am I?

💡 Activity: Pupils write riddle poems by giving clues in each line and finishing with a question.

4. Rhyming Kennings Poem 🐅

Lion defeater
Animal eater
Human scarer
Stripe wearer
Whisker smoother
Fast mover
Bone cruncher
Zebra muncher…

💡 Activity: Challenge pupils to make their kennings rhyme for extra fun.
🔗 Related: Kennings Poems KS2

5. Animal Alliteration Counting Poem 🐒

One purring pussy cat prowling by a wall,
Two crazy kangaroos kicking round a ball,
Three mighty monkeys munching on some mash,
Four lazy lionesses lounging in the grass…

💡 Activity: Pupils continue the poem with their own alliterative animal lines — five, six, seven, and beyond!

🎉 Fun Animal Poetry Activities for KS2

• 🐕 Pet Poems – Write humorous poems about pets causing chaos at home.

• 🦍 Zoo Performance – Groups perform poems where each child is a different animal.

• 🐦 Birdsong Poetry – Listen to bird sounds and turn them into onomatopoeic verses.

• 🐠 Under the Sea Shape Poems – Write inside outlines of sea creatures.

• 🐅 Animal Similes & Metaphors – “As sly as a fox… as gentle as a lamb.” Turn similes into full poems.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Notes

• Curriculum links: Science (animals, habitats, food chains), English (poetic forms, descriptive language), Drama (performance).

• Differentiation: Epitaphs and riddles for support; kennings and extended alliterative poems for challenge.

• Engagement: Every child has a favourite animal — it’s a motivating, inclusive theme for writing.

🌟 Final Thought & Call to Action

Animal poems KS2 are a brilliant way to connect literacy with the natural world. Whether it’s an epitaph for a pet worm, a riddle about a shark, or an alliterative counting poem, children love exploring language through animals.

🐾 Why not bring animal poetry to life in your school?

For over 25 years I’ve been performing and teaching poetry in schools across the UK. My Poetry Days and online workshops inspire children through:

• A high-energy performance assembly 🎤

• Fun workshops where pupils write their own animal poems ✍️

• Opportunities to perform and share their writing with confidence 🌟

You can book me for:

• In-person Poetry Days in schools across the UK

• Online Poetry Workshops for flexible, affordable access

👉 Poetry Days are always popular — book your date now to inspire your pupils with a day of laughter, language, and creativity.
Contact me here ➡ Poets in Schools – Ian Bland