Imagination Poems KS2 💭 | Unlocking Creative Thinking Through Poetry
Imagination is where every poem begins — that spark of curiosity that turns ordinary thoughts into extraordinary words.
Encouraging pupils to write Imagination Poems KS2 helps them explore creativity, build vocabulary and express ideas freely without fear of being “wrong.” It’s also a wonderful way to link poetry with art, drama and storytelling.
Through imagination poems, pupils can:
🌟 Develop creative thinking and language play
🎭 Explore abstract ideas through rhythm and imagery
📝 Build confidence in free writing and performance
🎨 Connect English with Art, Drama and PSHE
👉 In my Poetry Days across the UK, I help children discover that imagination is the poet’s superpower! I visit over 100 schools every year — inspiring pupils to write, perform and dream.
📅 You can book me for:
In-person Poetry Days across the UK
Online Poetry Workshops (affordable and flexible)
➡ Secure your date here: Poets in Schools – Ian Bland
💡 Why Imagination Matters in Poetry
Imagination allows children to experiment with language and make sense of the world. When they write imaginative poems, they learn to:
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See beyond the literal
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Create vivid images
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Combine humour and emotion
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Express individuality and voice
It’s the perfect bridge between literacy and creativity — and it nurtures a love of writing that lasts well beyond the classroom.
🔗 Related: Poems About Libraries KS2 | Poems About Books & Reading KS2 | Performance Poetry KS2
👩🏫 Poem Example 1: The Imagination Machine
by Ian Bland
I’ve got an imagination machine,
It’s powered by chocolate and dreams.
It rattles and hums, whirs and clicks,
Spinning ideas and magical tricks.
It can turn a teacup into a boat,
Or a button into a billy-goat!
It can take a puddle and make it fly,
Or teach a pigeon how to tie a tie.
It’s powered by laughter, starlight, song,
It never runs out if you dream all day long.
So open your mind, give it a clean,
And climb inside your imagination machine!
💡 Activity Ideas
1. Build Your Own Imagination Machine 🔧
Ask pupils to design their own invention — what powers it, what it makes, what sounds it creates.
Then write their own version of the poem following your pattern.
2. Performance & Sound Effects 🎭
Add mechanical noises, clapping rhythms, or simple percussion to bring the “machine” to life.
🔗 Related: Performance Poetry KS2
3. STEM Link 🔬
Connect with Science or DT — discuss real machines, then contrast with imaginary ones.
🌈 Poem Example 2: The Colour of a Thought
by Ian Bland
What colour’s a thought when it first begins?
Is it silver, golden, blue?
Does it swirl like paint in a water jar
Or sparkle like morning dew?
Can you touch a dream, can you weigh an idea,
Can you taste a memory’s hue?
If you close your eyes, what shapes appear?
That’s imagination — it’s you!
💡 Activity Ideas
1. Colour & Emotion Workshop 🎨
Give pupils coloured cards. Each colour represents a feeling or idea (blue = calm, red = excitement).
Write short poems exploring what those colours could “do” or “say.”
🔗 Related: Poems About Feelings KS2
2. Art Integration
Paint or collage “the colour of imagination” and overlay short poetic lines in white pen or digital text.
3. Performance Idea
Perform the poem in small groups — each pupil represents a different “colour” and speaks their verse with matching tone and movement.
🚀 Poem Example 3: If My Mind Could Fly
by Ian Bland
If my mind could fly, I’d drift through dreams,
Bounce on clouds and follow streams.
I’d paint the stars, I’d tickle the sun,
And teach the moon to have some fun.
I’d whisper poems to distant lands,
And fill the skies with outstretched hands.
If my mind could fly, I’d never land —
The world’s too big to understand.
💡 Activity Ideas
1. “If My Mind Could…” Writing Frame 🧠
Give pupils the starter “If my mind could…” and let them finish with verbs (fly, swim, dance, roar, grow).
Encourage surreal or dreamlike images.
2. Drama & Movement Extension
Act out lines with slow, floating gestures. Perform with gentle background music.
3. Cross-Curricular Link:
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Geography: imagine flying over landscapes and countries.
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Science: link to learning about flight or space.
🔗 Related: Space Poems KS2 | Environmental Poems KS2
🧠 Teacher Pedagogy Notes
Curriculum Links:
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English: creative writing, imagery, figurative language, rhyme.
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Art & Design: visual representation of ideas.
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PSHE: self-expression, confidence, individuality.
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Science/DT: imagination linked to invention and exploration.
Differentiation:
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Support: use sentence starters (“In my imagination…”, “I can see…”).
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Challenge: extend into metaphors and abstract imagery.
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Extension: compile a class book called The Imagination Machine Anthology.
Engagement Tip:
Use these poems for display work during Reading Week or World Book Day — they celebrate creativity and inspire pride in writing.
🌟 Final Thoughts
Teaching Imagination Poems KS2 gives pupils permission to dream, invent and explore through words.
Poetry becomes a creative playground — a space where everything is possible.
💭 When children realise their imagination is limitless, their writing becomes fearless.
📣 Bring Poetry to Life in Your School!
Book a Poetry Day or Online Poetry Workshop and let me help your pupils unleash their imaginations through rhyme, rhythm and performance.
👉 Find out more about my Poetry Days »
👉 Book an Online Workshop »
