KS2 Poetry Vocabulary Mats | Word Banks for Better Poems (Free Download)
KS2 Poetry Vocabulary Mats help children choose stronger words, build imagery, and write better poems. These word banks work across Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6. They support key reading and writing skills in the KS2 English curriculum and give pupils a confident start in their poetry writing.
This post gives you:
✅ Ready-made KS2 poetry vocabulary mats
✅ Expanded word banks (imagery, sound, movement, nature, emotions)
✅ Teacher tips for Years 3–6
✅ Quick classroom activities
✅ Free downloadable mats
Poetry vocabulary mats help children:
Find ambitious vocabulary
Experiment with figurative language
Add detail and imagery
Perform poems with expression
Edit and improve their work
If you’d love support bringing poetry to life in your classroom, you can book me for Online Workshops or Poetry Days across the UK.
Great for teachers looking to save time!
Why Use KS2 Poetry Vocabulary Mats? 🔍
Vocabulary is central to poetry. Children need to:
choose effective words
build imagery
improve sentences
perform confidently
edit their writing
A KS2 poetry vocabulary mat supports all of these skills.
They work well for:
guided writing
independent tasks
whole-class modelling
SEN support
greater-depth challenges
Related:
Figurative Language KS2 | Performance Poetry KS2 | Poetry Comprehension KS2 👉 KS2 Character Poems
👉 Winter Poetry KS2 👉 Funny Christmas Poems KS2 👉 Poems For KS2 Children to Perform In Assemblies
✅ KS2 Poetry Vocabulary Mats — Expanded Word Banks
Use these mats in your classroom displays, writing books, reading corners or working walls. They give children a strong foundation when writing poetry.
🧠 Imagery & Description Word Bank
Adjectives for vivid images
vibrant • shimmering • smoky • rippling • jagged • glowing • brittle • swirling • misty • tangled • crimson • emerald • shadowy • icy • velvet • luminous • ancient • intricate
Sensory prompts
Sight: flickering, glimmering, hazy, dazzling
Sound: thundering, whispering, crackling, roaring
Smell: pungent, fragrant, earthy, musty
Touch: prickly, velvety, scorching, rough
Taste: bitter, tangy, sugary, spicy
Sentence starters
“I could almost see…”
“A shadow crept across…”
“Colours danced like…”
👉 Imagery & Description Word Bank MAT Download 👉 Poetry In The Creative Curriculum 👉 Word Play Poems
🔥 Powerful Verbs & Adverbs Word Bank
Action verbs
leapt • darted • trembled • cracked • surged • drifted • collided • soared • erupted • staggered • twisted • shimmered • swayed
Useful adverbs
silently • fiercely • urgently • suddenly • gracefully • cautiously • boldly • lazily • rhythmically
Pairing ideas
“crept silently”
“soared effortlessly”
“trembled fiercely”
👉 Powerful Verbs & Adverbs Word Bank MAT Download 👉 Performance Poetry in Primary Schools
🌬️ Weather & Nature Word Bank
Weather nouns
blizzard • mist • drizzle • downpour • hailstones • frost • breeze • gale • thunder • lightning
Weather verbs
howled • rumbled • flashed • drifted • swirled • swept • hammered • shimmered
Nature imagery
branches swaying • leaves spiralling • waves crashing • mountains looming • rivers winding • clouds tumbling
Personification starters
“The wind whispered secrets…”
“The storm roared with anger…”
👉 Weather & Nature Word Bank MAT Download 👉 Christmas Shape Poems 🔗 The Ultimate Guide To Teaching Poetry KS2
💓 Emotions & Atmosphere Word Bank
Emotion nouns
joy • fear • courage • pride • sorrow • delight • dread • panic
Emotion adjectives
anxious • ecstatic • furious • hopeful • triumphant • gloomy • restless
Atmosphere ideas
tense • eerie • joyful • peaceful • mysterious • dramatic • sombre
Useful lines
“A shiver ran down my spine…”
“My heart thumped like a drum…”
👉 Emotions & Atmosphere Word Bank MAT 🔗 Poetry CPD and Training for Teachers 🔗 Teaching Powerful Verbs Through Poetry
🎤 Sound & Movement Word Bank
Sound words (onomatopoeia)
bang • crash • crackle • pop • fizz • snap • thud • whizz • buzz • clang • rumble
Movement verbs
shuffled • tiptoed • twirled • stomped • lunged • darted • twisted • spiralled
Performance ideas
“Footsteps echoed behind me…”
“Voices bounced around the room…”
👉 Sound & Movement Word Bank MAT Download
🎓 Classroom Activity Ideas
These activities are quick, simple and effective.
1. Vocabulary Hunt
Children pick one word from each mat and build a four-line poem.
2. Sensory Challenge
Use one word for each sense: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.
3. Poetry Upgrade
Give a plain sentence. Pupils upgrade it using three words from the mats.
4. Performance Warm-Up
Act out five verbs before performing a poem.
5. Cross-Curricular Poetry
Use the weather or nature mats in science, geography or topic lessons.
📄 Free KS2 Poetry Vocabulary Mats (Text Version)
KS2 Poetry Vocabulary Mats — Name: __________ Date: __________
Imagery & Description:
vibrant, shimmering, smoky, rippling, jagged, glowing, swirling, misty, tangled…
Powerful Verbs:
leapt, darted, trembled, surged, collided, soared, shimmered…
Adverbs:
silently, fiercely, suddenly, gracefully…
Weather & Nature:
blizzard, drizzle, hailstones, frost, gale, thunder, lightning…
Emotions & Atmosphere:
joy, fear, courage, hope, anxious, triumphant, gloomy…
Sound & Movement:
bang, crash, crackle, pop, swish, stomp, whirl, twist…
👉 KS2 Poetry Vocabulary Mats Download
👩🏫 Teacher Pedagogy Notes
Curriculum Links
vocabulary choice
imagery
figurative language
performance poetry
editing and improving writing
Differentiation
Support: highlight ten key words for pupils to use.
Challenge: pupils create their own vocabulary mat.
Assessment
Check for effective word choice and clarity of meaning.
🌈 Final Thoughts
KS2 Poetry Vocabulary Mats give children the tools they need to write with confidence. These mats make poetry accessible, creative and exciting across Years 3–6. They help pupils choose better words, build imagery and perform with expression.
👉 If you would like your pupils to explore poetry, vocabulary and performance with me, you can book a Poetry Day or Online Workshop.
📅 Book your school here: Poets in Schools – Ian Bland
