Poems About Dreams & Ambitions KS2 🌙 | Inspiring Goal-Setting Through Poetry
Children love to imagine what they might become — a teacher, a scientist, a dancer, or even the Prime Minister!
Writing Poems About Dreams and Ambitions KS2 helps pupils express their hopes and humour while building confidence in rhyme, imagination and performance.
Through dreams and ambitions poems, pupils can:
🌟 Reflect on their goals and values
🎭 Explore rhyme, rhythm and exaggeration
📝 Write creatively about the future
🎤 Gain performance confidence and self-belief
👉 In my Poetry Days across the UK, I often use ambition poems to spark imagination and laughter — helping children discover that writing about the future can be both funny and inspiring.
I visit over 100 schools every year, leading poetry workshops that blend fun and creativity.
📅 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 Write Poems About Dreams & Ambitions?
Encouraging children to dream builds creativity, resilience and optimism.
Ambition poems connect beautifully to PSHE, Growth Mindset and transition topics — reminding pupils that dreams can start small and grow with effort.
🔗 Related:
Growth Mindset Poems KS2 |
Poems About Feelings KS2 |
Imagination Poems KS2 |
Poems About School Memories KS2
🧢 Poem 1 – I’d Like to Be a…
by Ian Bland
I’d like to be a teacher,
To tell people off and shout.
I’d like to be a boxer,
So I could knock somebody out.
I’d like to be a dentist,
And give people lots of pain.
I’d like to be a Headteacher,
And give everyone the cane.
I’d like to be a soldier,
And squash houses in my tank.
I’d like to be a robber,
And steal money from a bank.
But if I was Prime Minister,
I’d make a brand new rule,
To put all teachers in a jail,
And close down all the schools!
I’d Like To Be A Poem Writing Framework
💡 Activity Ideas
1️⃣ Dream Job Brainstorm
Pupils list every job they can think of — sensible or silly — and use the repeated line “I’d like to be…” to build verses.
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Add exaggeration for humour (“a jellyfish tamer,” “a spaghetti scientist”).
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Great for rhyme and rhythm work.
2️⃣ Comedy Twist Writing
Explore how your poem ends with a punchline. Challenge pupils to add a funny final verse to surprise the reader.
3️⃣ Performance Task
Perform in groups with mime or props for each job. Add sound effects: boxing punches, tank noises, crowd cheers!
🔗 Related: Funny School Poems KS2 | Performance Poetry KS2
🚀 Poem 2 – When I Grow Up
by Ian Bland (new)
When I grow up, I’ll travel far,
I’ll fly a plane or race a car.
I’ll build a school upon the moon,
And teach the aliens how to croon!
I’ll paint the sky, invent a game,
Discover cures and earn some fame.
But best of all, when dreams come true —
I’ll still remember friends like you.
💡 Activity Ideas
1️⃣ Imagination Builder
Ask: What could you do if there were no limits?
Encourage wild ideas — space schools, underwater zoos, robot bakers!
Children can mix fantasy and reality to show creative thinking.
2️⃣ Rhyme & Rhythm Focus
Mark the rhyming pairs (far/car, moon/croon). Discuss how rhyme adds pace and excitement to dreams.
3️⃣ Cross-Curricular Extension
Link to Science or Art — pupils illustrate or design their dream invention.
4️⃣ Reflection Discussion
Explore the final verse: why is remembering friends important? Great for empathy and PSHE links.
🔗 Related: Cross-Curricular Poetry KS2 | Poems About Friendship KS2
🌟 Poem 3 – Dreams Don’t Have to Be Big
by Ian Bland (new)
You don’t need a crown to be a king,
Or fame to make the people sing.
You don’t need stars or silver shoes,
To follow paths that you can choose.
Just work with care and try your best,
And put your courage to the test.
The biggest dream that you can do,
Is simply being honestly you.
💡 Activity Ideas
1️⃣ Discussion Starter
Talk about what “big” and “small” dreams mean. Are some dreams just as special even if they’re quiet?
2️⃣ Growth Mindset Writing Task
Use the line “You don’t need…” as a repeating pattern for new verses:
You don’t need luck to find your way,
You just need effort every day.
3️⃣ Art & Display
Create a “Dream Wall” — each pupil writes their verse inside a paper cloud or star and adds it to a class mural.
4️⃣ Assembly Performance
This gentle, rhythmic poem works perfectly for class assemblies about kindness and self-belief.
🔗 Related: Growth Mindset Poems KS2 | Poems About Kindness KS2
🧠 Teacher Pedagogy Notes
Curriculum Links:
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English: rhyme, rhythm, pattern, structure, performance
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PSHE: aspirations, identity, goal-setting, empathy
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Art & Design: creative self-expression
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Speaking & Listening: performance and presentation
Differentiation:
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Support: short four-line verses about one dream job.
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Challenge: mixed-tone poems blending humour and reflection.
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Extension: write a companion poem — “The Day My Dream Came True.”
Engagement Tip:
Use these poems in January (“New Year’s Goals”) or September (“Aspirations Week”).
They combine humour and hope — a perfect classroom balance.
🌟 Final Thoughts
Writing Poems About Dreams & Ambitions KS2 gives children permission to dream big, laugh loud and think deeply.
They learn that goals grow from imagination — and poetry helps them see themselves as capable of anything.
🌙 From astronauts to artists, from jokers to dreamers — every child has a story worth writing.
📣 Bring Poetry to Life in Your School!
Book a Poetry Day or Online Poetry Workshop and let me help your pupils turn their dreams into rhyme, humour and confidence.
👉 Find out more about my Poetry Days »
👉 Book an Online Workshop »
