Poems About the Seasons for KS2 Classrooms 🌱☀️🍂❄️

One of the simplest ways to inspire children to write and enjoy poetry is to connect it to the natural world around them. The changing seasons provide ready-made inspiration: crisp autumn leaves, snowy winter mornings, spring blossoms, and hot summer days on the playground.

Seasonal poems are brilliant for KS2 because they:

• Give pupils an immediate, relatable theme

• Encourage the use of vivid vocabulary and imagery

• Provide opportunities for cross-curricular learning in science, geography and art

• Work beautifully for performance in class assemblies

Here are some tried-and-tested poems and activities to bring the four seasons alive in your classroom.

👉 In my Poetry Days in primary schools across the UK I work hard to get the children excited about writing and performing their own poems. I visit over 100 schools every year and I’d love to work with your children and teachers.

📅 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

🌱 Spring – New Life and Fresh Starts

Poem Idea: Daffodils by William Wordsworth (an abridged version works well for KS2). 👉 Find the poem here

Classroom activity:

• Go on a “spring walk” around the school grounds and list everything that shows signs of new life.

• Challenge pupils to create similes and metaphors: “buds bursting like fireworks” or “a carpet of daisies like stars on the grass.”

• Write short “Spring Haikus” (5–7–5 syllables) and display them with illustrations of flowers and animals.

👉 For more inspiration with rhythm and structure, see my blog Teaching Rhyme and Rhythm in KS2 Made Easy.

👉 Related: Haiku Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Cinquain Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Spring Acrostic Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Spring Mesostic Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Spring Telestich Poem Writing Framework

Great for teachers looking to save time!

☀️ Summer – Sunshine and Freedom

Poem Idea: Bed in Summer by Robert Louis Stevenson. 👉 Find the poem here

Classroom activity:

• Ask pupils to describe the sounds and smells of summer — ice cream vans, cut grass, buzzing bees.

• Create a class performance poem where each child contributes one line about something they love about summer.

• Try “Summer Shape Poems” written inside outlines of suns, beach balls or ice creams.

👉 If you’d like more fun writing challenges, try my blog on Creative Classroom Challenges.

👉 Related: Summer Acrostic Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Summer Mesostic Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Summer Telestich Poem Writing Framework

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🍂 Autumn – Change and Colour

Poem Idea: To Autumn by John Keats (short extracts). 👉 Find the poem here

Classroom activity:

• Bring in autumn leaves, conkers, or acorns and use them as inspiration for a descriptive word bank.

• Write “Autumn Kennings” like “leaf-cruncher, conker-hunter, bonfire-sparkler.”

• Hold a mini “Autumn Poetry Slam” with spooky or harvest-themed performances.

👉 You’ll find more seasonal fun in my blog Spooky Classroom Poetry Games 🎃.

👉 Related: Haiku Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Cinquain Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Autumn Acrostic Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Autumn Mesostic Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Autumn Telestich Poem Writing Framework

❄️ Winter – Cold and Celebration

Poem Idea: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. 👉 Find the poem here

Classroom activity:

• Write “Winter Acrostics” using words like SNOW, COLD, or FROST.

• Encourage children to describe winter sounds: the crunch of footsteps in snow, the whistle of the wind.

• Link to Christmas by writing festive poems in the shape of a tree, star or stocking.

👉 For more festive ideas, check out Christmas Shape Poems for KS2 and Simple and Fun Writing Ideas for Your Class This Christmas.

👉 Related: Haiku Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Cinquain Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Winter Acrostic Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Winter Mesostic Poem Writing Framework

👉 Related: Winter Telestich Poem Writing Framework

Why Seasonal Poems Work So Well in KS2

✔️ Children always have something to say — they’ve lived through the seasons and know them well.
✔️ Builds rich descriptive vocabulary and imagery.
✔️ Provides opportunities for performance, art displays and cross-curricular learning.
✔️ Makes poetry feel fresh and relevant throughout the year.

👉 Teachers: If you’d like even more inspiration, explore my blogs Quick & Easy Poetry Starters for KS2 and 7 Brilliant Poems for KS2 Assemblies.