Summer Term Poetry Games for KS2: Fun End-of-Year Activities
🌼 Why Poetry is Perfect for Summer
The end of the school year is the ideal time to bring joy and creativity into the classroom. Summer poetry activities KS2 give children the chance to reflect on their year, celebrate friendships, and have fun with language.
Whether you’re preparing for a Year 6 leavers’ assembly or just want light, engaging lessons, poetry games are a brilliant way to end the term.
🔗 Related: Year 6 Leavers’ Poetry KS2 • Easter Poetry KS2
📝 Example Summer Poems
End-of-Year Haiku
Sunlight on the desk,
Laughter spills across the room,
Another year ends.
School’s Out (List Poem)
Packed bags,
Signed shirts,
Loud goodbyes,
Tearful hugs,
Smiles for summer.
Holiday Cinquain
Seaside,
Shiny, golden,
Splashing, swimming, laughing,
Buckets, spades, ice creams,
Summer.
Year 6 Free Verse (Leavers)
We stand at the doorway,
memories in our hands,
looking forward,
looking back,
ready to step into tomorrow.
🎲 Fun Summer Poetry Games for KS2
🌟 Poetry Consequences
Each child writes one line of a poem, folds the paper, and passes it on. By the end, you have a hilarious (and often surprisingly deep) class poem.
🌟 Poetry Charades
Write seasonal words (sun, beach, school, holiday, ice cream) on cards. Pupils act them out while the class guesses, then use them in a group poem.
🌟 Leavers’ Memory Wall
Children each write a short poem about their favourite memory from the year. Stick them up as a gallery for parents or use in an end-of-year assembly.
🌟 Rhyming Races
Split into teams. Give a word (e.g. sun). Teams have 2 minutes to write as many rhymes as possible, then build them into a silly summer poem.
🌟 Summer Senses Game
In groups, brainstorm everything they can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel in summer. Use the lists to write descriptive poems.
🔗 Related: List Poems for KS2 • Cinquain Poems for KS2
👩🏫 Teacher Tips for the End of Term
Use poetry for reflection — Year 6 pupils writing goodbye poems is powerful.
Keep activities short and snappy for tired end-of-year brains.
Combine poetry with performance — a perfect way to end assemblies.
Celebrate creativity — let pupils take their poems home as keepsakes.
🌟 Final Thought
Summer is about sunshine, celebration, and endings that lead to new beginnings. With these summer poetry activities KS2, you can wrap up the year in a way that’s creative, joyful, and memorable.
👉 Want to end the year with something unforgettable? Book one of my Poetry Days in schools — packed with laughter, performance, and poems pupils will remember long after the holidays.
Find out more and book your school’s Poetry Day ➡ Poets in Schools – Ian Bland
