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Poetry for Kids

Kenn Nesbitt 10 Episodes Oct 12, 2026

Poetry for Kids features funny poems for children, presented by children's author and former US Children's Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt. The podcast introduces young listeners to playful, entertaining verse. It is based on Kenn Nesbitt's poetry and related work for kids. The show is suitable for families and classrooms looking for lighthearted poetry.

Episodes

Dear Squishy, I Love You Oct 12, 2026 2:58 I only recently discovered just how popular squishy toys have become. These soft, stretchy, squeezable toys come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors, including cute animals, funny faces, and even pretend food. Kids love to squeeze them, stretch them, squish them, and watch them slowly return to their original shapes. They’re fun to play with, and squeezing them can even help some people rela

Pumpkin Problems Oct 5, 2026 2:03 Halloween is coming up soon, so this year I decided to write several different pumpkin poems. Out of all of them, this one quickly became one of my favorites. One of the fun things about visiting a pumpkin patch is seeing how many different kinds of pumpkins there are. Some are tall, some are short, some are wide, some are skinny, and some have funny stems or unusual colors and stripes. When every

It’s Fun to Be a Football Sep 28, 2026 2:39 Football season has just begun, and some members of my family are already enthusiastically watching the games and hoping their favorite team will make it to the Super Bowl again this year. I’ve written lots of sports poems over the years, including a couple about football. But those poems could just as easily have been about soccer as American football. This is the first poem I’ve written that is

Summer and Autumn Sep 21, 2026 3:12 I wrote this poem because, here in the northern hemisphere, summer is almost over and fall will be here in just a few days. But, at least where I live, you wouldn’t necessarily know it from the weather. The days are still sunny and warm, and it still feels a lot like summer, even though I know the cooler autumn weather will be arriving before long. That got me thinking about what might happen if S

Picture Day Sep 14, 2026 2:26 My wife recently started a new job as a school picture day photographer. Every day when she comes home, she has interesting, and often funny stories about the people and things she photographed that day. She’s taken pictures of hundreds of students, of course, but she’s also photographed teachers, school staff, and even a principal’s dog! One thing she quickly discovered is that the grown-ups aren

Space Llamas Sep 8, 2026 2:55 The beginning of a new school year can be exciting, but it can also be a little scary. You might wonder who you’ll sit with, whether you’ll make new friends, or whether the other kids will think you’re cool. That was one of the ideas that got me started on this poem. The other idea has been bouncing around in my head for years. Once, during an assembly at an elementary school, I was speaking to ab

Lunchbox Switcheroo Aug 10, 2026 3:06 Sometimes magazines ask me to write poems on a specific topic. Earlier this year, an editor at Storyworks 4-6, a multi-genre magazine for students in grades 4–6, asked me to write a poem about being nervous about making new friends on the first day of school. Instead of writing just one poem, I did what I usually do and wrote several different ideas so the editor would have a few to choose from. I

The Greatest Book of Poetry Ever Written by Kenn Nesbitt Jul 28, 2026 7:17 Celebrate the upcoming release of The Greatest Book of Poetry Ever Written by Kenn Nesbitt! In this special episode, Kenn shares the story behind his biggest poetry collection yet… a “greatest hits” volume featuring 120 of his favorite poems from across his career, including 18 poems appearing in print for the very first time. Learn why this book is especially meaningful to Kenn,

Octo-Pair Jul 27, 2026 2:02 When I’m writing a poem, I often know how it’s going to end long before I know how it’s will begin. It’s a little like taking a road trip. You don’t usually hop in the car and start driving without a destination in mind. First, you decide where you want to go. Then you figure out how to get there. You might take a wrong turn or two along the way, but if you keep your destination in sight, you’ll e

I Might Have Misbehaved Today Jul 20, 2026 1:43 When I was a kid, it seems like I was always getting in trouble with my parents for misbehaving. The funny thing is, I usually didn’t think I was doing anything wrong. I was just having fun. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to kick the newly planted flowers in the garden or chew on the edge of the dining room table. Somehow, though, my parents always disagreed. Those childhood memories were the ins

Poetry for Kids

Episodes

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