In this activity, children look closely at living things in their natural environments and then make books about what they see.

Use shape and theme poems, or poems that look like the things they describe, as a fun way to introduce children to poetry.

Boost vocabulary by taking an imaginary trip into space. After a lunar "landing," children return to Earth with a galaxy of new words.

Choose favorite rhyming songs or nursery rhymes then replace the rhyming words with seasonal themes.

Let children practice using different types of words in a fill-in-the-blank-story game before making their own word list for a magnetic poetry set.

Kids learn about weather sayings throughout history while writing and illustrating a book for younger children.

Create a treasure hunt out of word-puzzle clues hidden around the home or yard.

Everyone loves getting a greeting card, especially if it's homemade. Make a funny or thoughtful greeting card or invitation with pictures and a poem, joke, or riddle.

Children incorporate materials from outdoors with paints or crayons to create pieces of art to display on their clotheslines, fences, or porches for a neighborhood art show.

After reading a book or magazine, children and teens can choose a section and transform it into what's known as a "found poem."

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and you're surrounded by brilliant shades of green! Observe and collect sensory images from nature and use the sights, sounds, smells, and textures to create original nature poetry.

Can't make it to a zoo? After reading a book about apes, observe animal habits and habitats using one of the many Webcams broadcasting from zoos and aquariums around the United States and the world.