Education

National Poetry Day isn’t bounded by just one day: it’s a storehouse of ideas and activities free to use all year round, whether at home or in the (virtual/actual) classroom.

Explore this site for ways to encourage student enjoyment of poetry, including brand new resources and activities to help all ages create new poems on the theme.

Check out our competitions page for more exciting and rewarding activities for children and young people.

 

Read a poem

We will be showcasing a selection of poems on the National Poetry Day theme to get your class inspired. Check back here soon! And send us your recommendations, so we can add more as National Poetry Day approaches.

Take part in #MyNPDPoem – use our free teaching resources

Want to get a group – the whole class or school – involved in poetry? Then take a look at our bank of online resources to get started, plus posters for display on pinboards.

Take over the school

What happens when a school becomes a seed-bed for poetry? With poetry books as the seed packets? Why not invite one of our ambassadors for a poetry assembly, session or workshop – either physically or virtually? Our Toolkit for Schools has handy tips and advice on coordinating this, including things to prepare beforehand and what to expect on the day.

BBC Teach Live Lessons bring the curriculum to life with leading experts and access to the BBC’s biggest brands and talent. The Poetry Live Lesson is one of a series of eight half hour interactive webcasts for schools. Find out more at bbc.com/livelessons and follow @BBC_Teach for regular updates on all upcoming Live Lessons. Head to the BBC Bitesize Writing Poetry page for more videos and tips from our Ambassadors Joseph Coelho and Simon Mole.

The Scottish Poetry Library  has a great selection of poems, posters and resources too, while the  Children’s Poetry Archive website is a treasure trove of poems for children available round the clock.

Let us know how you get on

Don’t forget to let us know what you get up to with #nationalpoetryday, so that we can share your work with our supporters.