The Last Pumpkin Poem, Grades 1-3

Hi fellow teachers! Do you need a short Halloween themed poem for your Grade 1, 2, or 3 classrooms? “The Last Pumpkin” – video and free downloads below – can be used as a bell ringer, time filler, or to complement your October lesson goals, including SEL.

See the teaching ideas below for inspiration and grab the version that best suits your classroom needs. You have full permission to use the poem for teaching purposes within any educational setting, including online learning and homeschool.

Let me know if you use the poem – I’d love to hear how it goes.

Watch a video of the “The Last Pumpkin” poem below. This “Poetry Time with Dr. Kim” version includes a visual narrative:

Halloween is almost here
The moon is bright, the sky is clear

Doorstep pumpkins are ready for fun
All of them, that is, except for one

The last pumpkin at the store
Dreams of a home, a nice front door

But all day long families walk on by
Look at the pumpkin, then frown and sigh

“No, no, not that one,” they say
“There’s a big hole, there by the hay.”

So the last pumpkin is all alone
As sad as a dog who lost its bone

But then, before all is lost
Out of the hay, on to the frost

Comes the voice of a tiny mouse
“That big hole’s perfect for my house!”

Now happy pumpkin, happy mouse
Have their own front door, their very own house

Original poem by Kim T. Harrison. Video created in Canva.

Download a PDF, black & white, printable version of the poem:

PRINT-TheLastPumpkinDownload

Download a PPT slide version of the poem:

PPT-TheLastPumpkinDownload

Teaching Ideas

  • As a bell ringer or time filler.
  • As the introduction to an SEL activity – ask questions such as: Why do families walk on by? Why do you think the pumpkin is the last in the store? Would you choose this pumpkin if you saw it? You could pair this poem with a picture book such as Sour Apple by Linda Liu to discuss themes of feeling left out or forgotten.
  • To complement Halloween activities. For example: ask students to imagine the final stanza of the poem – what would the front door look like? What would their house look like? If the pumpkin and mouse decorated their house for Halloween, what would it look like? Draw pictures of the last pumpkin and mouse at Halloween or make a collage of them.
  • For art activities with a math tie-in, you could create a whole street decorated for Halloween using 2D and 3D shapes. This full-class project could use nets (squares and rectangles) to create 3D houses (cubes). You could also investigate how to create pumpkin-shaped spheres with students and experiment making doorstep pumpkins out of construction paper or light cardboard.

Happy Teaching! Kim x

Rainbows: 5 Poetry Warm-Ups for KidLit Writers and Poets

Hi there fellow poets and writers

Reconnect with your childlike sense of awe and wonder at the sight of rainbows with these prompts and exercises, suitable for both beginner and more experienced poets. Use them to warm up your creative muscles or as prompts to inspire new poems.

If you would prefer to go offline with these prompts, download and save or print the PDF at the bottom of the page. 

Happy Writing! Love, Kim

1.) Write the next line of poetry …

a) Where did the rainbow go? …

b) Red and yellow it glows …

c) Oh rainbow, I wish …

2.) Rhyme Practice

Write down 5-7 words that rhyme with “bow” (as in rainbow). Now choose 3 of these words, add the word rainbow, and make 1-2 lines of poetry BUT you can only add prepositions or articles to create your lines. No other words are allowed!

3.) Ekphrastic Practice

Look at the photo of a rainbow below (taken by me a few days ago!). Write down 5 verbs that come to mind. Now take 1 of those verbs and use it as the first word in a poetic line.

write poems about rainbows

4.) Creative brainstorming

Jot down answers to these creative questions (move on to the next question if nothing springs to mind):

  • a) What animal lives at the end of a rainbow?
  • b) What is its name?
  • c) If you could lick a rainbow, what flavour would it be?
  • d) If you could hitch a ride on a rainbow, where would it take you?
  • e) If you could step inside a rainbow, how would it feel on your skin?

5.) Write a stanza or full poem

Take 1 of your ideas from the above questions and develop it into a 4-line stanza. Or, use the idea to craft a new poem or story.

Download a printable version of the prompts here:

RainbowPoetryPrompts-KidLitDownload

My Sister’s Zoo Poem, Grade 2 Science Tie-In

Hi fellow teachers! If you’re looking for a short, fun poem to complement your Grade 2 Science or Math classes, take a look at “My Sister’s Zoo” below. It can be used to introduce or spark ideas for “Zoo in a Jar” projects or to tie in with measurements and weights. Scroll down to find the YouTube video, more teaching ideas, a print-ready PDF and a PPT version.

You could also use the poem as a bell ringer, time filler, or for a post-recess moment of calm and focus. Let the video play while you tidy or prep!

You have full permission to use the poem for teaching purposes within any educational setting, including online learning and homeschool.

Let me know if you use the poem – I’d love to hear how it goes.

Watch a video of the “My Sister’s Zoo” poem below. This “Poetry Pause with Dr. Kim” version includes a short interactive mindfulness introduction before the poem:

My Sister’s Zoo

You won’t find a crocodile in my sister’s zoo
You won’t find a whale
Or a kangaroo
You won’t find a panda
Chomping on bamboo
Or a hippo or a hog
Or some cows who moo
You won’t find an elephant
Steering a canoe
Or a dolphin or a tiger
Or a seal who grew
You won’t find a chimpanzee
Tying up his shoe
Or a rhino or a zebra
Or a wolf named Blue
And you certainly won’t find
In my sister’s zoo
All the children in this school
Not them, not me, not you!

Original poem by Kim T. Harrison. Video created in Canva.

Download a PDF, black & white, printable version of the poem:

PRINT-MySistersZoo-PoemDownload

Download a PPT slide version of the poem with question and activity ideas:

PPT-MySistersZooDownload

Teaching Ideas

  • As a bell ringer or post-recess moment of focus. Let the video play while you tidy or prep.
  • To complement Science and Math assignments and activities, including measuring, weighing, ordering and “Zoo in a Jar” projects.
  • “I wonder…” questions: What are 3 “I wonder…” questions you could ask about this poem?
  • What do all the animals in this poem have in common?
  • What could we keep in a mini zoo in our classroom? Would a polar bear fit? Is a zebra a good idea?
  • Create a list of other animals that would not fit in a jar. Then/Or, create a list of animals that would fit in a jar.
  • Order the animals in size (height and/or length) and weight. Inquiry questions: Would a zebra fit in a house? Would it fit in a car? Would a rhino fit in a classroom? etc.
  • Measure students and compare them to different animals: Am I taller or shorter than a zebra? A rhino? Etc.
  • Use string to measure different lengths.
  • Draw images or create collages of a “zoo in a jar.”

Happy Teaching! Kim x