French poems for kids

In our previous article we spoke about the best French books for kids in 2022, and today, we will talk about a particular category that also involves writing and creativity. Since it is National Poetry Month, we will share with you some simple French poems for kids for your children to work on their oral expression and increase their opportunities to learn new vocabulary.

The following poems are a selection from the books of French poetry for children that is available in our media library.

French haikus

Let’s start with a selection of simple and easy poems for kids, haikus. Haikus originated in Japan and their main characteristic is that they are made of three lines, the first and last row have five syllables and the second one has seven. These poems don’t necessarily rhyme but have been written to capture a moment or an emotion.

The following poem speaks about the ocean and its movement:

au vent de la mer
ondulation des épis
en vagues vertes
- Alain Legoin

The following poem is about the wonders of a baby gaze.

Au bout du doigt du bébé
suspendu
un arc-en-ciel
- Hino Sôjo

The following haiku is about a plant of a friend that holds on to life.

Dans mon jardin
la plante d’une amie chère
qui s’accroche à la vie
- Céline Landry

Short French poetry for children

If the haiku poems were too easy, here are a few different type of short poems that rhyme with wider vocabulary.

Let’s start with a poem that honors a blank page and the endless possibilities that can be written or drawn in it.

Hommage à la page blanche

Page blanche
Plage blanche
Où nul oiseau ne
s’est pose.
Page en attente
Plage en attente
Des vagues à venir.

- Henriette Major

The following poem speaks about a torrent of a magical world.

Le torrent

Au pied du torren,
Je viens accomplir,
Les rites magiques.
Les fées et les elfes,
Aux membres transparents,
Y glissent doucement.
Et leurs gestes coulants,
Et leurs voix envoûtantes
M’ont tant émerveillée
Que j’ai dansé avec les fées,
Et j’ai chanté,
Leur chanson inhumaine.

-Henriette Major

The following poem is about being a child of the world, and the fact that without children, there would be no world.

Partout

Je suis un enfant de partout
Un enfant de Paris, de Cotonou,
Un enfant de l’ombre des montagnes,
Des plis rouges d’un pagne.
Je suis un enfant des nids de moineaux,
De Mulhouse, de Baltimore,
Des petits bateaux de la baie de Rio
Et pire encore
Je suis un enfant quelque part
Né de l’amour entre la chance
Et le hasard.
Un enfant avec un nom,
Un prénom,
Mais un enfant qu’on appelle Terrien
Parce que,
sans moi,
Cette planète n’est rien.

- Alain Serres

Do you enjoy poetry? Do you have any favourite French poems that you would like to share with us? Let us know in our Social Media post!

We hope you enjoyed this selection of easy French poems that kids can use to practice their French and encourage them to write on themselves.

Celebrate with us National Poetry Month, visit our library for a selection of French poetry for kids and adults!

Discover our French Language courses for children here!