A limerick is a humorous stanza of five lines that complies with the rhythm of AABBA. The A-lines in the poem are longer and rhyme together, while the B-lines are shorter and follow the same rhythmic pattern. Most of the limericks are comical and easy to remember, making them popular in children’s literature.
Limericks can be playful and funny, and are also an excellent way to develop creativity and improve language. If you want to introduce limericks to your child and help them build their imagination through poems, we got you covered. We tell you how to write limericks and give you a list of 20 limericks for kids.
How To Write Limericks For Children?
Here are four simple steps to write funny and straightforward limericks for kids.
1. Come up with an idea
Reading limericks will give you ideas to write your poem. Also, it will help you figure out the use of rhyming words in the right way. You can even brainstorm ideas related to a recent incident that made you have fun. For instance, ‘What if we had wings?’ or ‘What if your pet could talk?’
2. Start writing the first line
Once you have an idea, you can begin penning down the first line. Writing the first line is pretty easy, as it should end with a subject. It could be a name, a place, or a thing.
3. Think of the rhyming words
Find the rhyming words to the last word of your first line. You can use a dictionary of rhyming words to find the most appropriate words to go with the subject.
4. Follow the rhythm
Weave a story in the poem or make it funny, but make sure it follows the rhythmic scheme of AABBA. The rhythm is called anapaestic. You need not go into its depth, just remember that the A-lines should have three beats, and B-lines should have two. Here’s the tone:
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM
da DUM da da DUM
da DUM da da DUM
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM
20 Limerick Poems For Kids
1. A Mouse In Her Room
A mouse in her room woke Miss Doud
Who was frightened and screamed very loud
Then a happy thought hit her
To scare off the critter
She sat up in bed and just meowed.
2. There Was An Old Man Of Dumbree by Edward Lear
There was an old man of Dumbree,
Who taught little owls to drink tea;
For he said, ‘To eat mice,
Is not proper or nice,’
That amiable Man of Dumbree.
3. A Circus Performer Named Brian
A circus performer named Brian
Once smiled as he rode on a lion.
They came back from the ride,
But with Brian inside,
And the smile on the face of the lion.
4. The Bicycling Poodle
The bicycling poodle he saw
Made the cop on the beat drop his jaw;
It was easy to tell
That it rode rather well,
Though its hand signals truly were paw.
5. Young Fellow Named Matt
6. Pirate Of Boulder
There was a bold pirate of Boulder
Whose cutlass was slung from his shoulder.
He’d mighty fine notions
Of plundering oceans,
But his mom said: “Perhaps, when you’re older.
7. Easter Bunny by Terry Hoffman
I’m in love with that soft Easter bunny,
He’s so cute and sometimes funny.
He delivers those eggs,
On his long bouncy legs,
And he sure doesn’t do it for money.
8. Star by Kaitlyn Guenther
There was once a wonderful star
Who thought she would go very far
Until she fell down
And looked like a clown
She knew she would never go far.
9. There Was An Old Man With A Beard by Edward Lear
There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, “It is just as I feared! —
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard.”
10. Baby Lou
11. Candy Tree Shops Beryl L Edmonds
If ice cream could be grown on the tree top,
Tiny tummies would be liking it lots.
Any fruit flavour
For all to savour.
Do stop by at the ice cream tree shop.
If only the trees could grow lollipops
With a sharp tangy taste of lemon drops.
Lolly licky-lick
With a zingy twist.
Come along with a skip and a hop.
If chocolate heaven grew on tree leaf,
Bountiful, tempting, delicious to eat,
A smooth, silky, treat
In a chocy feast.
If only they weren’t so out of reach.
If bubblegum grew upon trees that blew
Bubbles in the air, to catch and to chew.
Be nimble, be quick;
Remember the trick
Don’t swallow, because gym sticks like glue.
All are welcome at the Candy Tree Shops.
Feast your eyes on all the goodies they’ve got.
There are enough treats
For all down the streets,
So come and join the jiggery-jog.
12. A Wonderful Bird Is The Pelican by Dixon Lanier Merritt
“A wonderful bird is the Pelican.
His beak can hold more than his belly can.
He can hold in his beak.
Enough food for a week!
But I’ll be darned if I know how the hellican?”
13. Confessions Of A Serial Plant Killer by Cynthia C. Naspinski
Oh, I wish that I had a green thumb.
All my houseplants are looking quite glum.
I never can tell
Why they’re looking unwell
Or why so many succumb.
Have I failed to give enough water?
Have I watered them more than I oughta?
Are they getting too hot?
Is this not the right spot?
It’s like sending poor lambs to the slaughter.
The hard, undeniable fact is
Many succulents, ferns and a cactus,
A begonia, a fig,
Many palms, small and big,
Have been victims of my malpractice.
I confess I’m a serial killer.
Many end up as mulch or land filler.
I kill far more plants
Than snails, thrips or ants.
Or an army of green caterpillar!
Though houseplants are deemed beneficial,
Should these perish, then it is official:
I’ll waste no more dough
Just to watch ’em die slow,
For my next plants will be artificial!
14. The Man From Peru
There once was a man from Peru
Who dreamt that he swallowed his shoe
He woke up in fright
In the mid of the night
To learn that his dream has come true.
15. Friendship by Steve Mckee
16. The Ball Up High by Abimbola T. Alabi
Once I did hear my brother call
The sun a giant fire ball.
How can that be?
For what I see,
Is something up high so small.
I see it at the break of dawn,
When it announces the day is on.
Its brilliant gold,
A joy to behold,
And being outside is so much fun.
John might be right, for I must say,
The sun is not so cool at midday.
Its shining light
Is just so bright,
I have to pull my eyes away.
Evening comes and it’s so strange
How the sun still appears to change.
No longer small,
A bigger ball.
Its tone, now a lovely bright orange!
This curious ball hanging up high,
For me, raises many questions why.
But when it shines,
Then life is fine.
Thank God the sun is in the sky.
17. Me And Chemistry Faizah
There’s this subject called chemistry
How it works is a total mystery
It is an atom
Says my madam
But all I see is my misery.
18. Happy Mother’s Day by Neil
There’s a lady in each of our lives
Who endured all the lows and the highs
That her children went through
Like the mumps or the flu
Or the joy of a pleasant surprise
She strengthened our family ties
And wiped away tears from our eyes
She forgave all our flaws
And our social faux pas
And she baked really great apple pies
She saw through almost all of our lies
And plied us with sodas and fries
When our manners were good
And we did what we should
She was righteous and caring and wise
So to Mothers, both present and past
For the many good deeds you’ve amassed
I honor you all
With this verse on my wall
And I hope that your day is a blast.
19. Listen To Mum by John P. Read
I remember when I was small and cool,
I was always playing truant from school.
My mum used to say,
“You’ll regret it one day
When you grow up to become a fool.”
Now I’m old; the damage is done.
How I wish I’d listened to Mum.
If I could turn back time,
I’d study hard and toe the line
Instead of acting foolish and dumb.
Now let that be a lesson to one and all
That life is more than just having a ball.
It was great having fun
When I was young,
But I wish I’d spent more time in the school hall.
20. Boisterous Joe! by Edel T. Copeland
Interesting, weren’t they? Read the limericks with your children and encourage them to come up with such similar poems. These are fun to read and improve your child’s language, vocabulary, and creativity. It is an ideal way to spend some quality time with your children, too.
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