"Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them.”
Neil Gaiman
To make your life a bit easier in the busy holiday season, I have curated a few of our favourite winter and Christmas poems that I read to my young children. My personal favourite from this list is “December Leaves”. Please share in the comments what your favourite winter poem to read with your children is or which poem from the list is your favourite. Follow me on Instagram @lifearoundthetable.ca where I share poems for children on my stories.
The Snowflake
Before I melt,
Come, look at me!
This lovely icy filigree!
Of a great forest
In one night
I make a wilderness of white:
By skyey cold
Of crystals made,
All softly, on
Your Finger laid,
I pause, that you
My beauty see:
Breathe, and I vanish
Instantly!
-Walter de la Mare-
A Heavy Snowfall
Now all the world is white,
But where is one to find a spot
To view the lovely sight?
-Riu-
Snowball
I made myself a snowball
As perfect as could be.
I thought I'd keep it as a pet
And let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas
And a pillow for its head.
Then last night it ran away,
But first it wet the bed.
-Shel Silverstein-
Winter Morning Poem
Winter is the king of showmen,
Turning tree stumps into snow men
And houses into birthday cakes
And spreading sugar over lakes.
Smooth and clean and frosty white,
The world looks good enough to bite.
That's the season to be young,
Catching snowflakes on your tongue!
Snow is snowy when it's snowing.
I'm sorry it's slushy when it's going.
-Ogden Nash-
December Leaves
The fallen leaves are cornflakes
That fill the lawn’s wide dish,
And night and noon
The wind’s a spoon
That stirs them with a swish.
The sky’s a silver sifter,
A-sifting white and slow,
That gently shakes
On crisp brown flakes
The sugar known as snow
-Kaye Starbird-
Fog
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
-Carl Sandburg-
Something Told The Wild Geese
Something told the wild geese
It was time to go,
Though the fields lay golden
Something whispered, "snow."
Leaves were green and stirring,
Berries, luster-glossed,
But beneath warm feathers
Something cautioned, "frost."
All the sagging orchards
Steamed with amber spice,
But each wild breast stiffened
At remembered ice.
Something told the wild geese
It was time to fly,
Summer sun was on their wings,
Winter in their cry.
-Rachel Field-
Velvet Shoes
Let us walk in the white snow
In a soundless space;
With footsteps quiet and slow,
At a tranquil pace,
Under veils of white lace.
I shall go shod in silk,
And you in wool,
White as white cow's milk,
More beautiful
Than the breast of a gull.
We shall walk through the still town
In a windless peace;
We shall step upon white down,
Upon silver fleece,
Upon softer than these.
We shall walk in velvet shoes:
Wherever we go
Silence will fall like dews
On white silence below.
We shall walk in the snow.
-Elinor Wylie-
The Present
There's a present under the Christmas tree,
And I'm excited to see it's addressed to me.
I imagine all the great things it might be,
But I have to wait until Christmas morning to see.
-Kelly Roper-
I Heard a Bird Sing
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.
"We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,”
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
-Oliver Herford-
Skiing
I'm very good at skiing.
I have a kind of knack
For I can do it frontways
And also on my back.
And when I reach the bottom
I give a sudden flop
And dig myself in sideways
And that's how I stop.
-Marchette Chute-
Christmas Bells
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow-
The House of Christmas
To an open house in the evening
Home shall men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home.
-G.K. Chesterton-
A Christmas Carol
The Christ-child lay on Mary’s lap,
His hair was like a light.
(O weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.)
The Christ-child lay on Mary’s breast,
His hair was like a star.
(O stern and cunning are the kings,
But here the true hearts are.)
The Christ-child lay on Mary’s heart,
His hair was like a fire,
(O weary, weary is the world,
But here the world’s desire.)
The Christ-child stood at Mary’s knee,
His hair was like a crown,
And all the flowers looked up at Him,
And all the stars looked down.
-G.K. Chesterton-
Love Came Down At Christmas
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.
-Christina Rossetti-
Please share in the comments what your favourite winter poem is to read with your children or which poem from the list is your favourite.
Allison W says
I really like these poems! I feel like they bring a bit of joy to potentially dark and cold time. Thanks for sharing!!
Christy Faber says
Thanks for the kind comment. I agree!