4 Limericks for Kids
Here are 4 of our own limericks to enjoy with the kids. Print them out or put them up on the whiteboard / computer monitor to read together.
Limericks
Learn about limericks with the help of the resources below. You can enjoy our own limericks with the kids, delve into a collection of 20 of Edward Lear's original limericks, or find out what exactly a limerick is and print out some fun frames that will encourage the kids to have a go at writing their own.
Suggested Use of Resources
You can scroll down to find all our limerick resources by alphabetical order, or you could tackle them in this suggested order.
- Introduce limericks with 1 or more of the following. You might, for example, want to start with the slideshow then have a go at the worksheet the following day for revision and reinforcement.
- Read our 4 Limericks for Kids and pick and choose from any other limericks you have to hand (we can recommend Looney Limericks by Dover Books / Frank Jacobs).
- Read some Edward Lear printables. It was Edward Lear who made limericks popular in the late 19th century. He tended not to come up with a third rhyme, which make the poems a little frustrating! We've picked 20 that the kids might enjoy:
- Have a go at re-working some of Edward Lear's limericks with your own final line. This gives the kids practice at the rythym and format of a limerick without sending them straight out on their own! We have an example to work through and then 2 sets of worksheets to choose from (one prompted with suggested rhyming words provided).
- Now it is time for the kids to start trying to write their own limericks. You might suggest brainstorming rhyming words to begin with. Finding 3 rhymes for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd lines can be tricky. Once they have produced their first draught, you can provide them with one of these fun Write your own limerick printables for a neat copy.
Our Limerick Resources
Edward Lear Limericks Booklet
Print out 20 limericks from Edward Lear, complete with his original funny illustrations. The booklet prints onto A4 paper and folds into an A5 booklet. Staple in the middle.
Edward Lear Limericks Printables
Print out 20 of Edward Lear's limericks in A4 page or A5 booklet format, complete with his original illustrations. We've changed a word here or there if necessary, but on the whole these limericks should be ones to which the kids of today can relate.
Edward Lear Limericks Slideshow
This pdf slideshow has 20 of Edward Lear's limericks for you to put up on your computer screen or whiteboard and enjoy with the kids. We've chosen limericks that modern-day kids can understand and relate to, and changed a word here or there where necessary.
Edward Lear Limericks Worksheets Example
Our Edward Lear limericks ask children to change the (rather unsatisfying) last lines or some of Lear's limericks for their own rhyming lines, making sure that the number of syllables and scansion is correct
Edward Lear Limericks Worksheets Pack
There are 6 sheets in this pack of Edward Lear limerick worksheets, in which we ask children to write their own last lines to two of Edward Lear's limericks, following the rhyming and syllable pattern.
Learning about Limericks Printable
This printable explains simply what a limerick is, giving three different examples for the children to read through.
Learning about Limericks Slideshow
Open this slideshow and work through each screen, page by page, with the children. By the end they should have a good understanding of what makes a limerick, and have read through four examples. You can print this slideshow too, of course.
Learning about Limericks Worksheets
These two worksheets take children through the main features of a limerick. They explore two of our own limericks to make their own discoveries about how a limerick is formed.
Write Your Own Limerick
Choose from 4 different printables that are perfect for displaying a final, neat version of your students' own limericks.
