Christmas poems for children

Every important anniversary of the year can be savored and enjoyed also through small gestures and preparatory rituals, which help children (but also adults) to arrive at the most popular holidays on the calendar. aware of the deep meanings that those dates bring with them.

In the case of Christmas, it is a beautiful custom to learn poetry dedicate to this magical moment together with the children: they can act in front of the group of ecstatic relatives during the endless dinners and lunches, handwrite on colored cards to hang on the tree but also provide material to make some original gift cards . Below we have selected some poems to use as a starting point.

Also read: Christmas tree: here's how to make it safe

In this article

 

• Christmas poems for kindergarten 
• Christmas poems in rhyme
• Christmas poems for primary school
• Author's Christmas poems
• Famous Christmas poems
• Christmas nursery rhymes
• Poetry books for children 
• Christmas poems for children by Gianni Rodari

Christmas poems for kindergarten

Here are two Christmas poems suitable to be recited together for those with kindergarten-age children, simple and easy to remember.

"Baby Jesus"

Sweet little baby Jesus

put a flower on my little heart,

a blue flower of goodness

and bless mom and dad.

"Christmas night", by Diego Valeri

"Mom, who is it that sings this divine song in the night?".

"Dear, she is a poor and holy mother who cradles her baby."

"Mom, I thought I heard a sound like cennamella ..."

"They are the shepherds, my good little one, who go after the star."

"Mom, there is a flapping of wings, a whispering of voices, all around."

"The angels descended to announce the blessed day."

"Mom, the sky clears and colors like sunrise ..."

"The hearts of men are shining: it is the dawn of the day of love."

Read also: The gifts that children REALLY want to find under the tree

Christmas poems in rhyme

The presence of the rhyme facilitates mnemonic learning even in the smallest children. Here you will find two Christmas poems for kindergarten children, which can be easily recited even by older children!

"Santa Claus comes at night"

Santa Claus comes at night

comes in silence at midnight

all good babies sleep

and in the beds they dream of gifts

Santa Claus comes in the snow

take his gifts where he should

he certainly knows the names

of all the good children.

"Jesus is born", by Luisa Nason

Little bell you wait up there

sing your song that Jesus is born.

O star, little star that shines above,

revive your light that passes Jesus.

O little heart that you wait down here

prepare your gifts that Jesus is born.

Christmas poems for primary school

Humming the timeless "Jingle Bells" could make you want to learn a Christmas poem in English with your children: we have selected one from Ladybird's Christmas Carols book and CD, published by Paperback, relatively simple but very suggestive and suitable for primary school children. Also for children who attend primary school we propose a traditional Christmas poem and a composition of the hermetic Umberto Saba, because it is never too early to familiarize children with the greats of literature.

"We Three Kings"

We three kings of Orient are

Bearing gifts we traverse afar

Field and fountain, moor and mountain

Following yonder star

O Star of wonder, star of night

Star with royal beauty bright

Westward leading, still proceeding

Guide us to thy Perfect Light

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain

Gold I bring to crown Him again

King forever, ceasing never

Over us all to reign

O Star of wonder, star of night

Star with royal beauty bright

Westward leading, still proceeding

Guide us to Thy perfect light

Frankincense to offer have I

Incense owns a Deity nigh

Prayer and praising, all men raising

Worship Him, God most high

O Star of wonder, star of night

Star with royal beauty bright

Westward leading, still proceeding

Guide us to Thy perfect light

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume

Breathes of life of gathering gloom

Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying

Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

O Star of wonder, star of night

Star with royal beauty bright

Westward leading, still proceeding

Guide us to Thy perfect light

Glorious now behold Him arise

King and God and Sacrifice

Heaven sings alleluia

Alleluia the earth replies.

"The joy of Christmas", by Maria Albina Scavuzzo

The joy of Christmas slips up all the stairs,

lights up nativity scenes and pines

and the eyes of all children.

Then he looks out at the balconies.

hangs festoons on it;

slips down the streets,

lights up shop windows and districts.

Then he runs to the church,

where a bell awaits

announces all in one breath;

The King of children was born!

 

"To baby Jesus", by Umberto Saba

Night has fallen

and the comet shines

that marked the way.

I am in front of You, Holy Child!

You, King of the universe,

you taught us

that all creatures are equal,

that distinguishes them only by goodness,

immense treasure,

given to the poor and the rich.

Jesus, make me good,

who has nothing but sweetness in his heart.

Make that your gift

grows in me every day

and spread it around,

in your name.

Read also: Christmas drawings to print and color

Author's Christmas poems

Among the many Christmas poems by famous authors, we have selected to recite together with the little ones "Le Ciaramelle" of our own Pascoli.

"Le ciaramelle", by Giovanni Pascoli

I heard the sweets in my sleep,

I heard a sound of lullabies.

There are all the stars in the sky,

there are lights in the huts.

They came from the dark mountains

the ciaramelle without saying anything;

they have awakened in his hovels

all the good poor people.

Each arose from his bed;

he turns on the lamp under the beam;

they know those lights of shadow and yawn,

of cautious steps, of a grave voice.

The pious lamps shine around,

there in the house, here on the hedge:

it looks like the earth, before day,

a great little man crib.

In the blue sky all the stars

they seem to remain as if waiting;

and here is raising the ciaramelle

their sweet church sound;

church sound, cloister sound,

house sound, cradle sound,

sound of mom, sound of ours

sweet and past to cry for nothing.

O sweets of the first years,

before the day, before the truth,

now that the stars are there sublime,

aware of our brief mystery;

that bread is not yet thought of,

that the fire is not yet lit;

before the cry of the bells

so make us cry a little.

No more than nothing, yes of something,

of many things! But the heart wants it,

that big cry that then rests,

that great pain which then does not hurt;

over his new real pains

wants those sobs for no reason:

on his martyrdom, on his pleasure,

wants those old good tears!

Famous Christmas poems

If you want to mention some great author on your greeting cards or if you want to recite a famous poem together with the little ones, you are spoiled for choice. We have selected a thought of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, simple and able to touch everyone's hearts, and a poem of Salvatore Quasimodo, where the peace of the nativity scene contrasts with human restlessness.

"It's Christmas", by Mother Teresa of Calcutta

It's Christmas every time you smile at a brother and hold out your hand.

It's Christmas every time you stay silent to listen to each other.

It's Christmas every time you don't accept those principles that relegate the oppressed to the margins of society.

It is Christmas every time you hope with those who despair in physical and spiritual poverty.

It is Christmas every time you humbly recognize your limitations and weaknesses.

It is Christmas every time you allow the Lord to be born again to give it to others.

"Christmas", by Salvatore Quasimodo

Christmas. I look at the carved nativity scene,

where are the newly arrived shepherds

to the poor stable of Bethlehem.

Even the Magi in long robes

they salute the mighty King of the world.

in fiction and silence

wooden figures: here are the old men

of the village and the shining star,

and the blue donkey.

in the heart of Christ forever;

but there is no peace in the heart of man.

Even with Christ and for twenty centuries

brother lashes out on brother.

But there are those who listen to the baby's cry

who will then die on the cross between two thieves?

Christmas nursery rhymes

In addition to poems, the Christmas holidays have their good nursery rhymes made up of simpler texts and dedicated in the first place to children: this one that we propose to you Rodari it is easy to memorize and immediately understand, but the text is very deep and will help your children reflect on the fact that the Christmas it is not the same for all children.

The tree of the poor

Christmas nursery rhyme,

the snow is white as salt,

the snow is cold, the night is black

but for children it's spring:

only for them, at the foot of the bed

a small tree has blossomed.

What strange flowers,

what good fruits

today on the tree of gifts:

golden dolls, tin trains,

fur bears like cotton wool,

and at the top, right on the highest branch,

a horse that takes the leap.

I almost touch it ... But no, I dreamed,

and behold, now, I woke up:

in my house, next to my bed

the tree has not flowered.

There are only the flowers of frost

on the windows that hide the sky from me.

The tree of the poor on the windows has blossomed:

I erase it with a finger.

Poetry books for children

And for those who want to deepen their knowledge in the field of poetry (or simply look for some alternative ideas to make "literary" Christmas gifts) there are some books dedicated to poems suitable to be read and recited during this Christmas period. Barbara Schiaffino and Martina Russo of the editorial staff of Andersen, the monthly magazine which deals with children's literature and which organizes the Premio Andersen, (one of the most coveted awards attributed to children's books, their authors, illustrators and publishers) have given us some ideas.

"Christmas, but also and above all the atmospheres of winter, the sensations experienced with the approach of the holidays, are themes that find space in the poetry of great authors for children, such as Gianni Rodari, Vivian Lamarque, Giusi Quarenghi, Roberto Piumini and many others".

"Vivian Lamarque tells, with her rhymes, the arrival of the coldest season, in"Ice poems”(Einaudi Ragazzi), accompanied by illustrations by Alessandro Sanna. Intense words - of snow, cold and silence - that speak to the heart, touching strings that move the reader of all ages ».

«Giusi Quarenghi too starts from the suggestions offered by the passing of the seasons and with "And the sky over the houses" it tells in verse the colors, the emotions, the thoughts that welcome us and that we capture both in the happy moments and in the dark ones of our existence "

"The Interlinea publishing house collects every year the best Christmas stories by great authors for children, selected through the homonymous Prize, and also dedicates the series to the holidays "Christmas", dedicated to the theme of Christmas between literature and art ».

And for those who are passionate about child-sized poems, here is a volume that stimulates the poetic vein of young authors: «We also recommend a book that has just been printed. It is about "I want to write a poem" (Carthusia edizioni) by Bernard Friot and illustrated in full page by Arianna Papini: a true hymn to poetry addressed to children with simple but profound words and images of great evocative power ».

Christmas poems for children by Gianni Rodari

«Gianni Rodari told Christmas with many nursery rhymes: perhaps the most famous is" The planet of Christmas trees "which is also the title of one of his stories, published in volume by Einaudi Ragazzi and in audiobook by Emons. Furthermore, in "Rodari for the whole year" (Einaudi Ragazzi), illustrated by Antonella Abbatiello, the poems and nursery rhymes are collected, divided according to the seasons. In the "winter" section there are several compositions dedicated to the holidays »

Here is the text of "The planet of Christmas trees" by Gianni Rodari, also ideal as a poem to print and hang next to the advent calendar.

Where are the children they don't have

the Christmas tree with silver snow,

candles and chocolate fruits?

Quickly, quickly, gather, we go

in the Planet of Christmas trees,

I know where it is.

What a strange, blessed planet ...

Here it is Christmas every day.

But look around:

the trees of the forest,

illuminati party,

they are loaded with gifts.

Panettone grow on the hedges,

the plane trees of the avenue

they are Christmas plane trees.

Even the nettle,

it doesn't sting,

but keeps on every leaf

a silver bell

swinging in the wind.

In the square there is the toy market,

a market with all the trimmings,

at each counter you would leave your eyes.

And you pay nothing, all for free.

You observe, choose, take and leave.

Indeed, indeed, the master

he bows to you and says: "Thank you very much,

come back again tomorrow, please:

for me it will be an honor… ".

How beautiful the windows without glass!

Without glasses, of course,

so each takes

what he likes best: and you don't pass

not at the cashier, because

the cashier is not there.

A really beautiful planet even if someone insists

to say that it does not exist ...

Well, if it doesn't exist, it will exist: what difference does it make?

Read also: SOS last minute Advent calendar? Here are the DIY ideas for kids

Questions and answers

How can you celebrate Christmas with children?

It is possible to read with the children some poems dedicated to this magical moment of the year: they can be recited in front of the host of relatives during dinners and lunches.

Why make children read poems at Christmas?

Because in this way children become more aware of the profound meanings that the holidays bring with them.

TAG:

• poetry
• christmas children
• christmas poems
• children's poems
• 3-5 children years