Go to graphic version. ~~ Go to Part 2 ~~ Go to Part 3

A Time for Rhyme

Writing a poem is a wonderful family (or class) activity.
Get the kids and let's write some silly rhymes!


I can't write a poem with the kids.
Rhyming is hard!

Not so!! All you need is:

  • A thought or idea
  • Some good rhyming words to use at the end of the lines
For example: I did a silly poem about peanut butter. "Butter" is a good rhyming family so I could easily use butter at the end of lines. The last verse was:

I'm a peanut butter nutter,
Proud old peanut butter strutter.
Heart's a flutter, makes me stutter,
Puh-puh, puh-puh, peanut butter.

Some sixth graders were having a hard time writing a poem about fitness (a tough one to rhyme after you use up witness). So, we started with:

Fitness, fitness is our cry,
Hold the fitness banner high.

If the word you want to use is a bad rhymer just back it up in the line and use a word in a good rhyming family to end the line. It shows a child that you can find many ways to express an idea.


Oh, I see! But how do we get started?

Maybe you'd like to start with a fun group, the -oon words. You can do a lot of things soon, by the light of the moon or in June while whistling a tune. A group of students helped me write this masterpiece using the -oon words:

Rolaids in Rangoon

I had, for lunch, in old Rangoon,
A well done mouse served on a spoon.
Raw earlobes of an old baboon,
And finished with a macaroon.

Here are some of the -oon words. Now you and your family can put something together. Enjoy!!!

afternoon
attune
baboon
balloon
bassoon
boon
Brigadoon
buffoon
cartoon
cocoon
commune
croon
doubloon
dragoon
dune
forenoon
full moon
goon
half moon
harpoon
harvest moon
high noon
honeymoon
June
lagoon
loon
lune
macaroon
maroon
monsoon
moon
new moon
noon
octoroon
pantaloon
platoon
prune
raccoon
Rangoon
saloon
sand dune
silver spoon
soon
spoon
strewn
tablespoon
teaspoon
toon
tribune
tune
typhoon
tycoon

Here are a few of the -eez words. Hope these two handy lists will get you started.

Aborigines
analyses
antifreeze
appease
bee's knees
big cheese
boonies
breeze
Brooklynese
Burmese
B.V.D.s
Cantonese
cheese
chemise
Chinese
D.T.s
Diogenes
disease
displease
ease
freeze
grease
Hercules
hypotheses
isosceles
Japanese
parenthesis
Pekinese
please
rabies
sea breeze
seize
Siamese
sleaze
sneeze
Socrates
squeeze
tease
these
trapeze
tweeze
unease
unfreeze
valise
wheeze
and many words formed by plural of long E words.


Hey, this is fun!

Now you've got it! Ready for more? Go to Part 2.
Have fun and Keep Smiling, Grandpa Tucker

Back to Grandpa Tucker's Text Index


Grandpa Tucker Rhymes and Tales produced by Bob Tucker oldcoach77@aol.com.
Copyright ©1995-99 by Not Just for Kids! and Grandpa Tucker Rhymes and Tales.
Maintained by Rosie Winters rosie@night.net.   6/16903/10/25/96

URL: http://www.grandpatucker.com/rhyme-time1-txt.html-ssi