Rainy days can be fun when you’re being the rain yourself in a punchy action rhyme, and thinking up sounds and ‘doing-words’ to say and write - especially when writing them on an umbrella! Children who can’t write yet can colour the many-sectioned umbrella and contribute verbally. There are 2 short rhymes - actions provided - and 1 writing sheet with accompanying Guide for use/lesson plan. This resource supports Literacy, Expressive Arts & Design, Understanding the World (seasons and weather) and Physical Development. Rhymes are original, designs hand-drawn - home produced. PDFs. Here’s my poem ‘What is a Cloud’ (published): https://youtu.be/EOKVIktMh10

Orange, yellow, purple and black/white/grey are the focus of these catchy, meaningful rhymes. I have written them to help young children identify colours and associate them with familiar items, also triggering ideas and inviting discussion. The rhythms and rhymes serve as introductions to poetry, too. Some of these are best for reading and listening, others for chanting, clapping and acting out.

3 rhymes on one PDF file - only first one visible here. These 3 little rhymes bring phonics to life with story and humour. Animals feature in each one, making them fun to act out and easy to recall. Each rhyme has a particular phonic focus - ‘oo’, ‘ee’ and ‘u’ respectively, and would enhance any lesson on these sounds. The three-page document is for the teacher’s use, though independent KS1 readers would also enjoy reading them. Black-and-white, PDF. PLUS Here’s a beautiful lullaby celebrating the ‘ee’ phonic, by Rhodri Williams-Wandoch: https://soundcloud.com/rhodri-williams-wandoch/try-to-sleep

Engaging rhymes are great for introducing phonics, and for re-inforcing and making them meaningful. I’ve made up these 3 rhythmic, rhyming poems to enhance phonics teaching for the sounds ‘i’ as in ‘mice’, ‘ar’ and ‘er’. The rhymes feature mice (and their ice cream and rice slices), farm yard charms (cows in barn, chicks in yard, cat in cart…), and an action rhyme, twirling, whirling, swerving… like various moving things. Early Years and KS1 children will all enjoy and benefit from these rhymes, which can be listened to, chanted, clapped and enacted.

These 3 simple rhymes bring the mini-beast world alive for young children. Each offers rhyme, rhythm, descriptive words and scope for multiple activities: clapping, enacting, language-building, physical movement, performance, and preparation for any follow-on writing. The rhymes could also be set to music or percussion, or sung to a made-up tune. I made up the rhymes and have found them effective in my poetry workshops for Early Years and KS1. (Illustrations also mine.)

These larger-than-life spider pictures are fun to write on, and the Guide offers word prompt ideas for each section. Both writing sheets invite describing words and action words for spiders, though the pictures are different. On the ‘Spider’ sheet, words can be written on the eight legs; on the ‘Speeding Spider’ sheet, they can be written along the zigzag line of its route over the… floor/grass/path/step? That’s for the child to decide. The first offers colouring opportunities; the second, space for imaginative drawing or shading. Both sheets are hand-drawn and home-produced, and have been successfully tried out in my workshops.

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word or more to complete the phrase - This frog is…, and having a go at writing it on the line provided. More words can be added below, as wanted. Encourage sounding out and emergent writing, rather than accuracy, with this writing activity, to build confidence in independent writing. Perhaps prompt for - green, hoppy, wet, patchy, jumpy, friendly, smiling, splashy or croaking, if ideas are needed. See my other simple writing sheets on wildlife themes for more variety.

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word or more to complete the given phrase - I can see… , and having a go at sounding it out and writing it on the line provided. They can then be rewarded with colouring fun, shading in this fascinating picture. For the writing, encourage children to study the picture and identify some of its features first, then let them choose their favourite one or few to write. Examples to prompt for if needed - a snail, a bird, flowers, grass, leaves, sky, the sun, a ladybird. Able writers could be encouraged to add a describing word or other embellishment. The resource promotes literacy, fine motor control, colour and shape awareness and an appreciation of the natural world.

These inspiring and attractive writing sheets of birds in flight (3 graded versions) will enthuse your independent and emergent writers. After a stimulating input - watching birds, flying like birds yourselves and building a word-bank of action and describing words for them, they’ll love choosing their favourites to write on the flowing, wavy lines. There’s plenty of colouring to do, too. The Guide sheet offers handy ideas to bring in. Supports bird migration, autumn and journeys themes.

This lively seaside picture has two wavy line spaces for describing words for the sea: “The sea is … and …”, and there’s a whole line below for further ideas. Young children will enjoy thinking up two words or more to describe the sea and having a go at writing them, before colouring in the waves, sea creatures, sand, bucket and spade and more. Children in my poetry workshops use the sheet with enthusiasm, for both writing and colouring. See my two harder versions too, plus Shells writing sheet: - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seaside-writing-frame-r-y1-12099509, https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seaside-writing-frame-y2-3-12099502 (free) and https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/shells-can-be-illustrated-writing-frame-guide-sheet-12099487 . Video (looking at shells) https://photos.app.goo.gl/wkeZ8K6iCfcFQneZ9

Phonics and reading practice with seaside theme and picture. Ten simple describing words, clearly highlighted in red boxes over a beautiful seaside photograph. Words: wet, fun, cool, bubbly, wavy, splashy, shallow, fresh, calm, sandy. See also: Seaside Writing & Colouring Sheet: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seaside-writing-colouring-sheet-simple-12099515, and Boat on Sea Colouring Sheet: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/boat-on-sea-colouring-sheet-12096606 .

These punchy, fun rhymes each celebrate a colour, listing and describing different items of that colour in ways that bring it to life for children. The ‘green’ one is an action rhyme; the others are best read aloud. Invite further item suggestions for extra verses - they don’t need to rhyme, provided you can sustain the rhythm. Pick one of these to start a phonics, poetry or descriptive writing lesson. Children from Early Years to upper KS2 will find them thought-provoking and stimulating.

These 5 simple, rhythmic rhymes focus on everyday concepts. Their titles are: Busy Street, In the Park, Windy Day, Taller and Smaller, and School is for Me. Each rhyme sheet includes guidance notes. Suitable for clapping, enacting, word-swapping and performing with embellishments (such as percussion, a tune, or extra actions). They support the learning areas Understanding the World, Expressive Arts & Design, Literacy, Communication & Language, and Physical Development. The rhymes (and illustrations) are my own.