Three Fun Poems about Birds for Preschool Plus Suggested Books

Three Fun Poems about Birds for Preschool Plus Suggested Books
Page content

Reading a poem about birds is a fun activity for preschool circle time. This favorite poem can be chanted or sung to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” Preschool students will love the hand motions that go with it.

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill, (Tap the thumb and index fingers together like beaks to represent the two birds.)

One named Jack and one named Jill. (Put out one set of fingers and then the other.)

Fly away Jack. Fly away Jill. (Put the first hand behind your back and then the other.)

Come back Jack. Come back Jill. (Bring the first hand back out and then the other.)

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill, (Tap the thumb and index fingers together like beaks.)

One named Jack and one named Jill. (Put out one set of fingers and then the other.)

Nursery Rhymes

You can find several Mother Goose rhymes with birds starring as the main characters. Many of these classic poems about birds are familiar ones like “Sing a Song of Sixpence,” but there are a few less common that would be great to share with preschool students. Read them from an illustrated book of nursery rhymes such as Mary Engelbreit’s Mother Goose: One Hundred Best-Loved Verses or copy them onto to large chart paper so that the students can follow along along with you. You can also provide them with copies to illustrate once they are familiar with the poems.

Let your students be little birds and hop and shake their tails when you read this one!

Once I saw a little bird

Come hop, hop, hop;

So I cried, “Little bird,

Will you stop, stop, stop?”

I was going to the window

To say, “How do you do?”

But he shook his little tail,

And far away he flew.

Let the children draw their own pretty yellow birds to go with this rhyme.

Mary had a pretty bird,

Feathers bright and yellow,

Slender legs - upon my word

He was a pretty fellow!

There are several great books of poems about birds for preschool children. Share a few poems each day as part of your read aloud time, circle time or whenever you have a few free minutes.

Today at the Bluebird Cafe: A Branchful of Birds by Deborah Ruddell

This book contains 21 poems with watercolor illustrations about different types of birds. Preschoolers will enjoy listening to these fun poems and the poems may even spark some interesting discussions about different types of birds and their environments.

Feathers: Poems About Birds by Eileen Spinelli

These short rhyming poems are sure to delight children as they learn about birds. It has bright illustrations and poems that will expose children different types of poetry like limericks and couplets. It also includes extra information and facts about the various birds featured in the poems.

on the wing by Douglas Florian

This book by the author of insectlopedia, mammalabilia and in the swim contains a collection of short poems about many different birds from penguins to hummingbirds to vultures. Like his other poetry collections on the wing features short, clever verses and eye-catching watercolor illustrations.

This post is part of the series: A Preschool Unit About Birds

Here you’ll find books, poems, craft and activities for a preschool bird unit.

  1. Ideas For Teaching Preschoolers About Birds
  2. Preschool Science Activities on Birds
  3. Three Bird Poems for Preschool Students