Bedtime poems for kids, inspire young minds to dream of goodness
Bedtime poems for kids is a great way to share the last few moments of the day with your children before you say good night. It can be hard to get children to wind down after a busy day.
That is why poetry and bedtime stories are one of the best things to soothe hyper older kids or distracted younger children. They can be funny poems, nursery rhymes, charming poems, or simply your favorite bedtime poem. It can even be a whimsical poem or a silly poem like the one below by Lewis Carroll.
The selection here may be new poetry to you. They may not be the popular ones by William Blake or Lord Tennyson, but they are classic poems that will be a great addition to your bedtime routine. They are some of my favorite poems and prayers that hold many great truths for children and what better time than a minute till bedtime to share meaningful words of wisdom and powerful tools for later in life.
Make sure you read on till the end to get the free eBook of poems!
Enjoy!
A Psalm of Life
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
Afton Water
by Robert Burns
Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,
Flow gently, I’ll sing thee a song in thy praise;
My Mary’s asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.
Thou stock-dove, whose echo resounds thro’ the glen,
Ye wild whistling blackbirds in yon thorny den,
Thou green-crested lapwing, thy screaming forbear,
I charge you disturb not my slumbering fair.
How lofty, sweet Afton, thy neighbouring hills,
Far mark’d with the courses of clear winding rills;
There daily I wander as noon rises high,
My flocks and my Mary’s sweet cot in my eye.
How pleasant thy banks and green valleys below,
Where wild in the woodlands the primroses blow;
There oft, as mild Ev’ning sweeps over the lea,
The sweet-scented birk shades my Mary and me.
Thy crystal stream, Afton, how lovely it glides,
And winds by the cot where my Mary resides,
How wanton thy waters her snowy feet lave,
As gathering sweet flowrets she stems thy clear wave.
Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,
Flow gently, sweet river, the theme of my lays;
My Mary’s asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.
Jabberwocky
by Lewis Carroll
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day!
Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Be Not Discouraged
By Daniel C. Colesworthy
Be never discouraged
Look up and look on;
When the prospect is darkest
The cloud is withdrawn:
The shadows that blacken
The earth and the sky,
Speak to the strong-hearted,
Salvation is nigh.
Be never discouraged
Mock, mock at the tears
That fall in your pathway,
And laugh at the fears
That sometimes will darken
The sunniest face;
Push on and be foremost
In the van of the race.
Be never discouraged
The heart that will quail
And sink at a spectre,
How can it prevail?
From morning till sunset
‘Tis cheerless and still,
As the shadows that slumber
On the bleak, icy hill.
Be never discouraged
The true and the wise,
While others are waiting,
Secure the rich prize:
No object of terror,
No word of alarm,
Shall hinder their progress,
Or stay the strong arm.
Be never discouraged,
If you would secure
The earth’s richest blessings
And make heaven sure,
Yield not in the battle,
Nor quail in the blast;
The brave and unyielding
Win nobly at last.
Be never discouraged
By day and by night
Have glory in prospect
And wisdom in sight;
Undaunted and faithful,
You never will fail,
Though kingdoms oppose you
And devils assail.
Final Thoughts
Whether you like 60-minute poems or longer ones like these, bedtime poetry is a wonderful way to instill the love of reading to young children not to mention that they have the sweetest words and will calm any young kids that are having a hard time drifting off to sleep.
If you enjoyed these poems and would like some more, here is the eBook that includes these and other poems from poets like Emily Dickinson, a prayer by an unknown author, and other famous poets of our time. Add these to your nighttime routine.
Another great addition to your daily routine for naps and bedtime is the wonderful book called The Children’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson.
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Younger kids may enjoy the I Spy children’s books series. They aren’t exactly poetry books, but they do have rhyming phrases in them. My toddler loves to read these little books right before bed.
Whether you are looking for the perfect poem to substitute for a bedtime story or something soothing to calm your little one on a stormy night, try some of these poems.
These are too sweet, thank you so much for sharing. I love reading to my children before bed and it surely does calm them down!
Yes, it’s a part of our bedtime routine that we can’t skip.
This is so nostalgic! My parents didn’t really do these things but my grandparents ALWAYS said the “now I lay me down to sleep” one.
I forgot about that one. That’s a good one!