2014 Children's Poetry Celebration & Contest

April is National Poetry Month, and to celebrate we are hosting the biggest online Children's Poetry Celebration & Contest ever!!

You are never too young to love poetry or too old to celebrate!!  

The 2014 Children's Poetry Celebration is an invitation for kids 4-12 (and their parents and teachers!) to learn more about poetry and flex their poet muscles by writing their own original poems! Homeschoolers, public school students, and private school students are all welcome!!

The 2014 Kids Poetry Celebration & Contest has 2 big parts:

1- The Kids Poetry Celebration:  During the month of April, co-hosting blogs will host introductions to different children’s poets and/or styles of poetry.  Anyone who comments on these blog posts will be entered in a drawing for a kids poetry prize.  Additional entries are available for following host blogs on Facebook.  This landing page will be updated with all the information, dates, and blogs and reminders will be posted on the 2014 Children's Poetry Celebration & Contest Facebook Group. You can join the FB Group now here!!

2- The Kids Poetry Contest:  Children can enter one or two original poems (30 lines or shorter) in one of the following age categories: 4-6, 7-9, 10-12.  Entries will be accepted any time during the month of April (National Poetry Month) via a form on this landing page (scroll down to enter).  Poems will be judged on creativity, originality, style, and language.  Judging may be subjective and all decisions are final.  This year’s contest will be judged by the lovely Becky at This Reading Mama.  All entries will be anonymized and winning entries will be published on host blogs with the child’s first name only.  Prizes will be awarded to the first place winner in each age category.  All entrants will also receive a downloadable/printable participation bookmark!

I am very excited to get this started!!

Be sure to join the 2014 Children's Poetry Celebration & Contest Facebook Group or email me (Carla) with any questions or comments.  

Keep reading!!  On this page you will find four things:

1:  Our fabulous sponsors.

2:  The Poetry Contest Entry Form & Prize Packages.
3:  The Poetry Celebration Schedule with links to co-hosting blogs.

4:  A Rafflecoptor Form for the Giveaway!!

Ready to party?  Here we go!!

1.  Fabulous Sponsors!  These companies and websites are seriously amazing and so generous to sponsor this celebration!  Please go visit them and consider using their products to enrich your children's education.

Discover With Dr. Cool:

Discover with Dr. Cool puts real rock and fossil specimen in the hands of young collectors and budding scientists!  Their amazing science kits and learning guides wow children and adults, and include things like excavating fossils, breaking open geodes, glowing rocks, and more!  AND Discover With Dr. Cool is generously offering all Poetry Celebration participants 5% off all their products!!  Just use the code below!!

Little BLAST:

Little BLAST believes everyone can learn science!  Their wonderful kits bring science experiments and concepts to the fingertips of the littlest learners in your life.  Accessible monthly kits explore topics like construction, magnets, ice, and more!

Corey Rosen Schwartz:

Corey Rosen Schwartz is a picture book author and rhyming genius!  With books like The 3 Ninja Pigs, she brings a fun flair and new twist to the story book world!

Brave Writer:

Brave Writer supports and encourages the homeschooling family in language arts!  They offer classes, ideas, support, and inspiration as you help your children learn to express themselves through writing!

Homeschool Encouragement:

Homeschool Encouragement is full of inspiration and ideas to encourage homeschooling families!  You will find inspiration and energy to help you make homeschooling joyful!

Word Traveling:

Word Traveling is one family's adventures in homeschooling!  You will find ideas, encouragement, curriculum, and share in the educational fun!

Preschool Powol Packets:

Preschool Powol Packets is full of ideas, science projects, printable packets, and everything else that might make life for parents and teachers with preschoolers a little easier!

2.  Poetry Contest Entry Form!!  Parents, enter your children's masterpieces here for a chance at some amazing prizes!   Poems will be judged on creativity, originality, style, and language.  Judging may be subjective and all decisions are final.  This year’s contest will be judged by the lovely Becky at This Reading Mama.  All entries will be anonymized and winning entries will be published on host blogs with the child’s first name only.  Prizes will be awarded to the first place winner in each age category.  All entrants will also receive a downloadable/printable participation bookmark! PLEASE NOTE: PRIZES CAN ONLY BE SHIPPED TO ADDRESSES IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES. Prize Packages are listed below the form.

Prize Packages:
Thanks to donations by very generous sponsors, we are able to offer the following fabulous prizes to the winner in each age category. Prizes are only available to entrants in the continental United States and are subject to change without notification.

4-6 Year Old First Place Winner:
* Real Fossil Kit: Explore real fossils with an educational guide and 10 real fossils, including a dinosaur bone, a shark tooth, and more!
* Little Blast Kit: Spend a month learning about themes like construction, ice, floating, magnets, or a different kit of your choice!

7-9 Year Old First Place Winner:
* Ultimate Dino Dig Kit: Uncover real specimens from an excavation brick! You will find a real dinosaur bone, dinosaur poop, and more!
* The 3 Ninja Pigs: What happens when pigs are trained in marshal arts? Find out in this fun-rhyming fractured fairy tale!
* Arrow Poetry Guide: Discover how poetry is familiar and friendly, and learn how to write your own meaningful and fun poems!

10-12 Year Old First Place Winner:
* Explorer Geode Kit: Break open real geodes and see genuine crystals inside! Use the included guide to identify the crystals and learn how geodes are made!
* Arrow Poetry Guide: Discover how poetry is familiar and friendly, and learn how to write your own meaningful and fun poems!


3. Poetry Celebration Schedule!

April 1 Preschool Powol Packets: Intro & Not All Poetry Rhymes
April 2 Homeschool Encouragement: Poetry: An Ultimate Homeschool Resource List
April 3 Brave Writer's Life in Brief: Cinquain Poems
April 6 The Measured Mom: How to Write a Color Poem
April 7 Wildflower Ramblings: Poetry for Children Recitation Cards
April 11 Line Upon Line Learning: How to Read a Poem & Billy Collins for Kids
April 12 Word Traveling: Poetry is Music
April 15 Teach Beside Me: Haiku Poems for Kids
April 18 The Vicki Arnold Blog: Writing Acrostic Poetry With Kids
April 19 Word Traveling: Poems are the Best Gift
April 21 School Time Snippets: Five Senses
April 23 Creekside Learning: 10 Favorite Poetry Books for Kids
April 24 Planet Smarty Pants: Teaching Kids to Love Poetry
April 25 Are We There Yet?: Robert Louis Stevenson
April 30 Look! We're Learning!: Shel Silverstein



4. Rafflecopter Giveaway!! As a final part of the Poetry Celebration, everyone over 18 in the continental United States can enter the giveaway for a fun magnetic toy, excellent poetry-writing copywork e-books, and a poetry curriculum. More details about these prizes are below! You can enter the giveaway many ways! Use this easy Rafflecopter form for entries AND get extra entries for commenting on the Poetry Celebration posts on the co-hosting blogs (listed in #3 above)!

Prize Package Includes:
#1: MetroMags! Fun, magnetic tiles that can be combined in thousands of 2- and 3- dimensional ways for endless learning opportunities!  Donated by Preschool Powol Packets!
#2: Poetry Copywork E-books!  Perfect for the homeschooling family or teacher, use these e-books to practice handwriting and learn about poets like Robert Frost, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Emily Dickenson, and Robert Browning!  Donated by HomeschoolEncouragement.com!

a Rafflecopter giveaway