Create a Rhyme using the AABB Rhyme Scheme
Write a four line rhyme using the AABB rhyme scheme, choose a theme, practice rhyme and rhythm, and illustrate your poem afterward.
Step-by-step guide to create a rhyme using the AABB rhyme scheme
Step 1
Choose a theme for your rhyme like animals space friendship or favorite food.
Step 2
Pick two short words that rhyme to be your A endings.
Step 3
Pick two short words that rhyme to be your B endings.
Step 4
Tap or clap a steady beat to decide how many beats each line will have.
Step 5
Write the first line and end it with the first A word.
Step 6
Write the second line and end it with the second A word.
Step 7
Write the third line and end it with the first B word.
Step 8
Write the fourth line and end it with the second B word.
Step 9
Read your four lines aloud while tapping your beat to listen for rhythm.
Step 10
Change any words that do not rhyme or that break your beat.
Step 11
Copy your poem neatly onto fresh paper.
Step 12
Add a short title to your poem.
Step 13
Write your name on your poem.
Step 14
Draw and color an illustration that matches your poem using your coloring materials.
Step 15
Share your finished rhyme and illustration on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of 'coloring materials' or 'fresh paper' if we don't have them, and how can we share the rhyme if DIY.org is unavailable?
If you don't have coloring materials or fresh paper, use recycled magazine pages, cardboard, stickers, or colored scraps to make the illustration and paste or copy your poem onto them, and if you can't use DIY.org, photograph the finished rhyme and illustration and send it by email or messaging.
What should I do if the lines don't match the beat or the rhymes don't sound right when I read them aloud while tapping?
If lines break your beat or rhymes don't sound right when you read your four lines aloud while tapping the beat, change words to shorter or better-matching rhymes (steps 6–9) or slow/adjust the beat until the words fit the rhythm.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older children?
For younger kids, simplify by choosing very familiar themes (step 1), using single-syllable A and B words (steps 2–3), clapping a two-beat pattern and having an adult help write and copy the poem, while older children can add more beats per line, extra stanzas, and more detailed illustrations before sharing on DIY.org.
How can we extend or personalize the rhyme and illustration to make it more creative?
To extend the activity, turn the four-line AABB rhyme (steps 4–7) into a singable song by composing a simple melody to your tapped beat, add a repeated chorus, create a colorful illustrated booklet from your copied poem and drawing, or decorate the page with stickers and captions before sharing on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to create a rhyme using the AABB rhyme scheme
Words That Rhyme | Britannica for Parents
4 Videos
Words That Rhyme | Britannica for Parents
What makes a poem … a poem? - Melissa Kovacs
How to write a limerick (World Poetry Day)
A Guide To Writing A Poem
Facts about poetry for kids
✍️ A four-line stanza is called a quatrain — it's one of the most common building blocks in poems and songs.
🎨 Illustrating a poem helps children link words to images, making the poem easier to remember and more fun.
📏 Many nursery rhymes use simple rhyme schemes and steady beats to make them catchy and easy to recite.
🧠 Playing with rhyme and rhythm helps kids develop phonological awareness, a key skill for learning to read.
🎵 The AABB rhyme scheme pairs the first two lines (AA) and the last two lines (BB) so they rhyme in pairs.
How do I help my child write a four-line poem using the AABB rhyme scheme and illustrate it?
What materials do I need to write an AABB four-line rhyme and make a drawing?
What ages is writing a four-line AABB rhyme suitable for?
What are the benefits of having my child write and illustrate AABB rhymes?
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