Limerick it!
Write and illustrate your own limericks: create five-line funny poems with rhyme and rhythm, decorate them, and perform aloud to practice creative writing.
Step-by-step guide to Limerick it!
Step 1
Gather all the materials listed and sit at a clear workspace.
Step 2
Write the rhyme pattern A A B B A at the top of your paper.
Step 3
Under the pattern write a short note that lines 1 2 and 5 are longer and lines 3 and 4 are shorter.
Step 4
Choose a funny subject and write five quick words or ideas about it.
Step 5
Write a first line about your subject that ends with a rhyme word for A.
Step 6
Say your first line out loud so you can hear how it sounds.
Step 7
Clap while you say the line to count its beats and feel the rhythm.
Step 8
Change words in the first line if the beats or rhyme need fixing.
Step 9
Write a second line that rhymes with A and has a similar length to the first line.
Step 10
Write a shorter third line that ends with a new rhyme word for B.
Step 11
Write a fourth line that rhymes with B and matches the third line’s length.
Step 12
Write a fifth line that rhymes with A and matches the length of lines 1 and 2.
Step 13
Read your whole limerick aloud to practice performing it with fun expression.
Step 14
Decorate the page around your limerick using your coloring materials and the black marker for bold lines.
Step 15
Share your finished creation 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!?
I don’t have a black marker or fancy coloring supplies—what can I use instead?
Use a regular black pen or a sharp pencil for the bold lines and swap crayons, colored pencils, washable markers, or stickers for the coloring materials so you can still decorate around your limerick.
I'm stuck on the rhythm—my first line doesn't sound right when I clap; how can I fix it?
Follow the instruction to say the first line out loud and clap each beat, then shorten or replace words until the beats match the intended length for lines 1 and 2 and the rhyme fits the A pattern.
How can I adapt this activity for younger kids or make it more challenging for older kids?
For younger children, turn the 'choose a funny subject and write five quick words or ideas' step into picture prompts and have them dictate lines, while older kids can add more complex meter, internal rhymes, or refine performance during the 'practice performing it with fun expression' step.
How can we make the finished limerick more creative or shareable?
After writing and practicing your limerick, follow the decorate step using your coloring materials and black marker to add illustrations, then photograph or record your performance to upload or share on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to Limerick it!
✏️ How to Write a Limerick Poem | Poetry Writing for Kids and Beginners
4 Videos
✏️ How to Write a Limerick Poem | Poetry Writing for Kids and Beginners
Limerick Poems For Kids // Learning From Home
Limerick Poems for Kids | Classroom Poetry Video
Limericks for Kids
Facts about poetry and creative writing for kids
🤡 Edward Lear popularized limericks with his 1846 book "A Book of Nonsense" full of goofy verses.
📝 Limericks are five-line poems with a bouncy AABBA rhyme pattern — perfect for silly stories.
📚 Limericks often end with a surprising or funny punchline on the fifth line to get a laugh.
🎭 The rhythm is usually anapestic: three beats in lines 1, 2, and 5, and two beats in lines 3 and 4, which makes them fun to perform aloud.
🇮🇪 The name “limerick” may come from the Irish city or county of Limerick, linked to a singing-game that invited adding lines.
How do you do the 'Limerick it!' activity?
What materials do I need for 'Limerick it!'?
What ages is the 'Limerick it!' activity suitable for?
What are the benefits of writing and performing limericks?
One subscription, many ways to play and learn.
Only $6.99 after trial. No credit card required