Wet Play
Listen to Fi's poem ...
“Wet play!” The teachers say.
Everybody shouts “Hooray!”
“Games out! Let’s not shout!
Tommy, please don’t run about!”
Hatty builds a Lego tower,
Ashton colours in a flower.
Fern and Krishna play Top Trumps,
Lottie’s on a chair, then ...
JUMPS!
“Get up Lottie! Do not climb
and jump around. I’ve got no time
for children who do silly things,
and act as though they’ve sprouted wings.”
Lottie settles down to draw,
Lou is rolling on the floor.
Tommy (who’s still running round)
trips on Lou and hits the ground.
“What on earth is going on?
Playtime’s not five minutes gone.
Settle down now, please just play
quiet as mice or - games away!”
Every child’s now on a chair,
Benji’s styling Harvey’s hair
(not with gel - he’s using glue!)
Abigail has lost a shoe.
“Harvey, what’s that in your hair?
Really kids! I do despair!
Hang on Abi, where’s your shoe?
Children this is like a zoo!”
BRRRIIIIIIINNNNG!
“Oh! Thank goodness- there’s the bell!
This wet play has not gone well.
I think a book, now, would be best.
After that we need a rest!”
Everybody shouts “Hooray!”
“Games out! Let’s not shout!
Tommy, please don’t run about!”
Hatty builds a Lego tower,
Ashton colours in a flower.
Fern and Krishna play Top Trumps,
Lottie’s on a chair, then ...
JUMPS!
“Get up Lottie! Do not climb
and jump around. I’ve got no time
for children who do silly things,
and act as though they’ve sprouted wings.”
Lottie settles down to draw,
Lou is rolling on the floor.
Tommy (who’s still running round)
trips on Lou and hits the ground.
“What on earth is going on?
Playtime’s not five minutes gone.
Settle down now, please just play
quiet as mice or - games away!”
Every child’s now on a chair,
Benji’s styling Harvey’s hair
(not with gel - he’s using glue!)
Abigail has lost a shoe.
“Harvey, what’s that in your hair?
Really kids! I do despair!
Hang on Abi, where’s your shoe?
Children this is like a zoo!”
BRRRIIIIIIINNNNG!
“Oh! Thank goodness- there’s the bell!
This wet play has not gone well.
I think a book, now, would be best.
After that we need a rest!”
This poem is copyright (©) Fi Calvert 2024
About the Writer
Fi Calvert
Fi is a primary school teacher by day and a poet by night. She had two poems commended in the YorkMix Poems for Children Competition 2021 and has had a poem about a tardigrade published in The Caterpillar. She loves to write poetry for children in the hope they might relate, laugh or both. Her favourite poems to write are inspired by funny or grumpy things her children say.
