Simple similes

What do "Mary Had a Little Lamb," "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" have in common? They use similes as poetic devices to describe things.

Poems and stories written for children are often full of similes: comparisons between unlike objects that use the words "like" or "as." Think of Mary's little lamb with its "fleece as white as snow." Or the star in "Twinkle, Twinkle" that's "like a diamond in the sky." "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," that classic holiday poem by Clement Clark Moore, is full of similes, including that St. Nick's nose is "like a cherry."

Share these and other poems with your child and point out the similes. Then, have your child create a simple (nonrhyming) simile poem of his or her own. Help your child select an object (or person, or pet) to write about. Then, help him or her craft three to five sentences about the object that contain the phrase "is like." Read the finished poem aloud to your child or have him or her read it to you. Type it and share it with friends and family.