National Poetry Day
National Poetry Day is the biggest mass celebration of poetry in the UK
Held on the first Thursday of October National Poetry Day is the biggest mass celebration of poetry in the UK
It’s a chance for all of us to share in the pleasure of poetry. You’ll see it everywhere, from schools and libraries to cultural venues and across the national media. With 1.5 million people participating on the day, there’s loads of ways to get involved!
National Poetry Day 2026 is on Thursday 1 October.
This year's theme is Wonder
This year's theme encourages people to look more closely at the world around them and find inspiration in everyday experiences, places and moments. It celebrates curiosity, imagination, observation and the power of poetry to help us notice, connect and explore.
Live National Poetry Day assembly
Schools can join a free live National Poetry Day assembly via zoom featuring Michael Rosen, Hot Poets and Young Poet Laureates. The interactive event combines poetry, performance and participation, inviting young people from across the UK to explore the theme of Wonder and contribute their own ideas and responses
Poems and Resources
FREE classroom-ready worksheets, posters and resources all approved by curriculum experts for ages 3 to 16+, to help make this year’s National Poetry Day as easy and impactful as possible. So you can just download, print and go.
To get involved you can:
- Find out how to take part on the day
- Discover what’s on – events, online and in-person, that you can take part in
- Explore some poems and resources that you can read and use on the theme.
- Delve into curated reading recommendations of new poetry collections that have been recently published.
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Muddy Faces recommends
We love this poem by Jonny Fluffypunk about the importance of getting children outside.
Put the Children by a Tree, written for Forest Schools Birmingham
Muddy Faces Resources
Outdoor Hub: Links to projects supporting literacy
Outdoor activities: literacy
Muddy Faces shop: resources to support literacy Literacy | Curriculum Learning
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About National Poetry Day
National Poetry Day generates an explosion of activity nationwide, thousands of amazing events across the UK – on doorsteps and at kitchen tables, in gardens and streets, in schools, libraries and public spaces both online and offline – all celebrating poetry’s power to bring people together.
The Day starts conversations, it encourages love of language and, best of all, it’s open to absolutely everyone to join in. Whether quietly or noisily in rewarding and enjoyable ways. As the artform's most visible moment, it showcases the ways in which poetry adds value to society.