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 2025 is on Thursday 2 October.
This year's theme is PLAY
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.