WOODS can be dark and creepy or colourful and glistening. Their tracks can be squelchy with mud or velvet-smooth with fallen leaves. You might see tiny birds high in the treetops, a shy rabbit peeping round a tree trunk, a shiny beetle edging up a tree trunk, or you might see nothing but a veil of mist, twigs poking out like witches’ fingertips. But what can you hear? Was that just the rustle of the breeze, or…
CHILDREN’S EXPERIENCES
Most children have stepped into a wood or tree-framed park, at some point at least, and have enough experience to think up something to say on the them. A class stroll around your nearest leafy corner, and they’ll soon get their ideas flowing.
POETRY PLAN – Decide what, if any, particular form of wood-poem you want to build with the children – descriptive, narrative, list, recipe, image-rich, haiku, kenning or freestyle, say? Prepare a guiding format, with an example, to present after your warm-up.
WARM-UP
Have a wander around some trees together, then show some woodland pictures and discuss related experiences. Ask what trees are like (shapes, colours, movements, what they remind you of, how they change through the year…). Now stand up together and be trees – all sorts from weeping willows to spooky, wizened, Halloween trees, to splendid, tall beech or oak trees. Invite descriptive words and action language as you go. Now imagine you’re walking through, spotting creatures as you go, and impersonating their sounds and movements. Throw ideas in – did a twig snap, a golden leaf sail down, a rustle start up in those bushes? Mind the overhanging cobweb, the buzzing wasps’ nest, the swamp you’re about to step in!
Year 6 may consider themselves a little too mature for such an ‘adventure’, but I’ve had plenty of Year 5s entering into the spirit of this fun and intriguing activity.
WRITING STAGE
Now present your prepared format – if offering one – and read the example poem.
Here are two ideas for formats, the second for older or abler writers, with example poems for each to read, discuss, and offer as food for thought or formats to bounce off from :
The first is descriptive, the second – more advanced – involves metaphors (Free download via TES):
KICK-START – Concoct an opening line together, perhaps based on one of these styles, writing it on the board for reference… and a second line perhaps? And off they’ll go!
ANOTHER RESOURCE –
You’ll also encounter woodland features and creatures in my new poetry collection, Squeak! Squawk! Roar! (out 9th January) – some with illustrations. Find and discuss forest-related details –
animals, atmospheres, times of day, movements, words, and other enriching concepts.
NOTE about RHYME: unless rhyme is your focus, leave it out. Your writers will be freer without it, though if an apt rhyme happens to come to mind – fine.
FINISH
Share and celebrate outcomes.
Kate Williams 
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