Try "five senses" poems. (or 3 senses for younger children).

Discuss your topic and then have them describe the topic using their senses -- We did this a few weeks ago in our Fruit of the Spirit unit on Wednesday nights, first we did a class poem all together, then each child did his/her own. The older kids ended with a prayer. We wrote with calligraphy pens and decorated with water colors! They are beautiful and wonderfully creative! I will have pictures on our website in a few days! Here are some examples:

Joy (by a 6th grader)

Joy looks like a beautiful sunrise.
Joy sounds like the dance music.
Joy smells like freshly washed hair
Joy tastes like sizzling fajitas.
Joy feels like snowflakes on my tongue.

Thank you God for letting me feel joy in my life.

Joy (by a 2nd grader)

Joy tastes like homebaked chocolate chip cookies
Joy smells like puppy breath
Joy feels like a warm, snuggly puppy.

(Can you guess that this child just got a new puppy?)

I have also done an Advent poem with, amazingly, 3-5th grade boys. It was about Jesus being the light. I prompted them to describe Jesus as the light .. what light is, what light does, where light goes, why we need the light, etc. It was beautiful! They read it during worship as the Advent candles were being lit.

Go for it! I think this is an area we could really develop!

Jaymie