Blackout Poetry
About 30 minutes, indoors, for ages 11 and up.
Where it works
Works in any indoor space
Who it's for
ages 11 and up
Try Writing:
- a poem about a feeling
- a poem with a surprise ending
- a poem shorter than five words
- a poem that tells a tiny story
Today's Challenge
- 1.What is the last word your eye lands on?
- 2.Does your poem have a mood?
- 3.What did you leave out that you almost kept?
Quick Start: What you need
- 1an old newspaper or book page
- 2a black marker
The Goal
Black out words on an old page until a poem hides in what is left.
How to start
- 1
Gather what you need: an old newspaper or book page and a black marker. Nothing else required.
- 2
Head indoors and write: a poem about a feeling, a poem with a surprise ending, a poem shorter than five words, a poem that tells a tiny story.
- 3
Talk about what you made. Start with "What is the last word your eye lands on?"
- 4
Print the worksheet to plan it out and keep what you make.
Write It Out Clean
Copy the words you kept into this space, in order, so the poem has a clean home.
Blackout poetry uses words someone else already wrote, so no two people make the same poem from one page.
If you want to push it further
- Draw a small picture around your blacked-out words
- Read your poem out loud before deciding it is finished
Print it and go
The worksheet has the checklist, the prompts, and a space to draw in. One page, ready for a bag or a glovebox.