Sparks: an invention poem for kids. Imagine, most everything in the world started as a spark in someone's head.

Sparks

From Pac-Man, Oz, the moonwalk, Jaws

To rockets and sliced bread

Once sparks that lit up question marks

Ideas in human heads...

The PS4, X-box, the door

The BMX, the kite

King Kong, Ping Pong and hip hop songs

The book, to read and write

The Pyramids, New York, Madrid

The submarine, the chair

The bed, cheese spread and Barbie’s head

The wheel, the bulb, the square

The swimming pool, the slide, the school

The fizzy pop, the gum

The shoe, Kung Fu, the flushing loo

The phone, the clock, the drum

The microchip, the paper clip

Cartoons, the ball, the screw

Blue jeans, baked beans and trampolines

The toothbrush, pens, shampoo

The aeroplane, ice-cream, champagne

The world wide web, the fridge

French fries, cat’s eyes and custard pies

The road, the car, the bridge

Wonder what's inside your head

Magnify the sparks

Imagine what you will invent

With your own question marks

©2011 Mark Bird

💡KS2 Poetry Lesson Ideas

As the author of "Sparks", a joyful and fast-paced invention poem for kids, I wanted to show how everything—from rockets to rubber ducks—begins as a simple idea in someone’s head. This playful poem about inventions celebrates human creativity across time and invites children to see their own thoughts as potential breakthroughs. "Sparks" works brilliantly as a launchpad for poetry, drama, and creative writing activities. Students can write their own invention poems, imagine future gadgets, or create dialogues between two quirky inventions.

Get your class to invent something that will make the word a better place. Let them draw a symbol that illustrates their invention and then display all of their ideas together in the shape of a question mark. In drama lessons, they might perform scenes where young inventors present their wildest ideas, or act out how famous creations came to be. The final stanza asks children to “magnify the sparks” in their own minds—making it perfect for inspiring confidence in their imaginations and voices.

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