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

💡 💡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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