*Imagination Not Included – When a Cardboard Box turns into the Universe: Poem About Toys for Kids

When I sat down to write toy poems, I was really opening the lid on every childhood afternoon I ever spent among Lego bricks and rumbling Hot Wheels. “Imagination Not Included” grew out of that simple, glorious moment when a cardboard box transforms into anything a child can dream—rocket ship, plane, bullet train, even a crocodile‑dodging boat.

By anchoring each stanza to a new metamorphosis, I wanted young readers to feel the kinetic snap of possibility: press an imaginary button and—whoosh!—the ordinary erupts into the extraordinary. In a world crowded with digital distractions, poems about toys for kids let me remind families that the greatest upgrades still come free, bundled with a child’s own curiosity.

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*Imagination Not Included

My favourite toy above all else:

a roaring, racing car

that has secret button in

and when I press it hard

transforms into a rocket ship

and shoots me to the stars

and if its rocket boosters fail

it morphs into a plane

with supersonic silver wings

that slices clouds of rain

then cruises back to Planet Earth

becomes a bullet train

that sometimes loses all control

and crashes in the Nile

but luckily becomes a boat

that sails for miles and miles

where safe, I stick my tongue right out

at snapping crocodiles

My favourite toy above all else:

its marvel never stops

from small to big to extra-large

it’s often free in shops

*imagination not included

Just a cardboard box

Mark Bird

💡 Creative Writing, Drama and Poetry Ideas for Teachers: (Poem About Toys for Kids)

When I wrote “Imagination Not Included”, I wanted to celebrate the magic that lives inside every child’s mind—and the humble cardboard box that so often unlocks it. This poem has inspired some fantastic classroom lessons in poetry, creative writing and drama. One of my favourite activities is asking pupils to write their own transformation poems, beginning with “My cardboard box is not just that…”, and imagining all the wild and wonderful places it could take them. In drama sessions, children can mime climbing inside their box, soaring through space or sailing stormy seas, using sound effects and movement to bring the adventure to life. I also love seeing classes create a shared performance poem, “Where My Box Will Go”, with each child contributing a line. It’s a brilliant way to show that creativity doesn’t come with instructions—and imagination is the only engine you need.

Poetry Worksheet for Teachers: (Poem About Toys for Kids)

Imagination_Not_Included_Worksheet.docx

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Imagination Not Included: Poem About Toys for Kids