“The Picnic”
We brought a rug for sitting on,
Our lunch was in a box.
The sand was warm. We didn’t wear
Hats or shoes or socks.
Waves came curling up the beach.
We waded. It was fun.
Our sandwiches were different kinds.
I dropped my jelly one.
by Dorothy Aldis
I discovered this poem years ago in Jack Prelutsky’s wonderful anthology, Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young. (Knopf, 1986) And although Dorothy Aldis wrote it almost 100 years ago, children can relate to this simple depiction of a picnic at the beach just as easily today as they did then. First graders love this poem, and the concrete details help those kids who don’t automatically visualize learn to create images from a poet’s words.
Hope you all have time for one more picnic at the beach before summer ends! Please be sure to visit Mary Lee at A Year of Reading for the Poetry Friday Round Up.
Reading to the Core 
Lovely, and with the picture, too, Catherine. I wish I could return to the beach with a jelly sandwich. Thanks for the poem, will copy and share with the teachers. I know they will love it. I’m in & out, but start on the 20th-the days will zoom, won’t they?
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What a lovely picnic…even though the jelly sandwich is dropped!
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Reblogged this on Mrs. Jennifer Cimini, M.Ed..
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Picnic at the beach – there is nothing quite like it. Great photograph too, Catherine – lovely pairing.
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I can just imagine that sandy jelly sandwich! Cassatt makes it look so lovely and peaceful when my memories of beach with little kids is sticky and grumpy. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
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I’ve experienced a picnic or two like this one…especially the dropped sandwich. Crunchy. Thanks for sharing. = )
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I cringe at the thought of sand in my jelly sandwich! Wouldn’t it be wonderful, though, to have our own work stand the test of time like this poem does!
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