Blackout Poetry Art Project for Kids


School-aged kids will learn how to create blackout poetry in this easy project. This basic technique can easily be used at home or in the classroom.

Turn old book pages into poetry!

Discovering Words for Blackout Poetry

Blackout poetry is a fun art movement displaying how poetry is found everywhere. Artists repurpose book pages by completely altering their appearance and message. 

Blackout Poetry is a fun method for kids because it removes the stress of following poetry rules of rhyme and stanzas. Blackout poetry has no rules and the words are already supplied on the page! Artists are simply looking for a way to arrange the words to bring them together in a new form of expression. 

Related: Reuse dictionary pages in art projects as well.

Supplies Needed to Make a Blackout Poetry Art Project

blackout poetry supplies are very basic and include book pages, pencil, colored pencils, crayons, etc. kids activities blog
Very Basic supplies are needed for this project
  • Book Pages
  • Pencil
  • Coloring Medium of choice – we used colored pencils, crayons, and markers

Directions to Make Blackout Poetry

Step 1

step 1 - boy using craft knife to remove a page from a book - kids activities blog
carefully remove a page from a book

To begin, cut or tear pages from a book, magazine, newspaper, etc. 

Step 2

step 2 - using a pencil to lightly underline words to use for blackout poetry - kids activities blog
Use a pencil to lightly mark words for blackout poetry

Next, use a pencil to lightly underline words that work together to form a new idea. 

Note: This is the only time during the project that I apply rules to the poetry. I simply tell the artist that he or she must be able to tell me what their poetry means to them.

Step 3

step 3 - using a permanent marker to draw rectangle borders around words used in blackout poetry - kids activities blog
Draw a border around the words used for poetry

Then, use colored medium to draw a border around words forming blackout poetry. 

Step 4

step 4 - using markers and colored pencils to creatively cover all unused words on a book page - kids activities blog
Creatively cover all unused words

Lastly, blackout the remainder of the page by coloring over words not used in the poem. This can be done by simply coloring the entire page black, crossing out extra words, or scribbling through unwanted sentences. Artists can also creatively draw images associated with their new poem. 

Finished Blackout Poetry Art Project

completed blackout poetry projects using old book pages, colored pencils, crayons, and markers - kids activities blog
Our completed blackout poetry masterpieces!

This is such a fun project! Since these projects are made on paper, they can be easily framed, clipped, or displayed in your preferred style. 

Our Experience Making this Blackout Poetry Art Project

I love that this project inspires kids to think about creative writing without any rules. My son isn’t a fan of writing (or poetry) so this project removed stress for him associated with handwriting and not knowing what words to use. With this project, he simply had to look at the page and mark words that stood out to him as fitting together to form a new idea. We then discussed what words we marked, why, and what they meant to us. It was a fun project to do together to get a glimpse into each other’s mind.

We picked up an old book from our local library’s used book sale, but any discarded or damaged book would work for this project. We prefer using chapter books that allow more word choices on a single page.

Prep Time
5 minutes

Active Time
15 minutes

Total Time
20 minutes

Difficulty
Medium

Estimated Cost
$1

Tools

  • Pencil
  • Coloring Medium of choice – we used colored pencils, crayons, and markers

Instructions

  1. Cut or tear pages from a book, magazine, newspaper, etc. 
  2. Use a pencil to lightly underline words that work together to form a new idea. Note: This is the only time during the project that I apply rules to the poetry. I simply tell the artist that he or she must be able to tell me what their poetry means to them.
  3. Use colored medium to draw a border around words forming blackout poetry. 
  4. Blackout the remainder of the page by coloring over words not used in the poem. This can be done by simply coloring the entire page black, crossing out extra words, or scribbling through unwanted sentences. Artists can also creatively draw images associated with their new poem. 

Notes

Blackout Poetry Art Variations

  • Create blackout poetry based on a theme or holiday.
  • Mount book pages to a sturdy surface and use wet mediums such as acrylic paint to complete.
  • Turn blackout poetry pages into a card, collage, or other mixed media project.

Blackout Poetry Art Variations

  • Create blackout poetry based on a theme or holiday. 
  • Mount book pages to a sturdy surface and use wet mediums such as acrylic paint to complete. 
  • Turn blackout poetry pages into a card, collage, or other mixed media project.

Other Fun Art Projects from Kids Activities Blog

Did your kids enjoy creating blackout poetry? How did they choose to blackout their page? 



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