22/07/2025- There's a rhythm out there

Here in the UK, schools have just broken up for the summer. For children it's a time of great excitement, a long exhale after months of early mornings, assemblies, homework, and hard work. Now begin six weeks of well-deserved rest, the promise of adventures in nature, and the kind of spacious freedom that only summer can bring.

For many of us, this time of year brings a sweet nostalgia — remembering our own childhood summers, the endless light-filled days and scraped knees, and now, as parents or grandparents, watching the next generation make memories of their own. There’s a quiet joy in seeing those rhythms continue, a sense of time stretching both backward and forward.

In this newsletter, you’ll find book recommendations to keep little hands and curious minds busy – encouraging creativity, outdoor exploration, and moments of wonder.

Our Poetry Prescription this week for the grown-ups is our popular Happy Pills. We believe poetry can do so much to match or alter a mood, and these small doses of joy are designed to enhance feelings of happiness and gently lift the spirits in low moments or maybe if days at home with the kids can be a little exhausting! You’ll find the full prescription below.

And sometimes, of course, the very best memories are made in the quietest moments — the unscheduled, half-wild days that drift by in a haze of sunlight and mischief. We love this mischievous poem by Meg Cox.

Summer holidays

Me and my friends
did a lot of poking about
in a desultory kind of a way
for weeks, it seemed like.

Sometimes we went 
as far as 'the dam' 
which wasn't one
any more.

Everywhere was covered
in wild garlic.

Sometimes we went
to the pine wood forest
where we had a den
and showed each other
our bottoms.
Maybe that was just once. 

Sometimes we looked
for adders and found 
grass snakes.

Sometimes we sat
in hedges and
didn't do anything much.

Meg Cox from Poetry Prescriptions: Calm published October 2025

Keep Kids Busy this Summer
 

This creative scrapbook invites children to explore their imagination through nature. Packed with playful prompts from drawing and writing to collage and collecting, it encourages kids to engage with the wild world, learn about nature, and transform the book into a unique record of their discoveries.

Perfect for wild summer adventures, Make This Book Wild inspires curiosity, care for the living world, and a sense of joyful wild hearted fun, whether you're exploring a park, cloud gazing, or bug hunting in the garden. You can read some of the activities from the book in the section below.

 Helping Kids Name and Navigate Emotions Through Play

At the Poetry Pharmacy, alongside our books, we offer a range of tools and games that support mental health and wellbeing for all ages. This week, we have a new game that could be just the thing for your little ones this summer.

My Feelings Bingo features 48 emotions, from happiness and sadness to anger, apathy, and anxiety, and helps children recognise and explore their feelings in a playful, pressure free way. Created by developmental psychologist Dr Emily Midouhas, it’s designed to support children’s emotional growth and wellbeing. It’s easy to play for all ages (be the first to match all 16 emotions on your card and shout BINGO!), beautifully designed, and a thoughtful gift to spark meaningful conversations about feelings for kids and adults together.

Our Summer Reading Recommendations for Kids
 

The Forward Prizes Shortlists