Twelve Treasures

My children love to go treasure hunting. 

At the beach parks, we pretend to be on a boat which stops at islands, each holding a different treasure to find. Rough things, smooth things, brown things, green things. The emphasis always on texture or colour. As they've grown older, they like to find things based on clues, so I wrote this treasure hunting poem for them. It's simple - twelve treasures - that can be found while on a walk or playing in the park. 

Sometimes I'm round, sometimes I'm  l o n g .

When the wind blows I help make a song.

I'm a ... (leaf).

I grow down low right on the ground.

Under your feet I can be found.

I am ... (grass).

I'm made of wood and thin as can be.

I used to grow up on a tree.

I'm a ... (stick).

Sometimes I'm rough, sometimes I'm smooth.

Sometimes I'm big and hard to move!

I'm a ... (rock).

I can be pink, yellow, purple, or even red.

I'm found in every flowerbed.

I'm a ... (petal).

I'm found on trees and am often rough.

Trunks need me to stay really tough.

I am ... (bark).

I wear shiny armour and scuttle about.

I have six little legs and sometimes wings that spread out.

I'm a ... (beetle).

I have woody scales arranged in rows.

Up on a tree I used to grow.

I'm a ... (pinecone).

I'm made of grains, tiny and white.

A handful of me feels very light.

I am ... (sand).

I'm round like the moon or curved like a smile.

I hold tiny seeds tight for quite a while.

I'm a ... (seed pod).

I have three green leaves, each shaped like a heart.

If you find me with four, it's a lucky start!

I'm a ... (clover).

I carry my house on my back and move oh so   s  l  o  w  .

I like it best outside when the rain starts to flow.

I'm a ... (snail).