Ancient Egypt For Kids

We are the Ancient Egyptians
You really have to admire us.
We built the mighty pyramids,
And we invented papyrus.

About three thousand years ago
We were the world's top nation.
We'll tell you a bit about ourselves
For your appreciation.

Hieroglyphics
This is Egyptian writing,
It's called a hieroglyphic.
We write with pretty pictures,
Isn't that terrific?

The Pyramids
We made the giant pyramids
Triangle shaped, not square.
If you go to Egypt now
You can still find them there.

Gods
Egyptians worshipped many gods,
Like Ra, the god of the sun.
There was Horus and Monthu,
Anubis, Seth, Shu,
And the king of the gods, Amun.

Pharoahs
Our kings were known as "Pharoahs",
There were many through the years.
We'll tell you about the most famous ones
Starting in the next verse.

Ramesses
Ruling for 66 years
Ramesses the second
Was the greatest ever Pharoah,
Or so it's often reckoned.

He had about a hundred kids
With lots of different mothers.
Can you imagine having
A hundred sisters and brothers?

Hatshepsut
There was a lady pharaoh.
Which, at the time, seemed weird.
To make herself seem manly,
She stuck on a fake beard.

Tutankhamun
One of the most famous
Was the Pharoah Tutankhamun.
He could have been a great king
But he died too young, too soon.

Cleopatra
When Cleopatra was the queen
She picked a fight with Rome.
It brought on the end of her reign,
And it brings on the end of this poem.

Facts About Ancient Egypt For Kids

• Egypt is a country in north Africa. The ancient Egyptians were the people who lived there thousands of years ago.


• The first farmers settled in Egypt around 5000 BC


• The Ancient Egyptians built their farms, towns and cities along a river called the Nile.


• The Nile flooded every year, which made the soil good for growing fruits and vegetables.


• Most Ancient Egyptians lived in houses made from dried mud, painted white, with small windows.


• Their kings were called pharaohs. They were very rich and powerful.


• The Ancient Egyptians believed in lots of different gods and goddesses. Some of these gods had animals' heads.


• When an important person like a pharaoh died, to stop the body rotting they dried it out, wrapped it in bandages, and put it in a coffin. This is called making a mummy.


• Some pharaohs were buried inside enormous stone pyramids along with their treasure. Even though they were built thousands of years ago, some of these pyramids can still be seen in Egypt today.


• The civilization of ancient Egypt lasted for more than 3000 years.