Take the path less traveled to celebrate National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month. Here are five ways to share the beauty of language with your family:

• Dr. Seuss National Memorial at the Springfield Museums, Springfield, Mass. There is “fun to be done” when you and your family visit this memorial and sculpture garden in the hometown of Theodor Geisel, known to most as Dr. Seuss. You’ll learn about what inspired the clever man who penned more than 44 children’s books. Also in residence: Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, the Cat in the Hat and other iconic characters. catinthehat.org

• Poets House, New York. With sweeping views of the Hudson River, enjoy learning about new poets or steep yourselves in the beautiful words of your longtime favorites. The organization’s collection includes more than 60,000 volumes and is among the most comprehensive in the U.S. The on-site Constance Laibe Hays Children’s Room serves up kid-friendly performances and encourages the creation of poetry, art, music and dance. Youngsters find pecking out their poems on a manual typewriter to be particularly compelling. poetshouse.org

• Where the wild things are. Take your poetic license (and the kids) to a zoo or animal park for creative inspiration. Have fun penning your own rhymes along the way, taking cues from the shapes, sizes and sounds found in the natural world. Consider drawing pictures to illustrate the creative words. Add to the experience by visiting the website of former Children’s National Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt for poems such as “Don’t Think About a Zebra,” games and other links of interest. poetry4kids.com; aza.org

• Robert Frost Stone House, Shaftsbury, Vt. Nestled on 7 acres, the museum honors the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who lived here from 1920 to 1929. The stone-and-timber home opened as a museum in 2002 and includes the dining room table where the famous poet penned “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” on a hot June morning. Pair a visit to the museum with a stroll on the adjacent Robert Frost Trail. northbennington.org/frost.html; frostfriends.org

• Celebrate your way. Attend a poetry reading at a university, bookstore, cafe or library. In Chicago on April 9, the Poetry Foundation Library presented a reading by Young People’s Poet Laureate Jacqueline Woodson, as well as refreshments and other interactive activities for children and teens. Practice your own writing and encourage your children to do the same by scribbling notes and observations in a notebook or journal. To start, write about people and places that are familiar, advises Nesbitt. “Don’t worry about trying to make your poems rhyme,” he adds. “It’s much more important to say what you really want to say.” poetryfoundation.org