Idioms are like little bursts of magic in our language, turning simple words into vivid pictures that spark imagination and make talking more fun. They don’t always mean what they seem to say, but they help kids share their thoughts and feelings in a playful, colorful way. For children, learning idioms is like discovering secret codes that grown-ups and friends use every day, making it easier to understand stories, jokes, and conversations. These phrases are not only exciting but also teach kids about creativity and how to express themselves clearly. In this blog post, we’ll explore 50 idioms that are perfect for children, with meanings, example sentences, and other ways to say them. Plus, there’s a fun exercise at the end to help kids practice and make these idioms stick. Let’s jump into this adventure of words and discover the joy of idioms!
Idioms for Children
1. A piece of cake
Meaning: Something that is very easy to do.
In a Sentence: Finishing my coloring book was a piece of cake because I love to draw.
Other Ways to Say: Super simple, Easy peasy
2. Raining cats and dogs
Meaning: Raining very heavily.
In a Sentence: We couldn’t go to the park because it was raining cats and dogs all afternoon.
Other Ways to Say: Pouring rain, A big downpour
3. Break the ice
Meaning: To start a conversation or make people feel comfortable.
In a Sentence: I told a funny story to break the ice at my new friend’s birthday party.
Other Ways to Say: Get things started, Make friends feel at ease
4. Spill the beans
Meaning: To tell a secret by accident.
In a Sentence: Don’t spill the beans about the surprise gift we got for Mom!
Other Ways to Say: Let the secret out, Tell the truth
5. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To accidentally reveal a secret.
In a Sentence: I let the cat out of the bag when I mentioned the picnic to my sister.
Other Ways to Say: Give away the secret, Blurt it out
6. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To say or do something exactly right.
In a Sentence: You hit the nail on the head when you guessed my favorite animal was a dolphin.
Other Ways to Say: Got it exactly right, Spot on
7. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Making a mistake about something or someone.
In a Sentence: If you think I took your toy, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Other Ways to Say: Getting it wrong, Mistaken
8. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling a little sick or not well.
In a Sentence: I stayed home from school because I was feeling under the weather today.
Other Ways to Say: Not feeling great, A bit sick
9. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to decide or act.
In a Sentence: I finished my part of the game; now the ball is in your court to make a move.
Other Ways to Say: It’s up to you, Your turn
10. Don’t cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Don’t be upset about something that’s already happened.
In a Sentence: I dropped my ice cream, but Mom said not to cry over spilled milk.
Other Ways to Say: Let it go, Move on
11. A blessing in disguise
Meaning: Something that seems bad but turns out to be good.
In a Sentence: Losing my old backpack was a blessing in disguise because I got a cooler one.
Other Ways to Say: A hidden good thing, Unexpectedly great
12. Keep your chin up
Meaning: Stay positive even when things are hard.
In a Sentence: Even though I lost the race, my friend told me to keep my chin up and try again.
Other Ways to Say: Stay strong, Keep smiling
13. On cloud nine
Meaning: Feeling very happy or excited.
In a Sentence: I was on cloud nine when I won the spelling bee at school.
Other Ways to Say: Over the moon, Super thrilled
14. Two peas in a pod
Meaning: Two people who are very similar or close.
In a Sentence: My best friend and I are like two peas in a pod because we love the same games.
Other Ways to Say: Best buddies, Like twins
15. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To stay up late working or playing.
In a Sentence: I burned the midnight oil to finish my puzzle before bedtime.
Other Ways to Say: Stay up late, Work hard at night
16. Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: Taking on more tasks than you can handle.
In a Sentence: I bit off more than I could chew when I tried to do all my chores in one hour.
Other Ways to Say: Take on too much, Overdo it
17. Jump on the bandwagon
Meaning: To join something that’s popular.
In a Sentence: All my friends jumped on the bandwagon and started playing the new video game.
Other Ways to Say: Follow the crowd, Join the fun
18. Hit the ground running
Meaning: To start something quickly and with energy.
In a Sentence: We hit the ground running when we started building our treehouse.
Other Ways to Say: Start fast, Dive right in
19. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: To tease or joke with someone.
In a Sentence: My brother was pulling my leg when he said there was a monster in my room.
Other Ways to Say: Kid around, Tease
20. Cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: Something that is very expensive.
In a Sentence: That new toy costs an arm and a leg, so I’ll save my allowance for it.
Other Ways to Say: Really pricey, Super expensive
21. Beat around the bush
Meaning: To avoid talking about something directly.
In a Sentence: Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you broke in the kitchen.
Other Ways to Say: Avoid the truth, Be unclear
22. Make a mountain out of a molehill
Meaning: To make a small problem seem much bigger.
In a Sentence: Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill just because you lost one crayon.
Other Ways to Say: Blow it out of proportion, Overreact
23. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: To leave a problem alone to avoid trouble.
In a Sentence: I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not ask about the broken vase.
Other Ways to Say: Leave it alone, Don’t stir things up
24. Take a rain check
Meaning: To politely say no to an invitation but suggest doing it later.
In a Sentence: I can’t come to the park today, but I’ll take a rain check for next week.
Other Ways to Say: Postpone, Do it later
25. Throw in the towel
Meaning: To give up on something.
In a Sentence: I won’t throw in the towel even though this puzzle is really tricky.
Other Ways to Say: Quit, Give up
26. Bite the bullet
Meaning: To do something tough that you don’t want to do.
In a Sentence: I bit the bullet and cleaned my messy room before playing outside.
Other Ways to Say: Face it, Get it done
27. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: To make a bad situation worse.
In a Sentence: Yelling at my sister only added fuel to the fire during our argument.
Other Ways to Say: Make it worse, Stir up trouble
28. Keep an eye on
Meaning: To watch something or someone carefully.
In a Sentence: Can you keep an eye on my dog while I grab a snack?
Other Ways to Say: Watch over, Look after
29. Go the extra mile
Meaning: To do more than what’s expected.
In a Sentence: I went the extra mile and made a card for my teacher’s birthday.
Other Ways to Say: Do extra, Put in more effort
30. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: To do two things with one action.
In a Sentence: I killed two birds with one stone by reading my book while waiting for the bus.
Other Ways to Say: Do two things at once, Be efficient
31. A penny for your thoughts
Meaning: Asking someone what they’re thinking about.
In a Sentence: You look quiet today—a penny for your thoughts?
Other Ways to Say: What’s on your mind? Tell me your thoughts
32. Cold feet
Meaning: Feeling nervous about doing something.
In a Sentence: I got cold feet before my first school play, but I did it anyway.
Other Ways to Say: Feel scared, Get nervous
33. Burn bridges
Meaning: To ruin a friendship or relationship.
In a Sentence: Don’t burn bridges with your friend just because you had a fight.
Other Ways to Say: Break ties, Hurt a friendship
34. In the same boat
Meaning: Being in the same situation as someone else.
In a Sentence: We’re all in the same boat because we forgot our homework.
Other Ways to Say: In it together, Same problem
35. Hold your horses
Meaning: To wait or slow down.
In a Sentence: Hold your horses, we’ll open the presents after cake!
Other Ways to Say: Wait a minute, Slow down
36. The early bird catches the worm
Meaning: Being early gives you an advantage.
In a Sentence: I got to school early and got the best seat—the early bird catches the worm!
Other Ways to Say: Be first, Get ahead
37. Don’t judge a book by its cover
Meaning: Don’t decide something based only on how it looks.
In a Sentence: She seemed shy, but don’t judge a book by its cover—she’s really fun!
Other Ways to Say: Look deeper, Don’t assume
38. A dime a dozen
Meaning: Something very common and not special.
In a Sentence: Those stickers are a dime a dozen at the store.
Other Ways to Say: Really common, Not unique
39. Kick the bucket
Meaning: A funny way to say someone or something has stopped working or died.
In a Sentence: My old toy robot finally kicked the bucket after years of play.
Other Ways to Say: Stopped working, Broke down
40. Cry wolf
Meaning: To ask for help when you don’t need it, so people stop believing you.
In a Sentence: If you cry wolf too many times, no one will help when you really need it.
Other Ways to Say: Fake a problem, Exaggerate
41. Out of the blue
Meaning: Something that happens suddenly and unexpectedly.
In a Sentence: My friend called me out of the blue to invite me to a movie.
Other Ways to Say: All of a sudden, Unexpectedly
42. Get your act together
Meaning: To organize yourself and do better.
In a Sentence: I need to get my act together and finish my homework on time.
Other Ways to Say: Shape up, Get organized
43. A fish out of water
Meaning: Feeling uncomfortable in a new place or situation.
In a Sentence: I felt like a fish out of water at my new school on the first day.
Other Ways to Say: Out of place, Uncomfortable
44. Break a leg
Meaning: A way to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance.
In a Sentence: Break a leg at your dance recital tonight!
Other Ways to Say: Good luck, Do great
45. The last straw
Meaning: The final problem that makes someone lose patience.
In a Sentence: When my brother ate my candy, it was the last straw, and I got mad.
Other Ways to Say: Final problem, Enough is enough
46. Steal someone’s thunder
Meaning: To take attention away from someone else’s moment.
In a Sentence: I didn’t mean to steal her thunder by showing my drawing first.
Other Ways to Say: Take the spotlight, Overshadow
47. Through thick and thin
Meaning: Staying loyal no matter what happens.
In a Sentence: My best friend stayed with me through thick and thin when I was sad.
Other Ways to Say: Always there, Loyal forever
48. When pigs fly
Meaning: Something that will never happen.
In a Sentence: I’ll clean my room every day when pigs fly!
Other Ways to Say: Never ever, No way
49. Put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: To rely on just one plan or thing.
In a Sentence: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by only studying one subject for the test.
Other Ways to Say: Don’t risk everything, Spread it out
50. Catch someone red-handed
Meaning: To find someone doing something wrong.
In a Sentence: I caught my brother red-handed eating my cookies.
Other Ways to Say: Catch in the act, Busted
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks:
- I was so happy to get an A on my test that I felt like I was on _______ nine.
- Don’t _______ the beans about the surprise party for our teacher!
- Cleaning my room was tough, but I decided to _______ the bullet and get it done.
- My friend and I are like _______ peas in a pod because we both love soccer.
- It started _______ cats and dogs, so we had to cancel our picnic.
- I got to school early and got the best seat—_______ bird catches the worm!
- Don’t _______ a mountain out of a molehill just because you lost one toy.
- I went the extra _______ and made a poster for our class project.
- When my toy broke, it was the _______ straw, and I was so upset.
- I felt like a _______ out of water on my first day at camp.
- My sister was _______ up the wrong tree when she thought I hid her book.
- I did my homework while waiting for dinner, so I killed two _______ with one stone.
Answers:
cloud, spill, bite, two, raining, early, make, mile, last, fish, barking, birds
Conclusion
Idioms are like little treasures in our language, making it fun and exciting for kids to share their ideas and understand others. By learning these 50 idioms, children can add sparkle to their conversations, tell better stories, and feel more confident when talking with friends, family, or teachers. Try using these phrases in your daily life—at school, during playtime, or even when telling a funny story. The more you practice, the more natural they’ll feel. Keep exploring thestat exploring the world of words, and let idioms bring your language to life!