Idioms are expressions whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of their words.
These idioms for kids use familiar situations to make figurative language easier to recognize and understand.
What is an idiom?
An idiom is a group of words with a commonly understood meaning that usually cannot be worked out by taking every word literally.
If someone says, “It’s raining cats and dogs,” they mean it is raining very heavily, not that animals are falling from the sky.
Idioms appear in conversations, books, cartoons, and classroom discussions.
Learning them helps children follow what people mean, notice playful language, and express ideas in a more vivid way.
The examples below include a meaning and a sentence for each expression.
Everyday idioms for kids
- A piece of cake: Something very easy.
The spelling quiz was a piece of cake for Maya. - Break the ice: Help people feel more comfortable when they first meet.
Our teacher played a name game to break the ice. - Hold your horses: Wait or slow down.
Hold your horses—we need to put on our coats first. - Under the weather: Feeling a little sick.
Leo stayed home because he was feeling under the weather. - On cloud nine: Extremely happy.
Sam was on cloud nine after his team won. - Get cold feet: Become nervous before doing something.
I got cold feet before my first piano recital. - In a pickle: In a difficult or awkward situation.
We were in a pickle when we realized we had forgotten the map. - Keep an eye on: Watch or look after something.
Please keep an eye on my lunch bag while I get a drink. - Let the cat out of the bag: Reveal a secret, often by accident.
Ben let the cat out of the bag when he told Ava about her surprise party.
Idioms about animals and nature
- The elephant in the room: An obvious problem or subject that people are avoiding.
The broken window was the elephant in the room during our meeting. - Busy as a bee: Very busy.
Dad was busy as a bee getting the garden ready for spring. - When pigs fly: Something that is very unlikely to happen.
My brother says he will clean his room without being asked when pigs fly. - A fish out of water: Someone who feels uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation.
I felt like a fish out of water at my first dance lesson. - The early bird catches the worm: Getting started early can give you an advantage.
We arrived before the fair opened because the early bird catches the worm. - Make a mountain out of a molehill: Treat a small problem as if it were much bigger.
It was only a small mistake, so try not to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Idioms about actions and feelings
- Give it a shot: Try something.
I had never tried skateboarding, but I decided to give it a shot. - Keep your fingers crossed: Hope that something goes well.
Keep your fingers crossed that our class wins the quiz. - Pull someone’s leg: Tease someone with a joke or pretend something is true.
When Nina said she had met a talking penguin, I knew she was pulling my leg. - Back to the drawing board: Start planning again after an idea does not work.
Our paper bridge collapsed, so it was back to the drawing board. - Call it a day: Stop working for now.
After we finished the model, we decided to call it a day. - Burn the midnight oil: Stay up late working.
We did not want to burn the midnight oil, so we started our project early. - Get the hang of it: Learn how to do something.
After a few tries, I got the hang of tying my skates. - Learn the ropes: Learn how a task or activity works.
The older campers helped us learn the ropes at the nature center. - Speak of the devil: Said when someone appears just after being mentioned.
We were talking about our coach when she walked in—speak of the devil! - Keep your chin up: Stay hopeful when something is disappointing.
Keep your chin up; you can try again at the next race. - See eye to eye: Agree with someone.
My cousin and I do not always see eye to eye about which game to play. - In the same boat: In the same situation as other people.
We were all in the same boat when the teacher assigned a tricky puzzle.
How are idioms different from proverbs?
An idiom is an expression with a figurative meaning, such as “hold your horses,” which means to wait.
A proverb is a short saying that expresses advice or a general idea.
For example, “The early bird catches the worm” encourages people to get started early.
Some familiar expressions can be described as sayings, too, so the categories may overlap in everyday use.
Not every unusual phrase is an idiom.
A simile directly compares two things, often using “like” or “as,” as in “quick as a rabbit.” A literal phrase means exactly what its words say: “The rabbit ran across the yard” describes an actual event.
How can kids learn idioms?
- Look for clues: Read the whole sentence and think about what is happening.
If someone says they are “on cloud nine” after good news, the context suggests they are happy. - Check whether the literal meaning makes sense: If “raining cats and dogs” sounds impossible in the story, the words probably have a figurative meaning.
- Keep a phrase notebook: Write down an idiom, its meaning, and a sentence of your own.
Drawing a quick picture can make its literal and figurative meanings easier to compare. - Notice who is speaking: Idioms are informal in many situations.
In a school report, a clear literal explanation may be better than an expression such as “a piece of cake.” - Ask when you are unsure: A dictionary, teacher, or trusted adult can explain an expression and show whether it fits the situation.
Idioms can make stories and conversation more colorful, but context matters.
Once children learn the common expressions and their meanings, they can recognize when a phrase is figurative and use it more confidently.