Idioms are like little language puzzles—colorful expressions that don’t always make sense if you take them literally but are packed with meaning once you know what they mean. For children, learning idioms is a fun way to understand English better, improve conversations, and express thoughts in creative ways. These phrases are everywhere—in stories, movies, cartoons, and even during playtime!
Understanding idioms can also boost a child’s confidence with language and help them better understand what people really mean when they speak. Some idioms are silly and playful, while others can teach important life lessons. In this blog post, you’ll explore 48 easy and fun idioms that children can learn and start using right away. Each idiom comes with a simple meaning, a sentence to see how it works in real life, and a few similar expressions. Let’s jump into the wonderful world of idioms and make language learning even more magical!
Idioms for Children
1. A piece of cake
Meaning: Something that is very easy to do.
In a Sentence: The puzzle was a piece of cake, and I finished it in five minutes.
Other Ways to Say: Super easy, No trouble at all
2. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To accidentally reveal a secret.
In a Sentence: Mia let the cat out of the bag when she told everyone about the surprise party.
Other Ways to Say: Spill the beans, Say something you shouldn’t
3. Hit the hay
Meaning: To go to bed and sleep.
In a Sentence: I was so tired after school that I just wanted to hit the hay.
Other Ways to Say: Go to bed, Get some sleep
4. It’s raining cats and dogs
Meaning: It’s raining very heavily.
In a Sentence: We had to cancel our soccer game because it was raining cats and dogs outside.
Other Ways to Say: Pouring rain, Heavy downpour
5. Break a leg
Meaning: A way to wish someone good luck.
In a Sentence: Before my dance recital, my mom told me to break a leg!
Other Ways to Say: Good luck, Do your best
6. Cold feet
Meaning: Feeling nervous or unsure about doing something.
In a Sentence: I got cold feet before my school play, but then I felt better once I stepped on stage.
Other Ways to Say: Feel scared, Get nervous
7. A fish out of water
Meaning: Feeling out of place or uncomfortable.
In a Sentence: I felt like a fish out of water at the new school until I made some friends.
Other Ways to Say: Not fitting in, Feeling awkward
8. The early bird catches the worm
Meaning: People who start early have an advantage.
In a Sentence: I woke up early to study, and I finished before breakfast—just like the early bird catches the worm!
Other Ways to Say: Get ahead by being early, Start early to win
9. Hold your horses
Meaning: Wait and be patient.
In a Sentence: Hold your horses—we’ll leave for the park in five minutes!
Other Ways to Say: Be patient, Wait a moment
10. Cat got your tongue?
Meaning: Asking someone why they are not speaking.
In a Sentence: You’ve been so quiet—cat got your tongue?
Other Ways to Say: Why so quiet? Not saying anything?
11. Spill the beans
Meaning: To tell someone a secret, especially by accident.
In a Sentence: Liam didn’t mean to, but he spilled the beans about the hidden treasure map we had made for the birthday game.
Other Ways to Say: Reveal the secret, Let it slip
12. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble for doing something wrong.
In a Sentence: I was in hot water with my teacher because I forgot to bring my homework three days in a row.
Other Ways to Say: In trouble, In a tricky situation
13. Monkey see, monkey do
Meaning: Doing something just because someone else is doing it.
In a Sentence: My little brother copied everything I did at the zoo—definitely a case of monkey see, monkey do!
Other Ways to Say: Copycat behavior, Mimicking others
14. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to take action or make a decision.
In a Sentence: I gave you all the information about the art contest, so now the ball is in your court to decide whether to join or not.
Other Ways to Say: Your turn, It’s up to you
15. When pigs fly
Meaning: Something that will never happen or is impossible.
In a Sentence: My sister said she’d clean my room for me—but that’ll happen when pigs fly!
Other Ways to Say: Never going to happen, Impossible
16. Like two peas in a pod
Meaning: Two people who are very similar or always together.
In a Sentence: Emma and Zoe are like two peas in a pod—they dress alike, laugh at the same jokes, and always play together.
Other Ways to Say: Very close friends, Just alike
17. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To be upset over something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
In a Sentence: I accidentally knocked over my tower of blocks, but Dad told me not to cry over spilled milk and to start building again.
Other Ways to Say: Don’t worry about it, Let it go
18. All ears
Meaning: Listening carefully and ready to hear.
In a Sentence: When Grandma started telling her magical bedtime story, I was all ears because I didn’t want to miss a single word.
Other Ways to Say: Listening closely, Paying full attention
19. A leopard can’t change its spots
Meaning: People can’t easily change who they are inside.
In a Sentence: Even though Jake promised to be nicer this week, he teased me again, and I realized that a leopard can’t change its spots.
Other Ways to Say: People stay the same, Hard to change
20. Chicken out
Meaning: To decide not to do something because you’re scared.
In a Sentence: I wanted to ride the roller coaster but chickened out at the last minute when I saw how high it was.
Other Ways to Say: Back out, Get scared
21. Under the weather
Meaning: Not feeling well or feeling a bit sick.
In a Sentence: I stayed home from school because I was feeling under the weather and needed some rest to feel better.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling sick, Not well
22. Zip your lip
Meaning: To stay quiet or not say anything.
In a Sentence: Mom told me to zip my lip during the movie so everyone could enjoy it without noise.
Other Ways to Say: Be quiet, Don’t talk
23. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To be exactly right about something.
In a Sentence: When Sarah guessed that we were planning a sleepover, she hit the nail on the head!
Other Ways to Say: Nailed it, Got it right
24. Out of the blue
Meaning: Something that happens suddenly and unexpectedly.
In a Sentence: Out of the blue, my cousin showed up at our house with ice cream and balloons.
Other Ways to Say: All of a sudden, Unexpectedly
25. Go bananas
Meaning: To act wild, silly, or super excited.
In a Sentence: The kids went bananas when they saw the bouncy castle at the party.
Other Ways to Say: Go crazy, Get super excited
26. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: To joke around or trick someone playfully.
In a Sentence: I thought my brother had eaten my cookie, but he was just pulling my leg.
Other Ways to Say: Joke around, Tease
27. A whale of a time
Meaning: Having a lot of fun.
In a Sentence: We had a whale of a time at the amusement park and didn’t want to leave.
Other Ways to Say: Tons of fun, Amazing time
28. Butterflies in your stomach
Meaning: Feeling nervous or anxious.
In a Sentence: I had butterflies in my stomach before singing on stage, but I felt better once I started.
Other Ways to Say: Feel nervous, Jittery feeling
29. Full of beans
Meaning: Very energetic or excited.
In a Sentence: After eating a big breakfast, Max was full of beans and ran around the yard laughing.
Other Ways to Say: Full of energy, Very lively
30. Ants in your pants
Meaning: Unable to sit still because of excitement or nervousness.
In a Sentence: During the car ride to the zoo, I had ants in my pants and couldn’t wait to get there!
Other Ways to Say: Super restless, Can’t sit still
31. On cloud nine
Meaning: Feeling extremely happy or excited.
In a Sentence: I was on cloud nine when I found out I was chosen to be the class helper for the entire week.
Other Ways to Say: Over the moon, Super happy
32. The apple of someone’s eye
Meaning: Someone who is very loved or cherished.
In a Sentence: My grandma always says I’m the apple of her eye because I remind her of grandpa.
Other Ways to Say: Someone special, Favorite person
33. Put a sock in it
Meaning: A funny way to tell someone to be quiet.
In a Sentence: When we were watching the movie, my brother kept talking until Dad told him to put a sock in it.
Other Ways to Say: Hush, Be quiet
34. The icing on the cake
Meaning: Something that makes a good thing even better.
In a Sentence: I was happy to finish my homework early, but getting ice cream afterward was the icing on the cake.
Other Ways to Say: A nice bonus, Extra good part
35. Break the ice
Meaning: To start a conversation and make people feel more comfortable.
In a Sentence: I told a silly joke to break the ice when I met my new classmates for the first time.
Other Ways to Say: Start talking, Make things less awkward
36. As cool as a cucumber
Meaning: Staying calm and relaxed, even in a tense situation.
In a Sentence: Even when everyone was nervous about the spelling test, Olivia was as cool as a cucumber and didn’t panic at all.
Other Ways to Say: Calm, Not worried
37. In a pickle
Meaning: In a tricky or difficult situation.
In a Sentence: I was in a pickle when I forgot my lines during the school play and didn’t know what to do next.
Other Ways to Say: In a tough spot, In trouble
38. Have a sweet tooth
Meaning: To love eating sweet things like candy and cake.
In a Sentence: My sister has a sweet tooth and could eat chocolate chip cookies all day if she could.
Other Ways to Say: Love sweets, Crave sugar
39. Get cold feet
Meaning: To suddenly feel nervous or unsure about doing something.
In a Sentence: I wanted to try the big slide at the water park, but I got cold feet right before I climbed the steps.
Other Ways to Say: Lose courage, Feel nervous
40. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Something that happens very rarely.
In a Sentence: We only go out for pizza once in a blue moon, so I always enjoy it when we do.
Other Ways to Say: Very rarely, Not often
41. Don’t judge a book by its cover
Meaning: Don’t make decisions about people or things based only on how they look.
In a Sentence: I thought the new game looked boring, but it was super fun—just shows you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.
Other Ways to Say: Appearances can be misleading, Look deeper
42. Blow off steam
Meaning: To do something active or fun to release anger or stress.
In a Sentence: After school, I ran around the yard to blow off steam and forget about the tough math test.
Other Ways to Say: Calm down, Let out stress
43. Put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: To depend on only one plan or idea.
In a Sentence: I wanted to try out for only one role in the play, but my teacher said not to put all my eggs in one basket and to try others too.
Other Ways to Say: Have backup plans, Don’t rely on just one thing
44. Walk on eggshells
Meaning: To be very careful about what you say or do.
In a Sentence: I felt like I had to walk on eggshells around my brother because he was in a bad mood all day.
Other Ways to Say: Be cautious, Avoid upsetting someone
45. The sky’s the limit
Meaning: There’s no limit to what you can achieve.
In a Sentence: My teacher said the sky’s the limit if I keep working hard and dreaming big.
Other Ways to Say: No limits, Endless possibilities
46. A bird’s eye view
Meaning: Seeing something from high above or from a bigger perspective.
In a Sentence: We climbed to the top of the hill and had a bird’s eye view of the entire town below us.
Other Ways to Say: Wide view, See the big picture
47. Like water off a duck’s back
Meaning: Not being bothered by criticism or mean comments.
In a Sentence: The teasing didn’t upset Ava—it was like water off a duck’s back, and she kept smiling.
Other Ways to Say: Not affected, Brush it off
48. Time flies
Meaning: Time passes very quickly.
In a Sentence: We were having so much fun playing board games that we didn’t notice how time flies when you’re having fun.
Other Ways to Say: Time goes fast, Hours feel like minutes
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct idiom:
- I was so tired after the long hike that I just wanted to __________ the hay and rest.
- Mia was __________ the moon when she saw her birthday cake shaped like a unicorn.
- We didn’t expect Aunt Lily to visit today—she just showed up __________ of the blue!
- The silly faces my cousin made really helped __________ the ice at the family dinner.
- I tried the roller coaster, but I got __________ feet right before getting in line.
- My best friend and I are like two __________ in a pod—we even finish each other’s sentences.
- After doing the dishes and feeding the dog, I was full of __________ and ready to race around the house.
- When the teacher asked if anyone wanted to lead the game, I raised my hand and said, “The __________ is in my court!”
Answers:
hit, over, out, break, cold, peas, beans, ball
Conclusion
Learning idioms isn’t just about memorizing silly phrases—it’s about unlocking a whole new way to understand language and express yourself with fun, colorful words. For children, idioms make conversations more exciting, help build better communication skills, and add some magic to everyday speaking and writing.
Start by using one or two idioms a day when you’re talking with friends, writing stories, or even playing pretend. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to use these creative expressions naturally. Just remember—every time you use an idiom, you’re not just speaking English… you’re speaking it like a pro!
