Idioms are fun and colorful phrases that make our language more interesting. They don’t always mean exactly what the words say, but they help us express feelings and ideas in creative ways. For kids, learning idioms is not only a way to boost their language skills but also a fun challenge! These expressions are commonly used in day-to-day conversations and can make speech more colorful and engaging. In this article, we’ll explore some popular idioms that kids can easily understand and use. From simple sayings to fun expressions, idioms can add excitement to everyday conversations.
Learning idioms is a great way for kids to improve their communication, expand their vocabulary, and even enhance their creative thinking. These phrases often have interesting backstories and make communication much more vivid. In this article, you will find a collection of idioms that are both easy and fun for kids to understand. You’ll also discover the meanings behind these idioms and how they can be used in everyday situations. Let’s dive into the exciting world of idioms for kids!
Idioms for Kids
1. Break the ice
Meaning: To start a conversation in a friendly or casual way.
In a Sentence: At the party, we played a game to break the ice and get everyone talking.
Other Ways to Say: Start a chat, Make things less awkward
2. Jump the gun
Meaning: To start something before the right time.
In a Sentence: I jumped the gun and started my homework before the teacher gave the instructions.
Other Ways to Say: Act too soon, Get ahead of yourself
3. Piece of cake
Meaning: Something very easy to do.
In a Sentence: The test was a piece of cake because I studied really hard.
Other Ways to Say: Super easy, No big deal
4. Spill the beans
Meaning: To tell a secret.
In a Sentence: I accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise gift for mom.
Other Ways to Say: Tell a secret, Let it slip
5. Cat’s out of the bag
Meaning: A secret has been revealed.
In a Sentence: The cat’s out of the bag! Everyone knows about the surprise party now.
Other Ways to Say: Let the secret slip, Gave it away
6. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To describe something exactly right.
In a Sentence: You hit the nail on the head when you said the cake needed more sugar.
Other Ways to Say: Got it right, Nailed it
7. Bark up the wrong tree
Meaning: To make a wrong assumption.
In a Sentence: You’re barking up the wrong tree if you think I’m the one who ate the cookies!
Other Ways to Say: Make the wrong guess, Be mistaken
8. Cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: Something very expensive.
In a Sentence: That video game cost an arm and a leg, but it was totally worth it!
Other Ways to Say: Super pricey, Costs a lot
9. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick or not well.
In a Sentence: I couldn’t go to the park today because I was feeling under the weather.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling sick, Not feeling well
10. Beat around the bush
Meaning: To avoid saying something directly.
In a Sentence: Stop beating around the bush and just tell me what happened.
Other Ways to Say: Avoid the point, Be indirect
11. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To reveal a secret by mistake.
In a Sentence: I let the cat out of the bag and told him about his birthday surprise.
Other Ways to Say: Spill the beans, Give away the secret
12. Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: To take on more than you can handle.
In a Sentence: I bit off more than I could chew when I signed up for too many after-school clubs.
Other Ways to Say: Overcommit, Take on too much
13. Jump on the bandwagon
Meaning: To start doing something because others are doing it.
In a Sentence: She jumped on the bandwagon and started collecting Pokémon cards like all her friends.
Other Ways to Say: Follow the trend, Join in
14. Keep your chin up
Meaning: Stay positive and don’t give up, even when things are tough.
In a Sentence: Keep your chin up! You’ll do better on your next test.
Other Ways to Say: Stay strong, Don’t give up
15. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to make a decision or take action.
In a Sentence: I gave you the information, so now the ball is in your court.
Other Ways to Say: It’s up to you, Your move
16. Cold feet
Meaning: To feel nervous or unsure about something.
In a Sentence: She got cold feet before the dance and didn’t want to go anymore.
Other Ways to Say: Feel nervous, Have second thoughts
17. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: To tease or joke with someone.
In a Sentence: Are you serious, or are you just pulling my leg?
Other Ways to Say: Joke around, Kid someone
18. A blessing in disguise
Meaning: Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good.
In a Sentence: Getting grounded was a blessing in disguise because I had time to finish my project.
Other Ways to Say: A hidden benefit, Unexpectedly good
19. Burn bridges
Meaning: To ruin relationships with others.
In a Sentence: Don’t burn bridges with your friends over a small argument.
Other Ways to Say: Ruin connections, Damage relationships
20. Make a mountain out of a molehill
Meaning: To make a big deal out of a small problem.
In a Sentence: Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill—it’s just a little mistake.
Other Ways to Say: Overreact, Blow things out of proportion
21. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: To avoid bringing up old problems.
In a Sentence: Let sleeping dogs lie and don’t bring up that old fight.
Other Ways to Say: Leave it alone, Don’t stir things up
22. On cloud nine
Meaning: Extremely happy or excited.
In a Sentence: She was on cloud nine after hearing she won the contest.
Other Ways to Say: Over the moon, Thrilled
23. Two peas in a pod
Meaning: Two people who are very alike.
In a Sentence: Those two are like two peas in a pod—they’re always together.
Other Ways to Say: Perfect match, Like twins
24. Take a rain check
Meaning: To decline an invitation but suggest doing it later.
In a Sentence: I can’t go to the movies today, but I’ll take a rain check.
Other Ways to Say: Reschedule, Postpone
25. Throw in the towel
Meaning: To give up or stop trying.
In a Sentence: I won’t throw in the towel just because the puzzle is hard.
Other Ways to Say: Quit, Surrender
26. Bite the bullet
Meaning: To do something difficult that you have been avoiding.
In a Sentence: I finally bit the bullet and cleaned my room.
Other Ways to Say: Face it, Get it over with
27. Don’t cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Don’t be upset over something that has already happened.
In a Sentence: It was just a little mistake, don’t cry over spilled milk.
Other Ways to Say: Move on, Let it go
28. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: To make a bad situation worse.
In a Sentence: Arguing during the argument just added fuel to the fire.
Other Ways to Say: Make it worse, Stir things up
29. Keep an eye on
Meaning: To watch something carefully.
In a Sentence: Please keep an eye on my toys while I go play outside.
Other Ways to Say: Watch over, Look after
30. Go the extra mile
Meaning: To put in extra effort to do something well.
In a Sentence: She went the extra mile to help me organize my books.
Other Ways to Say: Do more than expected, Put in extra effort
31. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: To do two things at once and solve two problems.
In a Sentence: I killed two birds with one stone by doing my homework while watching my favorite show.
Other Ways to Say: Accomplish two things at once, Be efficient
32. A penny for your thoughts
Meaning: To ask someone what they are thinking.
In a Sentence: You seem quiet, a penny for your thoughts?
Other Ways to Say: What’s on your mind? Tell me what you’re thinking
33. Under your nose
Meaning: Right in front of you, but you didn’t notice.
In a Sentence: The answer was under my nose the whole time, and I didn’t see it!
Other Ways to Say: Right there, In plain sight
34. The last straw
Meaning: The final problem or issue that makes you lose patience.
In a Sentence: The last straw was when I lost my homework for the third time this week!
Other Ways to Say: Last problem, Final issue
35. A fish out of water
Meaning: Feeling uncomfortable or out of place.
In a Sentence: I felt like a fish out of water at the new school, but I soon made friends.
Other Ways to Say: Out of place, Uncomfortable
36. Hit the jackpot
Meaning: To get something valuable or great.
In a Sentence: She hit the jackpot when she found the last toy on sale.
Other Ways to Say: Get lucky, Find a treasure
37. Under the gun
Meaning: Feeling pressured or rushed.
In a Sentence: I was under the gun to finish my project by the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Under pressure, Rushed
38. The whole nine yards
Meaning: Everything or all of it.
In a Sentence: I did the whole nine yards by making the cake, frosting it, and decorating it.
Other Ways to Say: Everything, The full deal
39. In a pickle
Meaning: To be in a difficult or tricky situation.
In a Sentence: I was in a pickle when I forgot my homework at home.
Other Ways to Say: In trouble, In a tough spot
40. Cut to the chase
Meaning: Get to the point quickly.
In a Sentence: Can you cut to the chase and tell me if I passed the test or not?
Other Ways to Say: Get to the point, Skip the details
41. When pigs fly
Meaning: Something that will never happen.
In a Sentence: My brother said he would clean the garage when pigs fly!
Other Ways to Say: Not going to happen, Impossible
42. A watched pot never boils
Meaning: Time seems to move slowly when you’re waiting for something.
In a Sentence: I kept checking the clock, but a watched pot never boils!
Other Ways to Say: Time moves slow, Patience needed
43. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To be upset about something that can’t be undone.
In a Sentence: Stop crying over spilled milk—it’s just a mistake, and we can fix it.
Other Ways to Say: Get over it, Let it go
44. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to make a decision or take action.
In a Sentence: I’ve given you all the information; now the ball is in your court.
Other Ways to Say: It’s up to you, Your move
45. Like a bat out of hell
Meaning: To move very quickly.
In a Sentence: She ran like a bat out of hell to catch the bus.
Other Ways to Say: Run fast, Race
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks:
- Before the soccer game, we were told to _ the ground running and give it our all.
- If you want to do well on the test, you need to hit the _ tonight and study hard.
- Getting a pet snake was a _ in disguise because it turned out to be a lot of work!
- I got cold _ before going on stage to present my project.
- After practicing for hours, we went the extra _ to make our dance performance perfect.
- I was so excited when I found my lost wallet—I was on cloud _!
- We killed two _ with one stone by cleaning the garage and organizing the toys at the same time.
- My brother and I are like two peas in a _—we’re always together.
- I’m sorry I can’t join the team’s picnic today, but I’ll take a rain _.
- Arguing about the TV remote only added fuel to the _, and everyone got even more upset.
- After trying and failing several times, I promised not to throw in the _ and kept trying.
- Mom told me to keep an _ on my little brother while she went to the store.
Answers:
ground, books, blessing, feet, mile, nine, birds, pod, check, fire, towel, eye
Conclusion
Idioms are a fantastic way to bring some fun and creativity into everyday conversations. Not only do they make speech more lively, but they also help kids understand how language works in different and imaginative ways. By learning and practicing these 45 idioms, kids can improve their vocabulary, develop better communication skills, and start using these expressions naturally in their daily conversations. Remember, idioms are not just about memorizing phrases—they’re about understanding the meaning and using them in the right context.
So, the next time you hear an idiom, don’t just brush it off! Dive into the story behind it, and soon enough, you’ll be using these colorful expressions like a pro. The more you practice, the more you’ll find idioms popping up in your own conversations. Keep using these fun phrases, and soon you’ll be speaking like a native with a whole new set of skills!
Happy idiom learning, and don’t forget to share some of these cool expressions with your friends and family! You’ll be surprised at how much fun language can be when you really dive into it. Keep the conversation going with these idioms, and who knows, you might even discover some new favorites along the way!
