Idioms are special phrases that mean more than the words say by themselves. They help us talk in fun and interesting ways. Children hear idioms in stories, songs, and everyday talk. Knowing idioms can make understanding and speaking English easier and more enjoyable.
In this article, you will learn about idioms for children. These idioms use simple ideas that kids can relate to. They help explain feelings, actions, and ideas in a way that is easy to remember. By learning these idioms, kids can enjoy language more and express themselves better in school and with friends.
Idioms for Children
1. Candy-coated truth
Meaning: A truth that is made to sound nicer than it really is.
Samples: The candy-coated truth made the news easier to hear. / Sometimes people use candy-coated truth to protect feelings.
To Put it Another Way: A softened truth. / A nicer way to say something true.
2. Piece of cake
Meaning: Something that is very easy to do.
Samples: The math homework was a piece of cake. / Cleaning my room was a piece of cake today.
To Put it Another Way: Very simple. / Easy to do.
3. Break the ice
Meaning: To start a conversation or activity in a friendly way.
Samples: She told a joke to break the ice at the party. / I broke the ice by saying hello first.
To Put it Another Way: Start talking. / Make friends feel comfortable.
4. Hit the books
Meaning: To study hard.
Samples: I hit the books before the big test. / She hit the books every day last week.
To Put it Another Way: Study a lot. / Work hard on school.
5. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick or not well.
Samples: I stayed home because I was under the weather. / He felt under the weather and missed school.
To Put it Another Way: Feeling sick. / Not feeling good.
6. Jump the gun
Meaning: To do something too soon.
Samples: I jumped the gun and started the game before the teacher said. / Don’t jump the gun on your project.
To Put it Another Way: Do too early. / Start before ready.
7. Cool as a cucumber
Meaning: Very calm and relaxed.
Samples: She was cool as a cucumber during her speech. / Even when nervous, he stayed cool as a cucumber.
To Put it Another Way: Very calm. / Not worried.
8. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To say or do exactly the right thing.
Samples: You hit the nail on the head with your answer. / She hit the nail on the head about the problem.
To Put it Another Way: Exactly right. / Perfect guess.
9. Spill the beans
Meaning: To tell a secret.
Samples: Don’t spill the beans about the surprise party. / He accidentally spilled the beans to his sister.
To Put it Another Way: Tell a secret. / Share a surprise.
10. A piece of cake
Meaning: Something very easy.
Samples: The test was a piece of cake. / Riding my bike is a piece of cake now.
To Put it Another Way: Easy to do. / No problem.
11. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: To blame or look in the wrong place.
Samples: If you think I broke it, you’re barking up the wrong tree. / She was barking up the wrong tree about who took her book.
To Put it Another Way: Wrong idea. / Blaming the wrong person.
12. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To accidentally tell a secret.
Samples: He let the cat out of the bag about the gift. / Don’t let the cat out of the bag about the trip.
To Put it Another Way: Reveal a secret. / Tell something by mistake.
13. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to make a decision or act.
Samples: I finished my part, now the ball is in your court. / The ball is in your court to choose what to do next.
To Put it Another Way: Your turn. / You decide now.
14. Hit the hay
Meaning: To go to bed.
Samples: I’m tired, so I’ll hit the hay early tonight. / After the game, we hit the hay quickly.
To Put it Another Way: Go to sleep. / Time for bed.
15. Out of the blue
Meaning: Something that happens suddenly and unexpectedly.
Samples: Out of the blue, my friend called me. / The rain started out of the blue during recess.
To Put it Another Way: Suddenly. / Without warning.
16. On the ball
Meaning: Being quick to understand or react.
Samples: She’s really on the ball in math class. / He was on the ball and caught the ball fast.
To Put it Another Way: Quick and ready. / Paying attention.
17. Cut corners
Meaning: To do something the easy way but not well.
Samples: Don’t cut corners on your homework. / He cut corners to finish the project fast.
To Put it Another Way: Do less work. / Take shortcuts.
18. Piece of cake
Meaning: Something easy to do.
Samples: Finishing the puzzle was a piece of cake. / The game was a piece of cake for her.
To Put it Another Way: Easy job. / No trouble.
19. Hit the jackpot
Meaning: To get something really good or lucky.
Samples: She hit the jackpot with a new toy. / I hit the jackpot when I found my lost book.
To Put it Another Way: Get lucky. / Win big.
20. In a pickle
Meaning: In a tricky or difficult situation.
Samples: I was in a pickle when I lost my homework. / She was in a pickle about what to wear to school.
To Put it Another Way: In trouble. / Hard spot.
21. Cool as a cucumber
Meaning: Calm and not nervous.
Samples: He stayed cool as a cucumber during the test. / She was cool as a cucumber even on stage.
To Put it Another Way: Very calm. / Not scared.
22. On cloud nine
Meaning: Very happy.
Samples: I was on cloud nine after winning the race. / She felt on cloud nine when she got the puppy.
To Put it Another Way: Very joyful. / Really happy.
23. Break a leg
Meaning: A way to say good luck.
Samples: Break a leg at your play! / I told him to break a leg before the game.
To Put it Another Way: Good luck! / Do well!
24. Couch potato
Meaning: Someone who sits and watches TV a lot.
Samples: Don’t be a couch potato all day. / He was a couch potato during summer break.
To Put it Another Way: Lazy sitter. / TV watcher.
25. Hit the spot
Meaning: Something that feels just right.
Samples: That ice cream really hit the spot on a hot day. / The cold water hit the spot after running.
To Put it Another Way: Felt perfect. / Just what I needed.
26. Keep your chin up
Meaning: Stay positive and brave.
Samples: Keep your chin up when things get hard. / She kept her chin up even after losing the game.
To Put it Another Way: Stay strong. / Don’t give up.
27. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Don’t cause trouble by bringing up old problems.
Samples: Let sleeping dogs lie and don’t talk about the argument. / We let sleeping dogs lie and forgot the fight.
To Put it Another Way: Leave things alone. / Don’t start trouble.
28. Out of this world
Meaning: Really amazing or great.
Samples: The pizza was out of this world! / That movie was out of this world fun.
To Put it Another Way: Fantastic. / Really cool.
29. Under your nose
Meaning: Very close or easy to find.
Samples: The keys were right under your nose the whole time. / The answer was under my nose, but I didn’t see it.
To Put it Another Way: Very close. / Easy to find.
30. Zip your lips
Meaning: To keep a secret or be quiet.
Samples: Zip your lips about the surprise party. / He zipped his lips and didn’t tell anyone.
To Put it Another Way: Don’t tell. / Be quiet.
Find the Topics: Idioms for Children
Last Friday, our class had a big school party. Everyone was excited and trying to break the ice by telling funny jokes. Mia felt a little nervous at first, but she stayed cool as a cucumber when it was her turn to speak.
During the party, Jake told us to keep our chin up because the game might be hard. When we played the relay race, Sarah said it was a piece of cake because she had practiced a lot. Later, we had snacks that really hit the spot after all the running.
At one point, I accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise prize before the teacher could tell us. Oops! Before the party ended, our teacher told us to zip our lips and keep it a secret for next time. Everyone was on cloud nine after having such a fun day.
Task:
Underline or list all the idioms you find in the story.
Answer Key
- Break the ice
- Cool as a cucumber
- Keep your chin up
- Piece of cake
- Hit the spot
- Spill the beans
- Zip your lips
- On cloud nine
Conclusion
Idioms are a fun way to talk about ideas using special phrases. They help make stories and conversations more lively and easier to understand. When children learn idioms, they can share their thoughts in new and interesting ways.
Knowing idioms also helps kids enjoy reading and talking with friends. By practicing these phrases, children can feel more confident and creative in how they use language every day.
