Figuring out how to teach idioms to kids starts with accepting one simple fact: children think literally long before they think figuratively. A young child told that someone is “feeling blue” may genuinely wonder what color the person has turned, and that honest confusion is actually a great starting point for a fun, memorable lesson rather than a problem to avoid.
Idioms are a natural, enjoyable part of language for kids to learn once they understand that some phrases are meant to be pictures in disguise rather than literal instructions. With the right approach, teaching idioms can feel more like a game than a grammar lesson.
Start With the Funny Literal Image
Children often respond well to idioms once they are shown both meanings side by side: the silly literal picture and the real figurative meaning. Asking a child to imagine someone literally having “butterflies in their stomach,” then explaining that it really just means feeling nervous, turns confusion into a memorable joke rather than frustration.
Simple drawing activities work especially well here. Having a child draw the literal meaning of an idiom next to its real meaning helps the figurative sense stick far better than a plain definition read aloud.
Use Everyday Situations
Idioms are far easier for kids to absorb when they are tied to something happening in real life rather than taught from an abstract list. If a child is procrastinating on homework, a parent might gently say they are “dragging their feet,” then explain the phrase right there in context. Hearing an idiom used naturally, at the exact moment it fits, teaches meaning and usage at the same time.
Storybooks, cartoons, and simple children’s shows are also rich sources of idioms, and pausing briefly to explain one when it comes up keeps learning light and unforced rather than turning it into a formal lesson.
Make It a Game
Games are one of the most reliable ways to teach idioms to children, since repetition feels fun rather than tedious when it is wrapped in play.
- Idiom charades, where one child acts out the literal meaning and others guess the real meaning.
- Matching games pairing an idiom with its correct meaning on separate cards.
- A “phrase of the week” chart at home or in a classroom, with a small reward for using it correctly in a sentence.
- Simple quizzes or worksheets, such as ones found alongside idiom explanations on Idioms Academy, adapted for a child’s reading level.
Keep Expectations Age Appropriate
Younger children generally grasp simple, highly visual idioms like “it’s raining cats and dogs” faster than abstract ones involving emotions or complex situations. It is usually best to start with idioms that have a clear, funny mental image, saving more nuanced phrases for when a child’s vocabulary and reasoning skills are a bit further along.
Patience matters here too. Some children delight in the silliness of idioms immediately, while others need to hear a phrase several times, in several different situations, before the figurative meaning truly clicks. Both reactions are completely normal, and gentle repetition over weeks almost always works better than a single intense explanation.
Connecting Idioms to Books and Stories
Picture books built specifically around a single idiom can be a wonderful teaching tool, since the story gives the phrase a full context rather than presenting it as an isolated line to memorize. Many children’s authors have written entire books that take a common idiom literally for comic effect, showing a character genuinely acting out the funny mental image before revealing what the phrase really means. These stories do much of the teaching work on their own, often leaving little extra explanation needed from a parent or teacher.
Group reading sessions, whether at home or in a classroom, also give children a chance to discuss an idiom together, compare their own guesses about its meaning, and hear how classmates or siblings use similar expressions in daily life. That shared discussion tends to make the idiom feel like a small discovery rather than a fact handed down from an adult.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age can children start learning idioms?
Many children begin understanding simple idioms around ages six to eight, once their language skills develop enough to separate literal and figurative meaning, though this varies from child to child.
Why do children often find idioms funny?
Children often find idioms funny because the literal image, such as someone “crying over spilled milk,” is genuinely silly when pictured directly, and that humor makes the real meaning easier to remember.
What is the best first idiom to teach a young child?
Simple, highly visual idioms with an easy mental picture, such as “it’s raining cats and dogs,” tend to work best as a first idiom, since the humor and imagery make the lesson memorable without needing much explanation.