100 Idioms for Kids With Examples & Explanations

# English Idiom And Adage # English Stories For Kids

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Last updated: 08/19/2025

Idioms are one of the most exciting parts of learning the English language. For young learners, they offer a fun way to expand vocabulary, sharpen communication, and develop a deeper understanding of everyday expressions!

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Animal Idioms for Kids

Idiom	Meaning (Kid-friendly explanation)
Let the cat out of the bag	Tell a secret accidentally
A fish out of water	Feeling uncomfortable in a new place
The elephant in the room	A big problem no one is talking about
Cry wolf	Ask for help when you don’t need it (and people stop believing you)
Barking up the wrong tree	Blaming the wrong person or thing
Birds of a feather flock together	People who are alike stick together
Ants in your pants	Feeling restless and can’t sit still
Pig out	Eat way too much
Monkey see, monkey do	Copying someone without thinking
Wild goose chase	A pointless or hard-to-finish task

Weather Idioms for Kids

Idiom	Meaning (Kid-friendly explanation)
It’s raining cats and dogs	Raining very heavily
Under the weather	Not feeling well
Every cloud has a silver lining	Something good comes out of a bad situation
On cloud nine	Feeling very happy
Storm in a teacup	Getting upset over a small thing
Come rain or shine	No matter what happens
Chase rainbows	Try something impossible
Lightning-fast	Very fast
Snowed under	Very busy
Steal someone’s thunder	Take attention away from someone else

Food Idioms for Kids

idiom

Idiom	Meaning (Kid-friendly explanation)
A piece of cake	Very easy
The icing on the cake	Something extra that makes it even better
Spill the beans	Tell a secret
Full of beans	Energetic and active
Cool as a cucumber	Very calm
Butter someone up	Be extra nice to get something
In a pickle	In a tricky situation
Have bigger fish to fry	Have more important things to do
Not my cup of tea	Not something I like
Take it with a grain of salt	Don’t believe it too quickly

Body Idioms for Kids

Idiom	Meaning (Kid-friendly explanation)
Break a leg	Good luck (especially for performances)
Cost an arm and a leg	Very expensive
Cold feet	Nervous before doing something
Head in the clouds	Not paying attention
Keep your chin up	Stay positive
Pull someone’s leg	Joke with someone
All ears	Listening carefully
Give someone a hand	Help someone
Rule of thumb	A general guideline
Foot in the door	Getting a small chance or opportunity

Nature & Outdoor Idioms for Kids

Idiom	Meaning (Kid-friendly explanation)
Hit the hay	Go to bed
The tip of the iceberg	Only a small part of a bigger problem
Out of the woods	Free from trouble or danger
Down to earth	Practical and realistic
Go with the flow	Adapt to how things are going
Make a mountain out of a molehill	Overreact to something small
Water under the bridge	Something bad that’s now in the past
Put down roots	Settle down in one place
Reach for the stars	Try to do something great
A drop in the ocean	A tiny part of something big

Time & Life Idioms for Kids

Idiom	Meaning (Kid-friendly explanation)
Time flies	Time goes by quickly
In the nick of time	Just in time
Once in a blue moon	Very rarely
Call it a day	Stop working or playing for now
A matter of time	It will happen sooner or later
Better late than never	It’s okay to be late instead of not doing it at all
Kill time	Do something while waiting
Around the clock	All day and all night
Beat the clock	Finish before time runs out
On time	Not late

School & Learning Idioms for Kids

Idiom	Meaning (Kid-friendly explanation)
Hit the books	Start studying
Learn the ropes	Learn how something works
Pass with flying colors	Do very well on a test or task
Put on your thinking cap	Start thinking carefully
Show of hands	Raise your hand to vote or answer
Teach someone a lesson	Make sure someone learns not to repeat a mistake
Bookworm	Someone who loves reading
Copycat	A person who copies someone else
Brainstorm	Come up with lots of ideas
Know something by heart	Memorize something completely

Bonus Category: Fun & Silly Idioms

Idiom	Meaning (Kid-friendly explanation)
Go bananas	Get very excited or silly
Have a blast	Have a great time
Jump out of your skin	Be very surprised or scared
Like a bull in a china shop	Be very clumsy
Walk on air	Feel super happy
Out of this world	Amazing, fantastic
Shake a leg	Hurry up
Sleep like a log	Sleep very deeply
Wild about something	Love something a lot
Up in the air	Not decided yet

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Elaina Zetts | WuKong ELA Teacher

Elaina Zetts, a teacher from League City, Texas, majoring in Elementary Education, has a master’s degree in K-12 Literacy. Serves as an ELA teacher in a public school in Friendswood, Texas. Has taught ELA for 15 years and is good at teaching elementary aged students how to read, write and spell. Teh teaching profession is her heart and soul and wat brings her the most joy in life. She hopes dat her love for Literacy shines through and that children grow in their love for reading and writing while in her classes.