29 Idioms for Kids
Idioms are fun and playful expressions that don’t always mean what the words say. Instead, they use creative language to express ideas in a more exciting way. For example, if someone says, “It’s raining cats and dogs,” they don’t mean animals are falling from the sky—they just mean it’s raining very hard!
Learning idioms helps kids understand English better, especially in conversations, cartoons, books, and songs. In this article, we’ll explore 29 kid-friendly idioms, explain what they mean in simple words, and show how to use them in real life. Each idiom comes with examples and similar phrases so kids can remember and use them easily.
Idioms for Kids
1. Break a leg
Meaning: Good luck! (Often said before a performance)
In a Sentence:
– “You’ll do great in the play. Break a leg!”
– “My friend told me to break a leg before my piano recital.”
Other Ways to Say: Good luck / Do your best
2. Piece of cake
Meaning: Something very easy to do
In a Sentence:
– “That math homework was a piece of cake!”
– “Cleaning my room was a piece of cake today.”
Other Ways to Say: Super easy / No problem
3. Spill the beans
Meaning: Tell a secret
In a Sentence:
– “Don’t spill the beans about the surprise party!”
– “He spilled the beans and told mom about the broken vase.”
Other Ways to Say: Tell the secret / Let it slip
4. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: Accidentally reveal a surprise or secret
In a Sentence:
– “Oops! I let the cat out of the bag about your birthday gift.”
– “She let the cat out of the bag and told him about the trip.”
Other Ways to Say: Spill the secret / Give it away
5. Cold feet
Meaning: Feeling nervous or scared to do something
In a Sentence:
– “I got cold feet before going on stage.”
– “He had cold feet about riding the roller coaster.”
Other Ways to Say: Got scared / Backed out
6. Hit the hay
Meaning: Go to bed or go to sleep
In a Sentence:
– “I’m really tired. Time to hit the hay!”
– “After the movie, we all hit the hay.”
Other Ways to Say: Go to sleep / Go to bed
7. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick
In a Sentence:
– “I didn’t go to school because I was feeling under the weather.”
– “He looked under the weather all day.”
Other Ways to Say: Not feeling well / Sick
8. Raining cats and dogs
Meaning: Raining very heavily
In a Sentence:
– “Don’t forget your umbrella—it’s raining cats and dogs!”
– “We stayed inside because it was raining cats and dogs.”
Other Ways to Say: Heavy rain / Pouring
9. Hold your horses
Meaning: Wait a moment or be patient
In a Sentence:
– “Hold your horses! Dinner isn’t ready yet.”
– “You have to hold your horses and wait for your turn.”
Other Ways to Say: Wait up / Be patient
10. Butterflies in my stomach
Meaning: Feeling nervous or excited
In a Sentence:
– “I had butterflies in my stomach before the test.”
– “She had butterflies in her stomach before going on stage.”
Other Ways to Say: Felt nervous / Had jitters
11. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to decide or do something
In a Sentence:
– “I said sorry—now the ball is in your court.”
– “You know your choices, so the ball is in your court.”
Other Ways to Say: It’s your move / It’s up to you
12. Cat got your tongue?
Meaning: Why are you being so quiet?
In a Sentence:
– “You were talking a lot earlier—cat got your tongue?”
– “She didn’t say a word. I asked, ‘Cat got your tongue?’”
Other Ways to Say: Why so quiet? / Lost for words
13. Hit the books
Meaning: Start studying
In a Sentence:
– “Time to hit the books. The test is tomorrow!”
– “I couldn’t play today because I had to hit the books.”
Other Ways to Say: Study hard / Get to work
14. Monkey see, monkey do
Meaning: Copying what others do
In a Sentence:
– “My baby brother copies me—monkey see, monkey do!”
– “He jumped in the puddle just because she did. Monkey see, monkey do!”
Other Ways to Say: Copycat / Follow the leader
15. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble
In a Sentence:
– “He’s in hot water for not doing his homework.”
– “I’ll be in hot water if I break mom’s vase.”
Other Ways to Say: In trouble / In a mess
16. Bend over backwards
Meaning: Try very hard to help someone
In a Sentence:
– “She bent over backwards to make her friend feel welcome.”
– “My brother bent over backwards to help me with my project.”
Other Ways to Say: Go the extra mile / Try your best
17. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Get upset about something that already happened and can’t be changed
In a Sentence:
– “I know you lost the game, but don’t cry over spilled milk.”
– “He broke his toy but kept crying over spilled milk.”
Other Ways to Say: Let it go / Move on
18. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Something that happens very rarely
In a Sentence:
– “We go out for ice cream once in a blue moon.”
– “She visits her grandparents only once in a blue moon.”
Other Ways to Say: Hardly ever / Very rarely
19. Cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: Very expensive
In a Sentence:
– “That video game costs an arm and a leg!”
– “The new bike was nice, but it cost an arm and a leg.”
Other Ways to Say: Super expensive / Too much money
20. Jump the gun
Meaning: Do something too soon
In a Sentence:
– “You jumped the gun by opening the gift early!”
– “He jumped the gun and started the race before the whistle.”
Other Ways to Say: Act too fast / Too early
21. Out of the blue
Meaning: Something that happens suddenly or unexpectedly
In a Sentence:
– “Out of the blue, it started snowing!”
– “She called me out of the blue after months.”
Other Ways to Say: All of a sudden / Without warning
22. Hold your tongue
Meaning: Keep quiet or don’t say something
In a Sentence:
– “He wanted to shout back, but he held his tongue.”
– “I had to hold my tongue when I heard the secret.”
Other Ways to Say: Stay quiet / Don’t speak
23. Cool as a cucumber
Meaning: Very calm and relaxed
In a Sentence:
– “Even during the test, she was cool as a cucumber.”
– “He was cool as a cucumber on stage.”
Other Ways to Say: Calm / Not nervous
24. In a pickle
Meaning: In a tricky or hard situation
In a Sentence:
– “I’m in a pickle—I forgot my homework at home.”
– “He was in a pickle after losing his wallet.”
Other Ways to Say: In trouble / In a mess
25. Hit the jackpot
Meaning: Have great success or find something wonderful
In a Sentence:
– “I hit the jackpot when I found my lost toy!”
– “She hit the jackpot with her surprise birthday gift.”
Other Ways to Say: Got lucky / Big win
26. Zip your lip
Meaning: Be quiet or stop talking
In a Sentence:
– “Zip your lip during the movie, please.”
– “He told me to zip my lip about the surprise.”
Other Ways to Say: Stay silent / Don’t say a word
27. On cloud nine
Meaning: Very happy
In a Sentence:
– “She was on cloud nine after winning the contest.”
– “I felt like I was on cloud nine when I got a puppy!”
Other Ways to Say: Super happy / Overjoyed
28. Ants in your pants
Meaning: Being restless or unable to sit still
In a Sentence:
– “You’ve got ants in your pants—calm down!”
– “He had ants in his pants while waiting for his turn.”
Other Ways to Say: Can’t sit still / Too excited
29. Like a fish out of water
Meaning: Feeling out of place or uncomfortable
In a Sentence:
– “On my first day at school, I felt like a fish out of water.”
– “She looked like a fish out of water at the dance class.”
Other Ways to Say: Felt awkward / Out of place
Practice Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct idiom from the list:
- I felt __ when I forgot my lines on stage.
- It’s bedtime now—time to __.
- My sister was __ after getting her birthday gift.
- Don’t __ about your broken pencil—it’s not a big deal.
- You were talking all day—what happened? __ got your tongue?
Answer Key
- like a fish out of water
- hit the hay
- on cloud nine
- cry over spilled milk
- Cat
Conclusion
Idioms make the English language more colorful, fun, and full of imagination—especially for kids! They help express feelings and ideas in clever ways that are easy to remember. Whether you’re nervous before a test or just want to wish a friend good luck, there’s an idiom that fits perfectly.
Keep practicing these idioms, and soon you’ll be using them like a pro in everyday conversations, stories, and even jokes!
