Five FREE Idioms Activities

I've always love teaching kids about idioms... the majority of English speakers use them so often in conversational language, we often don't even realize we are using them! When we study them in school with our students, though, we take a good look at their literal AND figurative meanings, and we realize how entertaining these language features truly are.

When I took my ESL endorsement classes the summer after I began my teaching career, I remember thinking about how perplexing idioms must be to our English Language Learners. However, when I got a chance to teach idioms to my ELLs the following school year, I found that they enjoy learning about idioms just as much as native English speakers do. They just may need more repetition and practice opportunities before they memorize the meanings of the countless idioms in the English language.

Since repetition is key, I decided to compile a list of idiom activities you can use with your students!

1.  Post an anchor chart in your classroom. 

Write the idioms on the anchor chart before class begins. Then, enlist the help of your students by asking them to help you figure out the meaning of each idiom during class.

This fun clip art by Monster Wrangler Mike is available on TpT. Just click HERE to check it out.

2.  Go through this free PowerPoint with your students.

Access this PowerPoint by signing up for my newsletter at the top of this page.

This PowerPoint contains many direct teaching slides and multiple-choice practice slides, like the ones below.

I also teach my students to use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown idioms. Therefore, I included some of these practice slides, as well.

To access this free PowerPoint, just sign up for my newsletter, and this will be sent to you automatically. (There is a sign-up form at the top of this page.)

3.  Download this free "I Have, Who Has?" idiom game.

I found this free resource in Cassie Dahl's store! How awesome, huh? Cheers erupt any time I bring out one of these games, and this one looks super fun!

4.  Download this free set of idiom task cards.

I found this resource in the store of The Teacher Next Door.  32 idiom task cards are included!

5.  Make a class idiom book!

Students seem to LOVE illustrating idioms because they are so zany! Your students will likely enjoy creating this class idiom book by Nicole from Learning Lab! (It includes a list of 50 idioms!) Plus, then it is complete, this will become a cherished addition to your classroom library.

My favorite idiom activity- Memory!

Finally, I'd like to share my all-time favorite idiom activity! My students have always LOVED this game! After printing out the cards and cutting them apart, we turn them over and play Memory. I am very purposeful when I play this game with students. When it is a student's turn, he turns over ONLY ONE CARD to begin. If he turns over a picture card, he reads the short passage aloud, identifies the idiom within the sentence, and guesses the meaning. If he flips the words-only card, he reads it aloud, and tries to recall an idiom that matches the definition. AFTER the student has completed that crucial step, he can turn over his second card, and determine if he has a match. 

If you do some of these fun, engaging activities with your students, idioms will be a PIECE OF CAKE before you know it!

5 comments 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, Anchor Chart, Figurative Language, Freebie, reading