How to Teach Kids About Figurative Language (Fun Ways)

Figurative language is one of those topics that sounds complicated but is actually hiding in plain sight — in nursery rhymes, bedtime stories, song lyrics, and everyday conversation. Once kids start noticing it, they see it everywhere. This post walks you through what figurative language is, why it matters, and how to make it genuinely fun to teach at home or in the classroom.

What Is Figurative Language and Why Does It Matter?

Figurative language is any language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to create a vivid picture, feeling, or comparison. Instead of saying "it was very hot," a writer might say "the sun was a furnace." Instead of "she ran fast," a poet might write "she flew down the track."

Children encounter figurative language long before they study it formally. Phrases like "it's raining cats and dogs" or "the wind is howling" are figurative — and kids often find them delightfully confusing or funny when they first think about them literally.

Why It Matters for Literacy

Teaching figurative language helps children:

• Comprehend texts more deeply — many picture books, chapter books, and poems rely heavily on it.
• Express themselves more creatively — it gives them richer tools for writing and speaking.
• Build vocabulary — understanding idioms and metaphors expands the mental "word bank."
• Prepare for higher-level reading — figurative language appears constantly in fiction, poetry, and even non-fiction.

Experts in literacy broadly agree that exposure to figurative language from an early age supports both reading comprehension and creative writing development. Starting around age 5–6 with simple similes and idioms, and building toward metaphors and personification by ages 8–10, gives children a solid foundation.

The Main Types to Teach (and When)

You don't need to teach every type at once. Here is a rough progression that works well for most children:

Ages 5–7: Similes and Idioms

Similes compare two things using like or as. They are the easiest entry point because the comparison is made explicit.

• "The puppy is as fluffy as a cloud."
• "He jumped like a frog."

Idioms are fixed phrases whose meaning is different from the literal words. Children love discovering these because they are often funny when taken literally.

• "Break a leg!"
• "It's a piece of cake."
• "Hold your horses."

Ages 7–9: Metaphors and Personification

Metaphors say one thing is another, without using like or as. They are one step more abstract than similes.

• "The classroom was a zoo."
• "Her voice is music to my ears."

Personification gives human qualities to non-human things.

• "The trees danced in the wind."
• "The alarm clock screamed at me."

Ages 9–12: Hyperbole, Alliteration, and Onomatopoeia

Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration for effect — "I've told you a million times!" Alliteration repeats the same starting sound — "Peter Piper picked a peck." Onomatopoeia uses words that sound like what they describe — buzz, crash, sizzle.

Introducing these later gives children something to look forward to and keeps the topic fresh across several school years. If your child is also working on foundational language skills, the post on How to Teach Kids About Adjectives (Fun & Easy Ways) pairs nicely with figurative language lessons.

Hands-On Activities That Actually Work

The best way to make figurative language stick is to get children doing something with it — not just reading a definition.

Simile Swap Game

Write a plain, boring sentence on a card:

"The dog was big."

Challenge your child to swap in a simile to make it more interesting:

"The dog was as big as a sofa."

Take turns. The sillier the simile, the better — laughter is a powerful memory anchor.

Idiom Detective

Print or write a list of common idioms on slips of paper. Put them in a jar. Each day, pull one out and:

1. Read it together.
2. Guess what it might mean literally (this is usually hilarious).
3. Discuss what it actually means.
4. Try to use it in a real sentence during the day.

By the end of a month, children have a working understanding of 20–30 idioms without any rote memorisation.

Personification Walk

Go outside and give human traits to everything you see. The tree is tired. The puddle is angry. The fence is waiting for someone. This simple activity builds the habit of seeing the world through a writer's lens and works brilliantly as a pre-writing warm-up.

Metaphor Mural

Give children a large sheet of paper and ask them to draw a metaphor. If the classroom was a zoo, what animals represent which classmates? If the day was a rollercoaster, what did the ups and downs look like? Visual representation helps children internalise abstract comparisons.

Story Scavenger Hunt

Choose a favourite picture book or chapter book and challenge children to find examples of figurative language as you read together. Mark them with sticky notes. At the end, sort the sticky notes into categories: similes, metaphors, personification, and so on. This works especially well because it shows children that real authors use these devices constantly — it isn't just a school exercise.

Using Read-Alouds and Mentor Texts

One of the most effective teaching tools you already have at home is a good book. Many beloved children's books are packed with figurative language:

• Picture books by authors like Julia Donaldson and Dr. Seuss are rich with rhyme, alliteration, and onomatopoeia.
• Early chapter books often use similes and metaphors to describe characters' feelings.
• Poetry collections are a treasure trove for every type of figurative language.

How to Use a Read-Aloud Purposefully

You do not need to turn every bedtime story into a lesson. Instead, pick one or two moments per session:

• Pause when you hit a great simile and say, "Oh, I love this bit — what do you think the author means here?"
• After finishing a chapter, ask, "Did you notice any funny or surprising phrases?"

This keeps reading enjoyable while gently building awareness. For more ideas on making reading a daily habit, the post on How to Build a Bedtime Reading Routine That Kids Love has some lovely practical suggestions.

Writing It Themselves

Once children can recognise figurative language, encourage them to use it in their own writing. Start small:

• Ask them to write three sentences about their pet, their school, or their favourite food — but every sentence must include a simile.
• Gradually introduce metaphors and personification as they grow more confident.

Celebrate their attempts, even when the results are wonderfully odd. "My sandwich was a sleeping dragon" is creative and correct — that is worth praising.

Practical Takeaways for Parents and Educators

Here is a quick summary of what works, so you can start today:

• Start with similes and idioms — they are the most concrete and the most fun to explore literally versus figuratively.
• Use books you already own — figurative language is everywhere in children's literature; you do not need special materials.
• Make it a game, not a test — the Simile Swap, Idiom Detective, and Personification Walk activities require no prep and no marking.
• Repeat exposure matters more than formal lessons — brief, frequent encounters with figurative language (a phrase a day, a question during read-aloud) build understanding gradually and naturally.
• Connect it to writing — recognition and production reinforce each other. When children try to write a metaphor, they understand what one is far more deeply.
• Match the type to the age — do not rush to hyperbole and alliteration if similes are still shaky. Build the ladder one rung at a time.
• Celebrate creative attempts — a child who writes "the rain was crying" has understood personification, even if the sentence needs polishing.

If your child is also building their core vocabulary and word skills, the Words Train app is a playful way to reinforce spelling and word recognition alongside their figurative language work — a strong vocabulary makes figurative language much easier to grasp and use.

A Final Word

Figurative language is not an optional extra in literacy — it is woven into almost every story, poem, and conversation children will encounter. The good news is that it is also genuinely enjoyable to teach. Children love the absurdity of idioms, the creativity of metaphors, and the challenge of spotting personification in a picture book. By weaving short, playful activities into your existing reading and writing routine, you can give children a skill that will serve them all the way through school and beyond — without it ever feeling like hard work.

Further reading: For evidence-based guidance on how children learn to read, see Reading Rockets.