How to Teach Kids About Verbs (Fun & Easy Ways)

Why Verbs Matter More Than You Might Think

Before children can write a proper sentence or tell a coherent story, they need to understand that words do things. Verbs — action words, linking words, helping words — are the engine of every sentence. Without them, language grinds to a halt.

Most children start using verbs naturally in speech long before they start school ("go," "want," "run"), but understanding what a verb is and how to use one correctly in writing is a different skill altogether. That gap between speaking and writing is exactly where a little intentional teaching can make a big difference.

The good news? Verbs are one of the most fun parts of grammar to teach because so many of them involve movement, drama, and play. You don't need worksheets and drills to get started — you need a bit of imagination and a willingness to get a little silly.

What Is a Verb? Keeping It Simple for Young Learners

When introducing verbs to children aged 4–8, keep the definition short and memorable:

"A verb is a doing word — it tells us what someone or something is doing."

That's it for starters. You can refine the definition later (linking verbs like "is" and "seems" don't describe actions, and helping verbs like "can" and "will" support other verbs), but action verbs are the perfect entry point because children can feel them.

Three types worth knowing (when the time is right)

• Action verbs — jump, eat, laugh, build, sleep
• Linking verbs — is, are, was, were, seem, feel
• Helping verbs — can, will, should, have, do

For most preschool and early primary children, action verbs are the focus. Save linking and helping verbs for ages 7 and up, once the basic concept is solid.

How verbs connect to early literacy

Understanding verbs supports more than just grammar. When children recognise action words in sentences, they read with better comprehension — they understand what is happening in a story, not just who the characters are. Building a strong vocabulary of verbs also makes their own writing more vivid and interesting. If your child is already working on reading, you'll find that How to Teach Kids to Read (Simple Steps That Work) pairs beautifully with verb activities.

Hands-On Activities to Introduce Verbs

The fastest way to make verbs stick is to get children moving. Here are tried-and-tested activities that work at home and in the classroom.

1. Verb Charades

Write simple action verbs on slips of paper — hop, clap, spin, yawn, wave, sneeze, tiptoe — and take turns acting them out while the others guess. This works brilliantly from age 3 upwards and needs zero preparation. The physical experience of doing the verb creates a memory hook that a worksheet simply cannot.

2. Verb Scavenger Hunt

Walk around the house or garden and narrate everything you observe using verbs: "The dog is sleeping. The clock is ticking. The leaves are blowing." Challenge your child to find five things that are doing something and describe each one. This builds the habit of noticing verbs in the real world.

3. Verb Sorting Game

Write a mix of nouns and verbs on cards (or sticky notes). Ask your child to sort them into two piles: "doing words" and "naming words." Start with obvious contrasts (run vs apple, dance vs chair) and gradually introduce trickier pairs (play vs player, swim vs swimmer).

4. Storybook Verb Hunt

Pick a favourite picture book and read it together, pausing to highlight the verbs. Younger children love using a special "verb pointer" (a pencil with a star on top works perfectly). Older children can underline verbs with a coloured pencil as you read aloud. This turns a familiar activity — bedtime reading — into a gentle grammar lesson with no extra effort.

5. Action Verb Songs and Chants

Simple repetitive songs that name and perform actions ("If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands") are already teaching verbs. Make up your own short chant: "Jump, jump, what do I do? I jump! Sing, sing, what do I do? I sing!" Rhythm and repetition help language patterns settle into long-term memory.

Building Verb Vocabulary Over Time

Once children understand what a verb is, the next step is growing their bank of interesting verbs. Many children rely on a small set of overused words (go, get, do, make) when speaking and writing. Expanding their verb vocabulary makes their language richer and their writing more expressive.

Synonym swaps

Play a simple game: "Instead of said, what else could we use?" Brainstorm together — whispered, shouted, laughed, muttered, announced. Do the same with walked (stomped, tiptoed, marched, shuffled) and looked (stared, peeked, glanced, spotted). Keep a running "Wow Words" list on the fridge that grows over weeks.

Verb of the day

Each morning, introduce one new verb at breakfast. Act it out, use it in a sentence, and challenge everyone to use it naturally during the day. By the end of a school term, that's over 100 new verbs in a child's active vocabulary — a meaningful gain.

Connecting verbs to phonics and spelling

As children begin to read and write independently, they'll notice that verbs change form: run → running → ran, jump → jumping → jumped. These patterns connect directly to phonics and spelling rules. If you're already exploring word sounds with your child, the CVC 3 Letter Words app is a lovely way to reinforce short-vowel action words like run, hop, sit, and dig in a playful, interactive format.

Verbs in everyday conversation

The single most powerful vocabulary-builder is conversation. When you describe what you're doing as you do it — "I'm chopping the vegetables," "the cat is stretching," "you're concentrating so hard!" — you model rich verb use naturally. Children absorb what they hear most often.

Common Challenges (and How to Handle Them)

Teaching grammar at home doesn't always go smoothly, and that's completely normal. Here are a few common sticking points and gentle ways around them.

"But 'sleep' doesn't feel like a doing word!"

Children sometimes struggle with verbs that describe states rather than obvious physical actions — sleep, think, feel, belong, exist. Acknowledge the confusion: "You're right, it's a bit tricky! These are still verbs because they tell us what's happening, even if we can't always see it." Don't rush past the confusion — sitting with a tricky idea and talking it through is great thinking practice.

Mixing up verbs and nouns

Words like run, jump, swim, and dance can be both verbs and nouns (a run, a jump, a swim, a dance). If your child notices this, celebrate it — they're thinking like a linguist! Explain that the job of the word in the sentence is what matters: "We went for a swim" (noun) vs "We swim every Saturday" (verb).

Tense confusion in writing

Children often write in a jumbled mix of past and present tense. Rather than correcting every instance, try reading the piece aloud together and asking, "Is this happening now or did it already happen?" Helping them hear the inconsistency is more effective than pointing it out on the page.

Practical Takeaways for Parents and Educators

Here's a quick summary of what works best when teaching verbs to young children:

• Start with movement. Action verbs are the easiest entry point because children can physically experience them. Charades, scavenger hunts, and action songs make the concept memorable.
• Read together often. Picture books are full of vivid, well-chosen verbs. Pointing them out during reading builds awareness without turning it into a lesson.
• Grow vocabulary gradually. A "verb of the day" or a synonym-swap game builds a rich word bank over time without overwhelming anyone.
• Use everyday conversation. Narrating your actions and describing the world around you is the most natural verb lesson there is.
• Don't rush the grammar labels. Understanding what a verb does matters far more than memorising the definition. Labels come later; meaning comes first.
• Celebrate curiosity. When a child notices something odd or asks a tricky question about language, that's a sign they're engaging deeply. Lean into it.

If you're looking for more ways to build your child's word knowledge alongside verbs, 10 Ways to Boost your Child's Confidence in Vocabulary has a wealth of practical ideas that complement everything covered here.

Teaching verbs doesn't require a grammar textbook or a formal lesson plan. With a little playfulness and a lot of conversation, children pick up these concepts naturally — and they have fun doing it.

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