Have you ever heard someone say “raining cats and dogs” or “busy as a bee” and wondered what it really means? Animal idioms make English more fun, colorful, and easy for kids to understand. In this blog, you’ll explore simple meanings, clear examples, and exciting activities for animal idioms that help children speak and write better.
PlanetSpark makes learning idioms even easier through interactive 1:1 live English classes. Kids learn new expressions using stories, games, speaking exercises, and real-life practice building strong vocabulary, sharper communication skills, and the confidence to use idioms naturally in school and daily conversations.
Animals are fun, cute, and full of surprises. But do you know what makes them even more interesting?
Animal Idioms!
Idioms are special English phrases whose meanings are different from the actual words.
For example, “It’s raining cats and dogs!” does not mean animals are falling from the sky.
It simply means it’s raining very heavily.
You’ll learn here amazing animal idioms, meanings, examples, tables, fun activities, and worksheets. Everything is explained in very easy English so kids and parents can enjoy together.
Animal idioms are phrases that use the name of an animal but mean something else.
For example:
“A little bird told me” → someone told me a secret
“Bull in a china shop” → a very clumsy person
Idioms make our language fun, colorful, and exciting. Kids who learn idioms speak English more confidently and creatively.
| Benefit | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Improves vocabulary | New words become easier |
| Makes speaking fun | Kids enjoy conversations |
| Boosts confidence | Helps in school speeches |
| Useful for exams | Idioms come in grammar tests |
| Helps in writing | Essays become creative |
Helps kids prepare for school activities
Enhances storytelling at home
Makes parent-child learning enjoyable
Builds real-world speaking confidence
Here are the top 10 idioms every child should know:
| Animal Idiom | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Raining cats and dogs | Raining very heavily | It was raining cats and dogs, so we stayed home. |
| 2. Busy as a bee | Very busy | Mom was busy as a bee cooking dinner. |
| 3. Let the cat out of the bag | Reveal a secret | Riya let the cat out of the bag about the surprise. |
| 4. Hold your horses | Wait and be patient | Hold your horses! We will go soon. |
| 5. A fish out of water | Feeling uncomfortable | I felt like a fish out of water in the new school. |
| 6. The lion’s share | The biggest part | He ate the lion’s share of the cake. |
| 7. Monkey business | Naughty or silly behavior | Stop the monkey business and study now. |
| 8. A sitting duck | Easy target | Without an umbrella, you are a sitting duck in the rain. |
| 9. Bull in a china shop | A clumsy person | He broke the vase like a bull in a china shop. |
| 10. A little bird told me | Someone secretly told me | A little bird told me it’s your birthday. |
Cold fish – an unfriendly person
Wild goose chase – a useless search
Copycat – someone who copies
Eagle eyes – very sharp vision
Night owl – someone awake at night
Early bird – someone who wakes up early
Pig out – eat too much
Chicken out – to get scared
Bookworm – someone who loves reading
Horse around – play roughly
Cash cow – something that earns a lot
Cat nap – a short sleep
Mad as a hornet – very angry
Scaredy cat – a scared person
Hog the spotlight – take all attention
Goose bumps – tiny bumps when scared/excited
Bee in your bonnet – obsessed with an idea
Wolf down food – eat very fast
Snake in the grass – a secret enemy
Busy as a beaver – working very hard
Detailed Table
| Idiom | Meaning | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Play possum | Pretend to sleep | My cat plays possum to avoid a bath. |
| 2. Black sheep | Odd one out | He is the black sheep of the family. |
| 3. Top dog | The leader | She is the top dog in the class quiz. |
| 4. Puppy love | Teen crush | Their puppy love is cute. |
| 5. Cat’s whiskers | Outstanding | Your drawing is the cat’s whiskers! |
| 6. Cry wolf | Raise false alarm | Don’t cry wolf again. |
| 7. Frog in your throat | Trouble speaking | I had a frog in my throat while presenting. |
| 8. Like a moth to a flame | Attracted strongly | Kids run to ice cream like moths to a flame. |
| 9. Horse of a different color | Something unexpected | This problem is a horse of a different color. |
| 10. Kill two birds with one stone | Solve two things at once | I finished homework and cleaned my desk—two birds! |
| 11. Cat on hot bricks | Very nervous | He was like a cat on hot bricks before the test. |
| 12. Chicken scratch | Bad handwriting | Your writing looks like chicken scratch. |
| 13. Fishy | Suspicious | Something seems fishy here. |
| 14. Lionhearted | Brave | She is lionhearted during competitions. |
| 15. Sheepish smile | Embarrassed smile | He gave a sheepish smile after the mistake. |
| 16. One-trick pony | Has only one skill | That toy is a one-trick pony. |
| 17. Ants in your pants | Can’t sit still | The kids had ants in their pants during class. |
| 18. Bear hug | Big warm hug | Grandma gives the best bear hugs! |
| 19. Snail’s pace | Moving slowly | The traffic was at a snail’s pace. |
| 20. Wise owl | Very wise person | My teacher is a wise owl. |
| 21. Gentle as a lamb | Very gentle | The new puppy is gentle as a lamb. |
| 22. Crocodile tears | Fake crying | Don’t cry crocodile tears. |
| 23. Go the whole hog | Do completely | She went the whole hog decorating the room. |
| 24. Birds of a feather | Similar people | They are birds of a feather—always together. |
| 25. Like a bear with a sore head | Bad mood | He woke up like a bear with a sore head. |
| 26. Wolf in sheep’s clothing | Someone pretending | Beware of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. |
| 27. Catfight | Argument between girls | They got into a small catfight. |
| 28. Goose egg | Zero | I scored a goose egg in math. |
| 29. Fly on the wall | Watching silently | I wish I were a fly on the wall. |
| 30. Monkey see, monkey do | Copying | Toddlers are like monkey see, monkey do. |
| 31. Dark horse | A surprise winner | He was the dark horse in the race. |
| 32. Eat like a bird | Eat very little | She eats like a bird these days. |
| 33. Eat like a horse | Eats a lot | My brother eats like a horse! |
| 34. The elephant in the room | Big issue nobody talks about | Homework is the elephant in the room. |
| 35. Bug someone | Annoy someone | Stop bugging your sister! |
| 36. Cat got your tongue? | Why so quiet? | Why are you silent? Cat got your tongue? |
| 37. Workhorse | Hard worker | Dad is the family workhorse. |
| 38. Alone wolf | Does things alone | He is a lone wolf in class. |
| 39. Like shooting fish in a barrel | Very easy | The puzzle was like shooting fish in a barrel. |
| 40. The bee’s knees | Excellent | Your poem is the bee’s knees. |
| 41. To rooster around | Show off | He roosters around after winning. |
| 42. Butterfly in stomach | Nervous | I had butterflies during stage time. |
| 43. Get off your high horse | Stop acting proud | Get off your high horse and help. |
| 44. Dog-eat-dog world | Competitive world | School competitions are a dog-eat-dog world. |
| 45. Cat burglar | Silent thief | The robber moved like a cat burglar. |
| 46. Happy as a clam | Very happy | She was happy as a clam on her birthday. |
| 47. Sly as a fox | Very clever | Rohan is sly as a fox in games. |
| 48. Blind as a bat | Very poor sight | Without glasses, I’m blind as a bat. |
| 49. Piggy bank | Coin savings box | I saved money in my piggy bank. |
| 50. Swim with sharks | Deal with dangerous people | Don’t swim with sharks online. |
Big confidence begins with small expressions, Book a Free Demo Class
Raining cats and dogs, copycat, monkey business, lion’s share, cat nap, night owl, early bird, cold fish, wild goose chase, eagle eyes, wolf down food, pig out, chicken out, scaredy cat, horse around, bookworm, cash cow, bee in your bonnet, black sheep, puppy love, cat’s whiskers, cry wolf, frog in throat, sitting duck, elephant in the room, snails pace, wise owl, bear hug, sheepish, wolf in sheep's clothing, catfight, fly on the wall, monkey see monkey do, dark horse, eat like a bird, eat like a horse, bug someone, cat got your tongue, workhorse, lone wolf, fishy, happy as a clam, sly as a fox, blind as a bat, piggy bank, kill two birds, goose egg, bees knees, ants in pants, crocodile tears, gentle as a lamb, mad as a hornet, top dog, copycat, barking up the wrong tree, dog tired, let sleeping dogs lie, like a rat in a trap, a whale of a time, raining frogs, fishy business, like a fish out of water, weasel out, fox guarding the henhouse, make a beeline, fat cat, quiet as a mouse, stubborn as a mule, eat crow, pecking order, doggie bag, crowning glory, worm’s eye view, nest egg, birdbrain, hawk eye, sitting pretty, shark tank, go hog wild, dog’s breakfast, crocodile smile, etc.
Kids draw an animal idiom literally and others guess the real meaning.
Mom cooked so fast, she was as busy as a ________.
Match:
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Raining cats and dogs | Very heavy rain |
| Bookworm | Loves reading |
| Copycat | Copies others |
Kids invent silly phrases like:
“Jumping like a jellyfish!”
Small lessons. Big confidence. Bright future, Book a Free Demo Class
Idioms are fun English phrases
Idioms are special expressions that don’t mean exactly what the words say. They make English more enjoyable and help kids sound natural and fluent.
Animal idioms use animal names
These idioms include animals like cats, dogs, bees, lions, and birds, but they are used to describe human actions, feelings, or situations not actual animals.
Meanings are different from words
In animal idioms, the real meaning is hidden. For example, “copycat” doesn’t mean a real cat it means someone who copies others.
Great for storytelling
Using idioms makes stories more exciting, colorful, and expressive. Kids can make their writing and speaking more fun by adding idioms.
Improves speaking & writing
Learning idioms helps children speak more confidently, understand English better, and write creatively in school assignments, essays, and exams.
Kids should practice 5 idioms daily
Just learning 5 idioms a day is enough to build a strong vocabulary. With regular practice, children easily remember meanings and start using idioms naturally in conversations.
Animal idioms make English fun, colorful, and easy for kids to understand. By learning these simple expressions, children improve their vocabulary, speak more confidently, and enjoy reading and writing even more. With regular practice, idioms become natural parts of everyday conversation. And with PlanetSpark’s interactive English classes, kids learn these idioms through stories, games, and speaking activities helping them become smart, confident, and creative communicators.
PlanetSpark helps children build strong English grammar skills through engaging, personalised 1:1 live classes. Our English Grammar Program strengthens sentence structure, tenses, vocabulary, and error-free writing helping kids communicate clearly and confidently in school and everyday life.
1. 1:1 Expert Grammar Coaching
Each child learns with a certified English trainer who explains grammar rules in simple, practical ways ensuring clarity, correct usage, and steady improvement.
2. Personalised Grammar Learning Path
A customised curriculum focuses on tenses, parts of speech, punctuation, sentence formation, and grammar application guiding kids from basic concepts to advanced accuracy.
3. AI-Powered Grammar & Writing Feedback
Using SparkX and AI practice tools, students get instant corrections on grammar mistakes, sentence clarity, and structure turning every practice session into measurable progress.
4. Interactive & Gamified Grammar Activities
Fun modules like Grammar Guru, Word Wisdom, and Error Hunt make learning exciting. Kids practise daily through games, quizzes, and interactive challenges that strengthen retention.
5. Confident and Correct Communication
Through worksheets, real-life writing tasks, conversation drills, and guided practice, children learn to express their thoughts clearly, confidently, and grammatically correctly in school and beyond.
Idioms that use animal names but have different meanings.
Yes! They improve speaking, reading, and writing skills.
Just 3 to 5 idioms are enough.
Yes, especially in grammar, writing, and comprehension.
Absolutely! The language is specially made for children.
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