Fun Ways to Teach Figurative Language
Learning figurative language can be as fun as a carnival with these figurative language activities.
What Is Figurative Language?
Figurative language allows you to communicate meaning without using the literal definitions of words.
Here are some examples of figurative language.
Simile
A simile is a comparison between two unlike terms that uses the words “like” or “as.”
My younger brother was as feisty as a warthog.
Metaphor
A metaphor is a direct comparison between two unlike terms that does not use “like” or “as.”
Her words were piercing darts.
For more on teaching similes and metaphor, read this article.
Personification
Personification gives human-attributes to non-living things.
The morning sun kissed the daffodils.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole uses exaggeration to show emphasis.
I have stubbed my toe on that corner a million times.
Alliteration
Alliteration uses repeated initial consonant sounds for a pleasing effect.
The slippery, slimy slugs slinked across the rocks.
Idioms
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning isn’t literal.
When the teacher gave instruction, the student was all ears.
For more on teaching idioms, check out this article.
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12 Fun Ways to Teach Figurative Language
These figurative language activities will make your lessons fun.
Spot It in Song Lyrics
Find examples of figurative language in song lyrics, such as those by Taylor Swift.
Give students copies of the lyrics, and have them highlight what they find.
Simile and Metaphor Art
Turn the two terms in a simile and metaphor into a piece of artwork.
For example, if the simile is “The wind was an angry bull,” the student could draw a bull racing through the air.
Figurative Language BINGO
Make a custom BINGO card with the names of various types of figurative language.
Then read examples of figurative language. Students must recognize what type of figurative language is being used, and then mark it off on their boards.
Make Your Own Comic
Have students design their own comics and include at least one example of figurative language.
Song Parody
Have students rewrite the lyrics to a well-known song by replacing some words with a type of figurative language (you decide the type).
For example, here is “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”:
Row, row, row your raft
Rhythmically down the river. (Alliteration)
Row, row, row your boat
As gently as a lamb. (Simile)
They can read (or perform) their song for the class.
Idiom Story Prompts
Give students a story prompt where they must write a story using two or three idioms.
For example:
Write a story about a snowman who loves to sing. Use the idioms “blessing in disguise” and “call it a day.”
Simile Simon Says
Play a regular game of Simon Says, but give commands that feature similes.
Walk around the room, but be quiet as a mouse.
Jump as high as a kangaroo.
Reach as high as the sky.
Poetry Cafe
Host a poetry cafe, where students eat snacks and read poetry aloud.
Feature poems that use figurative language. Here are some suggestions:
- “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth
- “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
- “The Tiger” by William Blake
- “The Wind” by James Stephens
- “The Swing” by Robert Louis Stephenson
- “Eagle Poem” by Joy Harjo
Alliteration Rap
Ask students to compose a rap that uses alliteration. (Raps often contain alliteration.)
You can assign topics or let them choose their own.
Nature Walk and Write
Take a notebook and pencil out into nature and experience it with your five senses.
Have students write observations using figurative language like personification.
You may have to prompt students by saying, “What action is [object] doing? How is that like a person?”
- The wind whispered in the trees.
- The dried leaves skittered across the ground.
- The rock slept in the sun.
- The tree tops stretched to the sky.
Object Interview
As a prewriting exercise, two students should talk through an interview with an inanimate object.
For example, imagine an interview with a stapler. One student plays the part of the stapler, and the other person is the interviewer.
Ask and answer questions such as:
- What is your favorite thing to staple: schoolwork or artwork?
- How do you feel when students arrive in the morning?
- Which classroom object is your best friend?
Then the students can write a short story about the stapler using personification.
Idiom Match
Make a set of memory cards that matches the name of the figurative language with an example.
Students can take turns flipping over pairs of cards in order to find a match.
Figurative Language Activities for Kids
Don’t just teach about figurative language–experience it! Make your lessons fun with these figurative language activities.
