Animal-Friendly Idioms Your Students Will Love

Teach Kids to Use Kind Language

Many of us grew up hearing common phrases that promote violence toward animals, like “kill two birds with one stone,” “beat a dead horse,” and “bring home the bacon.” These outdated sayings are often shared in classrooms during lessons on literary devices. After our animal-friendly idioms went viral, TeachKind decided to create a set of eye-catching posters to help you teach students that the words we use have the power to influence those around us.

While they may seem harmless, these phrases carry meaning and can send mixed messages about the relationship between humans and other animals. Potentially normalizing abuse, these phrases teach children that only certain individuals deserve kindness and respect. Teaching kids to use animal-friendly language can foster positive relationships between all beings and help end the epidemic of youth violence toward animals.

Using kind phrases like “feed two birds with one scone,” and “bring home the bagels,” helps students express the same ideas without the unkind imagery and harmful implications. Teachers are raving:

This is GENIUS! The perfect tool for teaching compassion and language!

– Elizabeth

This was a fun way to introduce students to the complexities of our changing language. Most can immediately think of emojis and acronyms but this gave them another way to consider how English evolves.

– Kay

This is awesome! Thank you so much. I’ve been a Humane Educator volunteer for years and appreciate your resources. This one is really fun and engaging while teaching kids that words matter. Well done!

– Shannon

Try using these fresh, fun, and animal-friendly idioms in your lessons this year.

Available for Elementary and Secondary classrooms.

Since there’s more than one way to peel a potato, send us your ideas for kind idiom upgrades!