Gabby's Funny Sayings — What Does It Really Mean? (Grade 3)

About this activity

Gabby the goose explores funny sayings that don't mean what the words say — the child reads an idiom in a sentence, like 'It's raining cats and dogs,' 'a piece of cake,' 'hold your horses,' or 'let the cat out of the bag,' and taps what it really means. It's a free, interactive Grade 3 vocabulary game that runs in the browser, with nothing to install and no account.

The big idea is that figurative language carries a meaning beyond the literal words. In every round one wrong choice is the funny literal picture (cats and dogs truly falling, an actual potato on the couch), which is exactly the trap, and another choice is simply off. So the child cannot pick the words at face value — they have to think about what the saying means when people really use it.

It is aligned to Common Core L.3.5.a — distinguishing the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context. No timer, no score — just calm, playful practice.

What's inside this activity

• Designed for Grade 3 learners (ages about 8–9)
• Common Core strand: Language
• Aligned to Common Core standard L.3.5.a

How to play

Read the saying in Gabby's sentence, like 'hold your horses.'

Think about what it really means, beyond the literal words.

Tap the real meaning — try again freely, with no timer and no score.

What your child practices

• Reading a common idiom inside a real sentence
• Choosing what a saying really means, not what the words literally say
• Spotting and setting aside the funny literal picture
• Understanding everyday figurative language people actually use

Learning goals

Tell the literal and nonliteral meanings of phrases apart — the focus of Common Core L.3.5.a

Interpret common idioms from how they are used in a sentence

Build the figurative-language understanding that deepens reading comprehension