Action Words for Kids

Action words, also called verbs or doing words, tell us what someone is doing: running, eating, reading, sleeping. Children use them to make their first sentences ("Dog running!") and later to tell whole stories. Here are action words from the FunMinds Actions game.

Everyday action words

• 🏊 Swimming
• 🚴 Riding a bike
• 😴 Sleeping
• 👨‍🍳 Cooking
• 🏃 Running
• 💃 Dancing
• 🚶 Walking
• 👋 Waving hello
• 👏 Clapping
• ✍️ Writing
• 🛀 Taking a bath
• 😭 Crying
• 😂 Laughing
• 🤧 Sneezing
• 🤗 Hugging
• 😋 Eating something yummy
• 🏄 Surfing
• ⛹️ Bouncing a ball
• 🏇 Riding a horse
• 🤸 Doing a cartwheel
• 🚣 Rowing a boat
• 👩‍🎤 Singing
• 🙋 Putting up a hand

More action words

• 🧗 Climbing
• 🤹 Juggling
• ⛷️ Skiing
• 🧘 Stretching
• 🏋️ Lifting weights
• 🎣 Fishing
• 👨‍🎨 Painting
• 👩‍🌾 Farming
• 👨‍💻 Working on a computer
• 👩‍🔬 A science experiment
• 👨‍🏫 Teaching a class
• 👨‍🔧 Fixing something
• 👩‍🚒 Putting out a fire
• 🏂 Snowboarding
• 🚵 Mountain biking
• 🏌️ Playing golf
• 🤾 Throwing a ball
• 🙇 Bowing
• 🤳 Taking a selfie
• 💇 Getting a haircut
• 🤝 Shaking hands
• 🙌 Cheering
• 🤽 Playing water polo
• 🥳 Celebrating

Guess the action

Read the description and name the action.

• She dips a brush in colors and moves it over paper. What is she doing? 🎨 Painting
• He puts seeds in the soil and pats it down. What is he doing? 🌱 Planting
• They clap, cheer and wave flags. What are they doing? 🎉 Celebrating
• She mixes flour, eggs and sugar in a bowl. What is she doing? 🧁 Baking
• He scrubs plates in soapy water. What is he doing? 🍽️ Washing dishes
• They pack suitcases and show their tickets. What are they doing? ✈️ Travelling
• He holds a net and creeps toward a butterfly. What is he doing? 🦋 Catching a butterfly
• She folds clothes and puts them in drawers. What is she doing? 👕 Tidying clothes
• They pass a ball and try to throw it through a hoop. What are they doing? 🏀 Playing basketball
• He wraps a box in shiny paper and adds a bow. What is he doing? 🎁 Wrapping a present
• She counts coins and puts them in a piggy bank. What is she doing? 🐷 Saving money
• He looks through a lens at tiny things. What is he doing? 🔬 Using a microscope
• She stirs a pot and tastes it with a spoon. What is she doing? 🍲 Cooking soup
• They hold hands and spin around in a circle. What are they doing? 💃 Dancing
• He gathers fallen leaves into a big pile with a rake. What is he doing? 🍂 Raking leaves
• She puts a letter in an envelope and adds a stamp. What is she doing? ✉️ Posting a letter
• He uses wool and two long needles to make a scarf. What is he doing? 🧶 Knitting
• They put up a tent and sit by a campfire. What are they doing? ⛺ Camping
• She throws seeds to the ducks at the pond. What is she doing? 🦆 Feeding ducks
• He builds a model ship from tiny pieces. What is he doing? 🧩 Building a model
• She shines a torch and reads under the blanket. What is she doing? 🔦 Reading in the dark
• They fill buckets with wet sand and tip them over. What are they doing? 🏰 Building a sandcastle
• He waters the seeds and pulls out the weeds. What is he doing? 🌱 Gardening
• She learns her lines and puts on a costume. What is she doing? 🎭 Getting ready for a play

What do you do with it?

Matching objects to actions builds vocabulary and thinking skills.

Easy

• What do you do with a ball? 🦶 Kick it
• What do you do with an apple? 🍽️ Eat it
• What do you do with a book? 👀 Read it
• What do you do with juice? 🥤 Drink it
• What do you do with a hat? 👕 Wear it
• What do you do with a bike? 🛣️ Ride it
• What do you do with a bed? 😴 Sleep on it
• What do you do with a spoon? 🥣 Eat with it

Medium

• What do you do with scissors? 📄 Cut paper
• What do you do with a broom? 🏠 Sweep the floor
• What do you do with a toothbrush? 😁 Brush your teeth
• What do you do with a crayon? 🖼️ Draw a picture
• What do you do with a guitar? 🎵 Play music
• What do you do with a sponge? 🍽️ Wash dishes
• What do you do with a hammer? 🔩 Hit nails
• What do you do with a fire extinguisher? 🔥 Put out a fire

Harder

• What do you do with a magnet? 📎 Pick up metal things
• What do you do with a thermometer? 🤒 Check a temperature
• What do you do with a telescope? ⭐ Look at faraway stars
• What do you do with a compass? 🗺️ Find which way to go
• What do you do with a scale? 🍎 Weigh things
• What do you do with a jug? 💧 Carry water
• What do you do with a microscope? 🦠 See very tiny things
• What do you do with a map? 📍 Find places

Fun ways to learn action words

• Play "Simon says" with actions: jump, clap, hop, wave.
• Describe what family members are doing during the day: "Papa is cooking."
• Act out an action and let your child guess it, then swap.

More word lists for kids