Childhood Vocabulary and Idioms in English | IELTS Speaking
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Talking about your childhood is a common part of everyday English conversations. It can also be an important topic in the IELTS Speaking test.
You may need to describe:
- the different stages of childhood
- things you did when you were young
- friends you had at school
- relationships with your parents
- how your personality changed as you grew up
In this guide, you will learn useful childhood vocabulary, natural collocations and common English idioms. You will also see a complete IELTS Speaking model answer about a childhood friend.
The stages of childhood in English
We use different words to describe children at different ages.
A newborn
A newborn is a baby who has only recently been born.
Parents of a newborn usually spend a lot of time feeding the baby, helping it sleep and changing its nappy.
In American English, people normally say diaper instead of nappy.
They have a newborn baby, so they aren’t getting much sleep.
A baby
A baby is a very young child who has not yet learned to walk or talk properly.
One of the most exciting moments for parents is when their baby takes its first steps.
A toddler
A toddler is a young child who is approximately two or three years old. The word comes from the verb to toddle, which means to walk with short, unsteady steps.
Toddlers are becoming more independent, but they sometimes throw tantrums when they cannot have what they want.
A tantrum is a sudden period of angry or unreasonable behaviour. A child having a tantrum may cry, shout or refuse to do what an adult asks.
A child
The word child generally refers to a young person between approximately four and twelve years old.
Children often begin to spend more time with people of their own age. They may want to fit in with their peers and feel accepted by the group.
When I was at school, I desperately wanted to fit in with my classmates.
A peer is someone who is approximately the same age or has a similar position in society.
Children may also pester their parents when they want something.
I used to pester my parents to buy me sweets.
To pester someone means to repeatedly ask or annoy them until they respond.
A teenager
A teenager is someone between thirteen and nineteen years old.
The period when someone is a teenager is called adolescence, and a teenager can also be described as an adolescent.
During this stage, young people go through puberty. They experience the physical and emotional changes involved in becoming an adult.
He became quite rebellious when he was a teenager.
Someone who is rebellious resists rules or authority. The related noun is rebel, and the verb is to rebel.
IELTS Speaking Vocabulary: Children
Here are some important words from the same word family:
- child (n.) – one young person
- children (Pl.) – the plural of child
- childhood (n.) – the period when someone is a child
- childish (adj.) – behaving in an immature or silly way
- childlike (adj.) – having positive qualities associated with children
Be careful with childish and childlike. They do not have the same meaning.
Childish usually has a negative meaning:
This chair isn’t yours. Anyone in the office can sit here, so stop being so childish.
Childlike normally has a positive meaning. It can describe qualities such as curiosity, enthusiasm or imagination:
Our CEO has an almost childlike imagination.
Useful collocations with “child”
A collocation is a group of words that are commonly used together.
A three-year-old child
When an age comes before a noun, use the singular form year and connect the words with hyphens:
They have a three-year-old child.
Not: They have a three years old child X.
Childcare
Childcare is the care of children, particularly while their parents are working.
The cost of childcare has increased considerably.
Child-friendly
Something that is child-friendly is suitable or safe for children.
We stayed in a child-friendly hotel.
Child’s play
If something is child’s play, it is extremely easy to do.
Once you understand the system, using it is child’s play.
Child labour
Child labour refers to work done by children, particularly work that is dangerous or prevents them from attending school.
Child labour remains a serious problem in some parts of the world.
Child custody
Child custody is the legal responsibility for caring for a child, especially after the child’s parents separate.
The court awarded child custody to the mother.
Your inner child
Your inner child is the part of your personality that still feels and reacts like a child.
Playing music helps me reconnect with my inner child.
Childhood activities in English
The activities people associate with childhood vary according to where and when they grew up. However, these are some useful expressions for describing traditional childhood games and activities.
Playing on the swings
We spent hours playing on the swings in our local park.
Playing on a seesaw
My sister and I used to play on the seesaw together.
Playing hide-and-seek
Hide-and-seek was one of my favourite childhood games.
Skipping or jumping rope
In British English, we commonly say skipping or skipping rope. In American English, people are more likely to say jumping rope.
We used to skip in the playground during our lunch break.
Playing video games
More recent childhood memories may involve playing video games, playing games on a mobile phone or simply gaming.
I spent quite a lot of my childhood playing video games with my brother.
Useful phrases for talking about childhood
These expressions can help you introduce and organise your childhood memories:
- When I was a child…
- When I was growing up…
- I used to…
- We would often…
- What I remember most is…
- One thing that stands out is…
- In those days…
- Looking back…
When I was a child, I used to play marbles with my friends. What I remember most is playing in the park. In those days, we went there almost every day.
We use used to for repeated past habits or situations that are no longer true:
I used to live near the park.
We can also use would for repeated past actions:
During the summer, we would play outside until it got dark.
Three English idioms about childhood and family
1. To live in each other’s pockets
If two people live in each other’s pockets, they spend a great deal of time together and know almost everything about each other.
My brother and I lived in each other’s pockets when we were children.
This idiom can describe a very close relationship, although it can sometimes suggest that two people spend too much time together.
2. A chip off the old block
Someone who is a chip off the old block is very similar to one of their parents, either in appearance or personality.
Tom is funny and outgoing, just like his dad. He’s a chip off the old block.
Other expressions with a similar meaning include:
- to take after your mother or father
- the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
- like father, like son
3. To play up
When a child plays up, they behave badly or refuse to do what an adult asks.
When I was a child, I sometimes played up when my parents took me shopping.
Act up has a similar meaning:
The children started acting up because they were tired.
In British English, play up can also describe a machine or part of the body that is causing problems:
My computer is playing up again.
IELTS Speaking Question: Describe a childhood friend
In IELTS Speaking Part 2, you may be asked to describe someone you knew when you were younger.
A possible task is:
Describe a friend you had during your childhood.
You could describe:
- who the person was
- how you met
- what the person was like
- what you did together
- why you remember this friend
Here is a complete model answer.
Useful vocabulary from the model answer
Best mates
- Best mates means best friends. The word mate is particularly common in informal British English.
Gregarious
- A gregarious person is sociable and enjoys being with other people.
She has always been outgoing and gregarious.
To hang out
- To hang out means to spend time somewhere or with someone in a relaxed, informal way.
We used to hang out in the park after school.
To push the boundaries
- To push the boundaries means to test or go beyond the limits of what is considered acceptable.
Like many teenagers, we were constantly pushing the boundaries.
To fit in
- To fit in means to feel accepted as part of a group.
I joined the football team because I wanted to fit in.
To bring about
- To bring about something means to cause it to happen.
That experience brought about a change in our relationship.
To form a strong bond
- A bond is a close emotional connection between people.
We quickly formed a strong bond.
If you want to take part in more live lessons join the The Speaking Fluency Club.
This is a club for B2 and C1 students who want to practise speaking with real people and improve their fluency.
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