Opposites are pairs of words with completely different meanings, such as hot and cold or up and down. Learning opposites grows vocabulary and helps children describe the world more precisely.
What your child will learn
- Match common words with their opposites
- Use opposites to complete sentences
- Recognise when two words are opposites and when they are not
Opposites build word power
Knowing that “tiny” is the opposite of “huge” teaches two words at once. Opposites also help children compare things — the snail is slow, but the cheetah is fast.
Opposite Orchard begins with everyday pairs, then asks children to use opposites inside sentences and to spot pairs that only look like opposites.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. What is the opposite of “happy”?
😊- sad
- kind
- funny
- glad
Show answer
Answer: sad. “Sad” means the opposite of “happy”.
2. What is the opposite of “wet”?
💧- cold
- dry
- rain
- soggy
Show answer
Answer: dry. “Dry” means the opposite of “wet”.
3. What is the opposite of “fast”?
🐆- run
- quick
- speedy
- slow
Show answer
Answer: slow. “Slow” means the opposite of “fast”.
Tips for grown-ups
- Play “opposites” during the day: you say “up”, your child says “down”.
- Look for opposites in picture books — full and empty, open and closed.
- Act out opposites with your body: tall and small, fast and slow.