It’s absolutely astonishing how little high schoolers understand figurative language. Even my seniors struggled to tell me the difference between similes and metaphors (didn’t they learn that like every year in middle school?). And they didn’t have the attention span to work their way through worksheet after worksheet of figurative language practice.

So I came up with some hands-on figurative language activities to help my Creative Writing students review and practice without boring them to death. Even something as simple as giving students something to hold, move, or interact with helped some of those definitions stick in their minds.

These figurative language activities for high school students work especially well in Creative Writing, English language arts, or as a review before literary analysis.

In this post, I’ll share four engaging figurative language activities you can use with high school students to review different types of figurative language and get students actively practicing the skill.

These activities move students from identifying figurative language to practicing it and eventually using it in their own writing, so you can choose the activity that best fits where your students are in the learning process.

Ready to ditch those figurative language worksheets in favor of some hands-on activities? Let’s dive in!

Figurative Language Activity #1: Figurative Language Scavenger Hunt

Before starting the activity, I gave students a quick review of the figurative language terms we’d be using. Rather than spending a full class period lecturing, I used a short slideshow that gave students the name, definition, and an example for each technique.

I even gave students a copy of my Figurative Language Handout, so they could look up any terms they forgot (or, you know, so they don’t ask how to spell “onomatopoeia”). (You can sign up for a free copy of this handout below.)

Once we were all on the same page, it was time to begin the figurative language scavenger hunt!

Like any scavenger hunt, the goal was for students to be the first to find everything on their list.

How the Figurative Language Scavenger Hunt Works

1. Review the terms. Give students a quick refresher on the figurative language techniques you’re targeting.
2. Post your texts. Hang poems, short stories, song lyrics, or other texts around the room.
3. Give students their list. Students race to find an example of each type of figurative language.
4. Check their examples. Have students return to their seats once they’ve found all the examples.
5. Create original examples. Ask students to write their own examples using the techniques they’ve just identified.

My students always seemed to thrive under competition, so I challenged them to race one another and offered small treats as prizes for those who finished. 

In this case, they had to find an example of each type of figurative language in the classroom. 

I love this activity because it gets kids up and moving around the room. I think incorporating movement in a lesson is important, but often difficult in a Creative Writing class. 

Setting Up the Scavenger Hunt

Before class, I hung up carefully selected poems around the classroom. I knew that there was at least one example of each term within the five poems, and I had made my own list beforehand, so I could help students out quickly with their searches.

You don’t have to use poetry, however! Feel free to use short stories, picture books, song lyrics, or any other text! I chose to hang my poem posters on the wall, but you could set up stations with different texts instead.

After students found their ten examples, they could return to their seats and create original examples of their own. 

Even though students were basically listening to a lecture, looking for examples, and then creating their own, the scavenger hunt added so much more dimension to the lesson. Students moved around the room, formed teams, competed, got frustrated, asked for help, and more. It was everything you want in a classroom. 

Creating Your Own Scavenger Hunt

If you want to set up your own figurative language scavenger hunt, first decide on the different types of figurative language and literary devices you want to cover or teach.

Start by deciding which types of figurative language you want students to practice. Your list of terms will determine which texts and examples you choose for the scavenger hunt.

You can even do this activity with your classroom library instead of hanging up poems. Choose any poems or literature examples you want for this scavenger hunt as long as there are plenty of examples for your kiddos to find.

Don’t want to create all of the materials yourself? Grab my no-prep, done-for-you Figurative Language Scavenger Hunt instead. It includes everything you need to introduce figurative language techniques and give students hands-on practice, plus a digital version for absent students or virtual learning. 

Figurative Language Activity #2: Figurative Language Tasting

This is my students’ favorite of these figurative language activities: a figurative language tasting. Students use different types of figurative language to create sensory details about a treat (or another object) they experience in class.

I go into detail about how to do one in this blog post here. But basically, students use different types of figurative language to create sensory details about a treat they eat in class.

How to Set Up a Figurative Language Tasting

Now, I know we don’t have any extra money for our classroom. Don’t forget to ask admin ahead of time for a few dollars in the budget for some classroom supplies. (You never know. They might offer to reimburse you!)

However, there are ways to do this fun activity on a budget.

You can buy one bag of pretzels, which are very inexpensive, and give each student 1-3 to taste for this activity. Big bags of mints are also a good go-to for this one. 

Try to give students foods that are very different. For example, a salty pretzel next to a Swedish Fish.

You don’t even necessarily need to give students food. 

No Food? No Problem!

Instead, you can give them small objects to describe. How would they describe a cotton ball versus a rubber band versus a paper clip? The feel of a rock versus a feather?

You’re giving students something that they can hold and experience in the moment to write about. 

The sensory component pushes students to think creatively about description, while giving everyone a shared experience to write about. Students can then compare their descriptions with partners or small groups and discuss how differently they used figurative language to describe the same object or sensation.

Want the complete step-by-step directions? Check out my guide: How to Host a Figurative Language Tasting.

You can also download a FREE lesson plan and worksheet right here!

Figurative Language Activity #3: Figurative Language Task Cards

At some point in your figurative language unit, you just might need students to sit down and practice these terms over and over. After all, it’s hard to analyze a poem if you’re redefining “metaphor” every ten seconds.

Instead of another worksheet, try figurative language task cards. They give students the repetition and practice they need while adding a small hands-on component.

Task cards are a lower-prep, more flexible alternative to a worksheet that still gets students physically interacting with the practice.

Task cards give you the same focused practice as a worksheet, but they’re much more flexible to use. Students have to hold, shuffle, sort, move, or share the cards, which adds a tactile component to otherwise straightforward practice.

It’s a great way to add some figurative language review to your class.

(Check out my blog post on using task cards here.)

Using Your Task Cards

For Independent Practice

Make the task cards a station or leave them as a sub plan.

For Collaborative Practice

Give each table or group one deck. Students have to share the cards and naturally discuss their responses.

For Movement

Tape the cards around the room and give students a response sheet so they have to move around to find and answer each question.

Making task cards is straightforward. You can format some pretty cards online and print them. Or, you can write your questions/tasks on index cards. 

Don’t want to create and format dozens of cards yourself? Grab my ready-to-use Figurative Language Task Cards instead. You can use them for independent practice, stations, group work, movement activities, or sub plans.

Figurative Language Activity #4: Figurative Language Writing with Photo Cards

At some point, students need to create their own figurative language, not just identify examples in someone else’s writing. But you don’t necessarily need to assign a massive short story or epic sonnet just to assess whether students understand the skill.

And if your students are like mine, they may need some baby steps before they’re ready to produce an entire piece of original writing.

For these reasons, I came up with my own Figurative Language Writing Activity with Photo Cards. 

How the Photo Card Writing Activity Works

1. Choose a landscape. Students select a photo card that inspires them.
2. Brainstorm sensory details. Before writing, students create figurative language for each of the five senses.
3. Write the scene. Students use those ideas to write a short descriptive scene based on the image.
4. Identify the figurative language. Students highlight or label the figurative language they used.

I print off cards with pictures of different landscapes on them (a couple of deserts, forests, snow scenes, etc.). Then, students pick the landscape that looks inspirational to them. 

You can print off pictures or bring in magazines. The pictures don’t even have to be a landscape. Maybe it’s a scene, like a day at a carnival or an auction house.

Eventually, they’ll write a scene that describes their chosen landscape or scene. But first, I have them brainstorm several examples of figurative language for each of the five senses. 

That way, when they write, they can pull their own examples to describe the taste of the ocean air or the feel of the arid desert air. 

The final piece doesn’t have to be long. A couple of paragraphs—or even one very developed paragraph—can give you enough writing to see whether students understand the skill.

How to Scaffold the Writing

But if you have struggling students or students who rarely write on their own, I do recommend some scaffolding before jumping into the writing process.

First, don’t let them touch a completely blank page unless you know they’re ready. 

Before writing, have students brainstorm an example of each type of figurative language that describes their scene or an example of figurative language for each sense. 

Consider making anchor charts or figurative language posters with the class as a pre-writing activity.

It’s a good idea, too, to have students highlight or underline and label their examples of figurative language. They wrote them; they should be able to identify them. 

This will be just a little bit more proof that they know what they’re doing, and you won’t have to worry about guessing intentions if you come across a vague or confusing description in your students’ writing. 

While much of this activity happens at students’ desks, the physical photo cards give students something concrete to interact with and use as a springboard for their writing. It’s one of my favorite ways to move students from identifying figurative language to actually using it in their own writing.

Want to skip the prep? My Figurative Language Writing Activity includes printable and digital components, landscape cards, and student worksheets so you can put this activity together quickly.

Conclusion

Coming up with engaging figurative language activities on the fly isn’t always easy. When you’re planning your next figurative language unit or Creative Writing class, look for simple ways to add movement, sensory experiences, or physical objects to your lessons. Even small changes—like taking students outside with a clipboard or giving them something to touch, taste, or manipulate—can make a familiar skill feel much more engaging.

Want engaging figurative language activities without creating all the materials yourself? My Figurative Language Mini-unit Bundle includes detailed lesson plans and ready-to-use activities that give students opportunities for independent practice, collaboration, and peer feedback.

Grab the Figurative Language Mini-unit Bundle and save yourself the prep!

Most activities now include digital versions, giving you flexibility for absent students, unexpected schedule changes, or virtual instruction.