A Little Book of Opposites

What Is an Opposite?

An opposite is a word that means the very other thing. Big and small are opposites. Up and down are opposites. Let's find lots of opposites together! Say each pair out loud.

Big and Small

An elephant is big. 🐘

A mouse is small. 🐭

Big things take up lots of room. Small things are little and tidy.

Up and Down

The balloon floats up, up into the sky. 🎈

The ball rolls down, down the hill. ⬇️

Point your finger up. Now point it down. You did an opposite!

Hot and Cold

Soup on the stove is hot. Blow on it, careful! 🔥

Ice cream from the freezer is cold. Brrr! 🍦

The sun feels hot. Snow feels cold.

Fast and Slow

A racing car goes fast. Zoom! 🏎️

A little snail goes slow. So slow! 🐌

Can you run fast? Now can you tiptoe slow?

Happy and Sad

When you laugh and smile, you feel happy. 😊

When you cry, you feel sad. 😢

It is okay to feel both. Everyone does.

Open and Closed

The door is open. Come in! 🚪

The box is closed. What is inside? 📦

Open your hands wide. Now close them tight.

Day and Night

In the day, the bright sun shines and we play. ☀️

At night, the moon and stars come out and we sleep. 🌙

Loud and Quiet

A drum is loud. Bang, bang! 🥁

A whisper is quiet. Shhh. 🤫

Wet and Dry

After a swim, you are all wet. 💧

After a towel, you are nice and dry. 🧺

Your Turn

Now you know lots of opposites! Can you think of more?

• What is the opposite of on? (Off!)
• What is the opposite of in? (Out!)
• What is the opposite of stop? (Go!)

Look around your home. Is the light on or off? Is the window open or closed? Opposites are everywhere!

Keep learning with A Little Book of Colors and Shapes, or count your way to ten in Numbers 1 to 10: A Picture Book.