Popular sayings are popular phrases that teach or advise about different issues in life and that have been transmitted orally from generation to generation. Some of them have an educational character and can be used in the classroom to address values such as perseverance or effort with children; to work on skills such as memory or to show the importance of popular wisdom.

Popular sayings

Here are some popular sayings to work with children.

Popular sayings

Do good without looking at whom’.

It talks about the importance of being kind without taking into account how is the person to whom you are helping or doing a favor. It is about doing good selflessly and without seeking anything in return.

Greed breaks the sack’.

Warns about the dangers of greed and never being satisfied with what you have. It is better to learn to value what you have, instead of always wanting more, since the desire to get something excessive will frustrate the obtaining of an acceptable profit.

Better safe than sorry’.

It conveys the idea of being cautious and taking measures in advance that can prevent problems in the future. By anticipating any situation, you will prevent it from leading to an unsolvable end.

All that glitters is not gold’.

Do not always trust appearances because, in most cases, things are not what they seem. Instead, we should value more the substance of people and the world around us. It teaches us to be cautious, to have a critical eye and not to let ourselves be dazzled by promises.

There’s no bad thing that comes for the best’.

Even from bad times and the worst situations something can be learned. This saying invites us to look on the bright side of life and gives an optimistic view of reality. A distressing moment in the present, can bring positive results in the future.

To the bad weather a good face’.

When things get complicated it is better to face them with a positive attitude. The phrase advises to maintain a good disposition, not to get discouraged or demoralized if life gets difficult, and tries to convey the value of temper in the face of adversity.

He who has a friend has a treasure’.

He extols the value of friendship. A good friend makes anyone feel more confident, happy and optimistic. It is a ‘treasure’ because it accompanies both in good times and bad.

Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today’.

In Don Quijote there is a variant of this saying: “Before today rather than tomorrow”. It recommends not to be lazy, but to be constant when it comes to doing the pending work. The sooner the task is done, the better; tomorrow it may cost more than today.

No risk, no gain

Sometimes, it is necessary to risk in order to win. This popular saying conveys the idea that if you want to obtain positive results in any field it is necessary to act; either by investing time, effort, money, or any other resource.

From mistakes you learn’.

It’s okay to make mistakes and everyone makes mistakes. It is about turning what you have done wrong into a lesson in order to do better next time. Often these are small ‘stumbles’ that have minimal consequences, but from which you can learn.

Today for you, tomorrow for me’.

What you do for someone else, be it a friend or a stranger, tomorrow they will do for you. This is a saying based on the values of friendship, solidarity and, most especially, reciprocity.

Better a bird in the hand than a hundred in the air’.

The purpose of this phrase is to show the importance of valuing what you have instead of wanting to achieve things that are much more difficult. It is intended to show that greed is not a positive attitude.

‘He who has a mouth makes mistakes’.

Everyone makes mistakes and the solution is to be aware of them and try to fix them. He teaches that one should not be afraid to make mistakes because it is natural.

Obligation comes before devotion’.

Even if one is eager to play, hang out with friends or go outside, the first thing a person has to attend to is his or her obligations. Responsibility is the value this phrase is meant to instill.

Knowledge takes no place’.

The desire to learn about any subject or field of knowledge is always a good way to live and understand life. This saying teaches that interest and curiosity to discover new things is never a disadvantage but a virtue.

He who reads a lot and walks a lot, sees a lot and knows a lot’.

This phrase, attributed to Miguel de Cervantes, affirms that those people who are interested in traveling and reading have a lot of knowledge. With both practices it is possible to visit many places, either in a real or imaginary way, and learn about them and many other things.