I am going to be in Peru for the next few weeks and will not be posting as often on Spanish Playground. This seems like a good time to share some tips for finding for authentic language materials online. These suggestions are for Google searches, but you can apply them to other search engines as well. I know that many of you have more strategies for finding what you need – be sure to sure [...]
Stress Free Kids publishes audio and picture books that help children reduce stress and lower anxiety. These stories are available in Spanish and are fabulous language-learning tools. The stories teach relaxation techniques, but their structure and objective also create an excellent Spanish learning experience. As children listen to these stories, they relax, but they are never passive. Children participate, both physically and by actively using their imaginations. The CD Sueños del océano índigo has four [...]
This online game is a good way to practice Spanish color words. It is from Spanishspanish and players hear and see a sequence and then repeat it by clicking on the correct colors. The sequence gets longer if the player does it correctly. The photo that players click on is of toenails painted different colors. It is cute, something different, and makes little Spanish learners smile. The audio is very clear and the timing in [...]
I write about lots of traditional playground games, hand-clapping games and jump rope rhymes that children play in Spanish. Recently Summer Nanny featured one of my articles in list of 20 blogs with playground games. A few of the games mentioned in the list lend themselves particularly well to language learning and I wanted to share five of them here. Check out Summer Nanny for more outside activities – everything from classic games to ways [...]
Children like making a gift to give to their mothers for El Día de la Madre, but whether you are in class or at home, it is hard to find time for projects. These printable bracelets can be used in different ways, and they make a cute, easy gift in Spanish. The words la pulsera and el brazalete are both used for bracelet in Spanish. There are four designs that can be printed on plain [...]
This song and music video have a wonderful message for Mamá on Mother’s Day. The song is upbeat and fun and you will love Mariana Iranzi! Mariana is originally from Argentina. An accomplished professional musician, she also composes and performs Spanish songs for children. Her personality comes shining through in this video; it is sure to have both kids and adults singing along with smiles on their faces. Looking at language, this song works well [...]
This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winners, entries 11 and 18, Melissa and Katie. Winners were chosen using random.org. Thank you to everyone who entered and shared how they teach culture. It is fun and inspiring to read about what others are doing with their children and classes. We all learn from each other. ¡Muchas gracias! Award-winning author Carole Roman has written a lovely picture book to introduce young children to the country [...]
The last ebook I made, La primavera llegó, was a big hit with my students, so I thought I would share these two stories in Spanish, too. Like the last book, these were made using the beautiful art on Storybird. In this post about Storybird in 2011, I talked about some ways to use the website with Spanish language learners. You can share the stories you write by emailing or embedding them. However, stories in [...]
These questions in Spanish are useful for all kinds of activities, including board games, classroom games or just asking each other for fun. Children learn many of these words and structures in elementary school. They also are familiar with the content. Of course, what kids understand will depend on their level and age. You can always reword the questions to make them easier for your students or children to understand. Una preguntita is a continually [...]
Award-winning author Carole Roman has written a lovely picture book to introduce young children to the country and culture of Mexico. If You Were mM and Lived in… Mexico: A Child’s Introduction to Cultures Around the World is intended for ages pre-K through eight. It combines carefully selected information with images crafted to be typical, but never stereotypical. The book is available from Amazon and on the author’s website. In my experience, it is hard [...]
Cantoalegre is an amazing resource. This fabulous organization from Colombia offers free downloads of their Spanish songs for kids. They explain their generosity saying Porque la música es de todos, te traemos canciones para descargar gratis. Because music belongs to everyone, we bring you songs to download free. Cantoalegre is a non-profit cultural organization in Colombia dedicated to the creation, study and performance of children’s music. The group performs, produces CDs, and has founded numerous [...]
These two online games are from Educapeques. They are designed to teach basic concepts and prepositions to native Spanish speakers and are also excellent online games for teaching Spanish vocabulary and agreement to language learners. Children see a set of four simple drawings and hear clear audio instructions telling them to click on one of the images. The objects in the drawings are familiar, so the instructions kids hear will have words like mesa, vasos, [...]