In this printable Spanish board game, kids move around the board by clapping and counting the number of syllables in a word. There are pictures accompanying the words on the cards, so kids learn new vocabulary too. Most of the vocabulary is related to spring. In Spanish, syllables define how to read, spell and accentuate words. Because syllables are so important, they are the basis for learning to read. In English, children learn to “sound [...]
I play this simple Spanish game for kids with students and they love it. I usually play with preschoolers, but I have also played with students as old as eight and they have fun with it too. It is a guessing game. You have a set of paper cups that you have labeled, put stickers on, or covered with different color paper. One person hides a small object under a paper cup and the other [...]
My children played this game in Spanish all the time with their friends in Mexico. They call it Basta, but it has lots of names: Tutti frutti, ¡Mercadito!, Stop, Lápiz quieto, Animales con E, Alto el fuego, Ensalada rusa. It is a category game in Spanish – the original, non-commercial version of Scattergories. To play this traditional children’s game in Spanish, everyone makes a game board with categories. Common categories include nombre, cosa, animal, fruta [...]
This free iPad app from Ridili teaches a simple finger play. The traditional rhyme, originally in German, is called Plums Rhyme, or La rima aciruelada. The app gives you the rhyme in five languages – English, Spanish, French, German and Russian. For each, there is excellent audio, beautiful graphics and on-screen text. The Spanish version of the rhyme begins: Este es don señor pulgar. Él, las ciruelas cosecha. (This is Mister Thumb. He picks the [...]
Tripas de gato is a traditional game my kids played in Mexico, and it can easily be adapted as a language learning activity. The name, tripas de gato, means “cat guts.” The game is also played in other Latin American countries and Spain. Kids only need pencil and paper to play. In the traditional version, players take turns drawing lines between pairs of numbers (1 to 1, 2 to 2) without crossing or touching any [...]
The title of this Spanish song and game, A pares y nones, is Evens and Odds (numbers) in English. This is a traditional game and it is played a lot with groups of kids in Mexico. Everyone joins hands in a circle and walks singing the song. Then, the leader (teacher) calls out a number and everyone hurries to form a group of that many people. I have also seen the game played using other [...]
¿Quién robó pan? is a traditional game played in many Spanish-speaking countries. It is a chant in the form of a dialog. Kids often play this game on a bus or when a group is waiting. I use this game with Spanish language learners even if the group is fairly small. I like it because it has the rhythm of a natural dialog and uses common structures that are easily transferred to other situations. It [...]
One of my favorite websites is Made by Joel. Joel Henriques is an artist and designer in Portland and he shares art and handmade education projects for children on his site. He has many beautiful free printables that are excellent for language activities. Below you will find links to the paper cities, but take time to explore the whole site. It is full of wonderful art activities for kids and adults. For my classes, I [...]
I love this card for Día del Padre! Several of my private students are going to be giving this tarjeta to Dad this Father’s Day. The printable card has a pirinola that you can cut out to play Toma todo with Dad. A pirinola is a top with instructions on each side. Toma todo is a traditional game that my kids played all the time in Mexico. In some countries the top is called a [...]
School is almost over and I have been playing some of the games that we played at the beginning of the year. This is a very simple Spanish game, and a favorite with my youngest students. I call it ¿Dónde está el pájaro? At the beginning of the year, the most challenging part of this game for the littlest ones is passing the bird around the circle. They have grown up so much! This is [...]