Buenas noches, buenos días – A variation of a familiar game for kids learning Spanish

Variations of familiar games are an easy way to incorporate Spanish into the day.

The game Duck,Duck,Goose is a good example. I play this game in class in Spanish with the phrases buenas noches and buenos días. One child moves around the outside of the circle saying buenas noches as she touches each child on the head. The children in the circle should be “sleeping,” keeping their heads bowed. At some point the child who is moving around the circle says buenos días and starts to run. The last child she touched jumps up and tries to catch her before she makes it back to the empty place in the circle.

Lots of games lend themselves to adaptations that use Spanish. Movement and interaction help the children processes the language more deeply, and of course they love to play.

Try this circle game in Spanish to teach por favor and gracias.