Dice Game to Teach Vocabulary to Kids Learning Spanish

You can use this simple dice game to practice specific vocabulary with children who are learning Spanish. To play this game, everyone needs a copy of the same picture. You will also want to have a copy of the picture to use as a key that everyone can see.  I have included two coloring pages that you can print and use below, but any picture will do.

To play, assign objects in the picture a number, for example, 1=el sol, 2=el árbol, 3 = la casa.  You can cut out the objects and make a key, or write the numbers on the picture as a key. A player rolls the dice, and then colors, labels, circles, or crosses out the corresponding part of the picture. If she has already rolled the number, she does not do anything on that turn and play passes to the next player. If you play with one die, there are six designated objects. The first player to color all six objects wins. You can also play with two dice and up to 12 objects. In this version, a player can use the numbers she rolls separately or add them together.  For example, if she rolls a 4 and a 5, she can color the objects labeled 4 and 5, or the object labeled 9.

This game provides lots of repetition of new Spanish vocabulary. Each time a number is rolled, be sure to say what the number represents and point to the object in the picture. Talk about the object with your child. For example, you might say:
Tienes un tres. El tres es la casa. / You have a three. Three is the house.
Colorea (pinta) la casa.  / Color the house.
¿De qué color será la casa? / What color will the house be?
¿Una casa roja? / A red house?
Me gusta. La casa roja es bonita. / I like it. The red house is pretty.

You can also play by circling or putting an X on a part of the picture. This works well for practicing body parts or other smaller parts of a picture. You can use phrases like these:
Pon una X en la nariz. / Put an X on his nose.
Pon un círculo alrededor de la rodilla. / Put a circle around his knee.

These printable pictures can be used for this game. They are both pictures in the public domain, and you can find others like them. Each link is followed by some of the vocabulary that you could practice with the picture. Just choose the vocabulary that you want to focus on and assign numbers.

Vocabulary for picture to practice Spanish clothes words with dice game. This picture also works for body parts by circling them or crossing them out.
el gorro / el sombrero – hat
los pantalones – pants
los pantalones cortos – shorts
la sudadera  – sweatshirt
la camiseta/la playera (Mexico) – t-shirt
las chanclas – flip-flops
los zapatos – shoes
las botas – boots
el balón – football
la puerta – door

Vocabulary for picture to practice Spanish body parts with dice game.
la nariz – nose
el ojo -eye
la oreja – ear
la boca – mouth
el cuello – neck
el pecho – chest
el hombro – shoulder
el codo – elbow
la mano – hand
el pelo – hair
el pie – foot
la rodilla – knee
la boca del pez – the fish’s mouth
la cola del pez – the fish’s tail
el gorro / el sombrero – hat
el lago – lake
la roca – rock
la nube – cloud

These are other Spanish phrases you might use to play this game.
Talking to someone:


Te toca. – It’s your turn.
Tira (los dados). –  Roll (the dice).
¿Qué tienes? – What do you have?
¿Qué sacaste? – What did you roll?
Tienes un dos.- You have a two.
Ya pintaste (coloreaste) el árbol. – You already colored the tree.
Dame los dados por favor. – Give me the dice please.
Dale los dados a Hannah por favor. – Give the dice to Hannah please.

Talking about yourself:
Me toca. – It’s my turn.
Tengo un dos. – I have a two.
Saqué un dos. – I rolled a two.
Ya pinté (coloreé) el árbol. – I already colored the tree.