Are your kids getting burned out with all the screen time this school year? Looking for some simple screen-free activities that your child could do to practice Spanish?
Try one of these EASY activities that will make practicing Spanish fun – with no screens allowed! Most require little to no set-up ahead of time. Get your child practicing colors, shapes, numbers, animals, or any interesting Spanish vocabulary with one of these fun ideas.
1. Play Memory
Play memory with picture cards to practice anything you’d like! Use a simple picture memory game you already have, use number flashcards, or print off animal pictures to cut and use to play memory. Gather two of each card, lay them face-down, and try to find (and name!) all of the matches.
2. Label the House
Have your child put labels on objects around the house to practice their names. Grab the FREE printable labels I made in my post about Home Labels.
3. Have a scavenger hunt
There are so many ways you could do a scavenger hunt! Your child could search for items of a certain color, items or words that start with a certain letter like “m,” or items of a certain shape. For example, pick a color or two (like azul and amarillo [blue and yellow]) and have your child find 5 (or other appropriate number) things that are those colors. See if he/she can name them all. If they’re writing, have them make a list of the color and the items they found.
Related post: Free printable outdoor scavenger hunt
4. Play Diego Desapareció
Do you remember playing the Hangman spelling game as a child? Diego Desapareció (Diego Disappeared) is a similar game in which you draw a person and guess letters in a mystery word. One person thinks of a mystery word and makes lines for each letter of the mystery word. The other player guesses one letter at a time to see if it’s in the word. Correct letters get written on the correct lines, and incorrect letters result in a body part being erased from Diego (until he disappears!). My second grade son and I played it this week with skeleton Cheetos I found at the grocery store! Our words were Halloween-related like araña (spider), calabaza (pumpkin), and disfraz (costume).
Related post: 10 Engaging Ways to Practice High Frequency Words (in English or Spanish)
5. Read a book to a pet or stuffed animal
Grab a Spanish book and curl up with a pet or stuffed animal in a cozy spot! Find books at your library (ours offers pick-up right now), or print one off with a free trial from Reading A-Z. Explore recommended books on a variety of themes here on Bilingual Balance.
Related post: Bilingual printable reading bucket list
6. Play a simple board game
Many of the board games we have at our house can be played in Spanish instead of English! Candy Land, Chutes & Ladders, Operation, or Sequence for Kids are just a few that we have that we could play using Spanish. Many require only numbers and colors vocabulary. Grab a board game you have and be creative! If you’re looking for gift ideas for your bilingual kids, check out this gift guide for little linguists.
7. Play “Veo veo”
This is the game “I Spy” that will get you practicing Spanish vocabulary. One player picks an object in the room and the other player guesses what it is. Someone starts, “Veo, veo…” (I see, I see…). The other player says “¿Qué ves?” (What do you see?). Then the first person might say “Veo, veo, algo verde” (I spy something green). The other player might ask “¿Es grande?” (Is it big?) or “¿Es redondo? (Is it round?). Try to use colors, shapes, and sizes!
8. Listen to a story
Could an older sibling, parent, or grandparent read aloud a Spanish book to the child? Or, put on an audiobook to listen along to! Here are some wonderful audiobooks recommended by Spanish Mama.
9. Sing a favorite Spanish song
Play some Spanish music for kids to get singing and dancing! Or, think of a favorite Spanish song you know and could sing together. Play some fun kids’ music with my Spotify playlists.
10. Play a guessing game
My kids and I are always playing guessing games in Spanish in the car. It’s a great way to practice vocabulary around animals, people, or a specific theme. We think of a category (often it’s animals), and one person gets to think of the secret selection (animal). The rest of us ask sí/no (yes/no) questions (like “¿tiene 4 patas?” [does it have 4 legs?] or “¿puede volar?” [can it fly?]) until we guess the secret animal!
I hope one of these activities gets you and your kids practicing some Spanish language at home! Need help with some basic vocabulary? Homeschool Spanish Academy has a great post with numbers, colors, and shapes – along with their pronunciation! Take a break from the screens and play, read, sing, and have fun together using Spanish!
Discover more resources for raising bilingual kids:
- Incorporating Spanish into Simple Daily Routines
- How to Raise Bilingual Kids: Family Language Plans
- How Grandparents Can Support Bilingual Kids
Find your balance,
Jenna
