Are you looking to have fun learning Spanish with your kids? Then try these 18 ideas!
Learning Spanish at home is a great project! Regardless of your proficiency, you can show your kids how to embark on a bilingual life early on.
Did you know that learning a new language is one of the best ways of keeping your mind active? It strengthens skills like attention, memory, focus, and problem-solving.
It also fills your brain with “feel-good” chemicals and helps unearth new skills in toddlers.
Have a look at some other brain benefits here.
But that’s not all! The tips and ideas we have gathered here will enhance your kid’s language skills while developing cultural awareness.
Many of the ideas on this list contain a cultural component, where children will be exposed to different world views, traditions, idioms, and plenty more.
Also, they can improve social communication, self-confidence, teamwork, and collaboration abilities if they’re part of a group.
You can have all the benefits of learning a second language we mentioned while having a great time as a family.
Let’s dive in!
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1. Singing
Is this mic on?
A great way of teaching Spanish is by using catchy songs. A good old song can help you learn new words and grammar rules and have fun at the same time.
Children can easily mimic new phonetics and memorize lyrics this way.
Singing will boost your kids’ memory and improve skills like listening, speaking, and reading, through sing along.
Let them improve their pronunciation, learn new words and phrases, and improve their creativity and self-expression.
2. Storytelling
Do your children like stories? Family-friendly Spanish lessons can also occur during their daily routine at home.
Read books to your children and ask them to retell the stories in their own words, and if they are feeling creative, let them add new scenes to the story.
This will nurture their creativity and listening comprehension.
See also: Spanish for Kids Starter Kit: Free Resources and Best Options for You
3. Videos
We must benefit from technology and the modern world. Learning Spanish can be easier with engaging, fun, and didactic videos.
Ear training is key when it comes to learning a second language.
You can choose an appropriate YouTube channel or video resource with slow pronunciation or subtitles, depending on your kid’s age group or Spanish level.
If you want Spanish videos for beginners, check out this channel.
4. Role-playing
You can have lots of fun learning Spanish with your kids in role-playing situations! Have you thought of role-playing before?
You must know kids learn Spanish more naturally by imitating people around them. So, here are some ideas for this engaging activity:
Ordering food and beverages at a restaurant
Buying groceries at the supermarket
Chatting about the weather
Describing a regular day in our lives
Telling you about their next vacation
A day at the zoo
Writing a letter to Santa
Asking for directions to the nearest playground
5. Board Games
We’re sure that board games are essential to your family time. But how about using them to learn and practice Spanish?
Play memory games, bingo, or better yet lotería and serpientes y escaleras. Teaching Spanish to kids has never been more fun and entertaining!
Board games can be very exciting for families, especially when you buy new ones.
Lotería is a traditional Mexican game with 16 images on each board. When the host calls all of the images on your board, you shout Lotería and win the game.
People use buttons or beans to put on top of the images as they come up. How fun!
Serpientes y escaleras is another traditional Mexican game.
You roll the dice to move ahead. If you fall on an escalera (ladder), you skip forward, but beware of the serpientes (snakes), as they will pull you down!
Click here to see the print-out Spanish-teaching version.
Read next: 40+ Online Spanish Games for Kids That Are Educational and Fun
6. Crafts
Are your children into crafts?
Try making papel picado, an abanico, building a piñata, or recreate a talavera tile with them.
Crafts can help them get closer to other cultures and perspectives and are a cool way of learning craft terms, colors, shapes, and textures in Spanish.
7. Cooking
Have fun learning Spanish with your kids while cooking!
Cooking is always exciting for kids, and you can turn cooking into a Spanish learning activity and do it as a family.
Start with simple dishes like empanadas, tapas, or tacos, and encourage them to talk about the tastes and ingredients or even cooking techniques in Spanish.
Here are some Mexican recipes for kids that you can try at home!
Delicious!
8. Scavenger Hunts
There are two ways of teaching kids Spanish with scavenger hunts.
The first one is to describe the object or give clues about it in Spanish. The second one is to let them describe the object you need to find.
They can choose to play the role of the hunter or the caller.
Just get ready for some laughs!
9. Language Exchange
You can connect with Spanish-speaking kids in person or via video chat, that’ll help your kids understand the language better.
Talking to native Spanish speakers can make the learning journey more manageable and more interesting.
They will be from a different culture and family context, which will help your children with the language and give them a new perspective.
10. Puppet Shows
When was the last time you took your kids to a puppet show? I bet it was fun, but did you know they can help your kids learn Spanish?
You can hold a grammar and vocabulary lesson and leave all the hard work to the puppets!
Look for solid Spanish interactions where these characters can converse extensively with your kids. They can even sing Spanish songs together.
If you want a fun twist for this activity, you can let your children do the show. They will learn how to prepare skits, stories, and scripts!
11. Cultural Activities
Celebrate Spanish-speaking holidays like 5 de Mayo, a cultural heritage celebration for Chicanos, or the Argentinian National Empanada Day.
It doesn’t have to involve a national holiday. You can cook traditional dishes while playing songs by Latin American or Spanish artists, and talk about celebrations to make a fun day out of it.
Read more: 9 Traditional Cinco de Mayo Activities for Kids Learning Spanish.
12. Podcasts or TV Shows
Listening comprehension is very important when it comes to learning a language.
If you need to improve your children’s pronunciation and comprehension skills, a kids-appropriate podcast or family-friendly TV show can be suitable for you and your little ones.
Here we share some to get you started:
13. Labeling
Grab some post its and run around the house labeling everything you see using Spanish words!
You can do it with the help of your children while you teach them how to pronounce each word.
From now on, they will have to read the word silla every time they want to sit down or use the chair or the word puerta every time they need to open the door.
They’ll memorize the words in no time!
Also, encourage them to say the word out loud and even to use them in a sentence. This can become a part of an immersive experience like number 18 on this list.
But hang on. First on the list…
14. Language Apps
Some of the best language apps for kids include lessons to improve vocabulary, grammar, and conversation skills.
Gus on the Go, Spanish School Bus App, DuoLingo for Kids, FabuLingua, and Fun Spanish by Study Cat are some of the best options.
Yes, they’ll need to use your phone constantly. But this time is for a good cause.
15. Board Books
If your kids are in the first age group (0-3), they might need extra visual help to engage in the learning process.
Board books are an excellent choice to start!
These usually cover basic themes like letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. This is a great way of starting a bilingual journey from their early years.
Have a look at some of them:
16. Language Games
When your kids get older, keeping their interest in board books or puppet shows is harder.
When this happens, try playing games for older children, like Spanish Scrabble or Hangman in Spanish, and celebrate every time they use a new word.
17. Virtual Field Trips
Technology can take a long way when learning a new language or acquiring a new skill.
Have fun learning Spanish with your kids while visiting other countries and regions of the world on a virtual trip.
Learning a new language will give your children a broader vision of society and teach them to understand the world and each country’s unique characteristics.
Watch your little ones learn about other cultures, grammar, vocabulary, and geography with this activity.
Here are some virtual tours you can explore:
18. Language Immersion
Language immersion is when students are exposed to a new language by listening to it, reading it, speaking it, and writing it almost at the same time.
Think of it as suddenly moving into a Spanish-speaking country.
The idea is to recreate an environment similar to the one our children had when they learned their mother tongue but in Spanish.
As kids, we used to mimic sounds and words we listened to from people around us and got used to certain expressions and reactions from an early age.
This technique has helped a lot of people and you can use it too, click here to know more.
Your Kids Can Start Speaking Spanish Today!
As you can see, there are many ways of teaching Spanish to kids while having fun. This list of 18 ideas complements each other, but where to start?
Native, authentic Spanish instruction has proven effective for language learning, as it involves real human connection and a solid Spanish-speaking background.
This means that when you learn from a native teacher, it is easier for you to understand idioms, expressions, and regional phrases, and, thereby, truly get to know a different culture.
Our expert-certified curriculum includes innovative, human-centered learning strategies so you and your kids can speak Spanish from the very first class.
We’ve been teaching Spanish for over 10 years, and we offer student-tailored language programs, flexible scheduling, and a trusted support team.
Have fun learning Spanish with your kids, and find out why our students love our 5-star instruction.
We can’t wait for you to join us. Schedule a free class today!
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– Sharon K, Parent of 3
“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”
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“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”
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Want more free Spanish lessons, fun content, and easy learning strategies for kids? Check these out!
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10 Ways Learning Spanish Can Improve Your Child’s Behavior
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Equipping Your Child for Fluency: 8 Tips for Teaching Spanish
7 Spanish Reading Games for Kids: Boosting Literacy Skills
The post 18 Ways To Have Fun Learning Spanish With Your Kids appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.
Read More Are you looking to have fun learning Spanish with your kids? Then try these 18 ideas! Learning Spanish at home is a great project! Regardless of your proficiency, you can show your kids how to embark on a bilingual life early on. Did you know that learning a new language is one of the best
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