5 Fun and Easy Games to Teach Kids Spanish at Home

So, you want your child to learn Spanish, but the moment you pull out the flash cards, they mysteriously vanish. Don't worry, I've got you. Today I'm sharing five super fun and easy games to teach children Spanish at home. No textbooks, no stress, just playtime. But first, if you're new around here, bienvenidos. Yo soy Kelly and this is Adventures in Spanish. And I've been creating and delivering fun and engaging Spanish lessons for adults and children of all ages and abilities since I moved back to the UK after an epic 20-year adventure in South America. Okay, let's start with a classic, veo veo, a.k.a. I spy in Spanish. Kids love it and it's perfect for sneaking in new vocabulary. Okay, and it goes like this. So, veo veo, I spy, and the child says, what do you see? And then the parent says, a thing, and the child, and the parent says, marvellous. And the child says, what colour? And the parent might choose, you can then choose a colour, anything of any colour. I've got a red apple, so I'm going to say, rojo. The child says, ah, manzana. Si, muy bien, manzana. Obviously, you can play this anywhere, at home, in the car, at the supermarket. Plus, it helps kids practise their colours and the objects, and even some adjectives. Okay, so this next game is called or word race. And this is a great activity for high-energy children who need to move while they learn. And what you'll do is you'll take some sticky notes and label different objects either in the garden or in the house. I've got a card here that says ventana, and I'm going to say to the child, corre a la ventana. And the child is going to run to the ventana and shout, when they get there. And you can do this with body parts, furniture, or even action words, like saltar, jump, or bailar, dance. It's a bit like Simon Says, but with more running. Now, if your child loves surprises, they're going to love la caja mágica, the magic box. And for this, you're going to need a box or a bag filled with random objects. And you're going to ask your child, ¿qué hay en la caja? What is there in the box? ¿Qué hay en la caja? Okay, your child's going to put their hand in the box or the bag and pull something out. And when they pull it out, they're going to say the name of the thing. So, coche, car. And we could even ask, ¿qué color? If it's a blue car, coche azul. And you're going to reinforce positively by saying, sí, es un coche. Sí, es un coche azul. And this game is great for building vocabulary, and it makes the children excited about learning. Because, well, who doesn't love a mystery box? Okay, so if your child has the attention span of, say, a goldfish, yep, relatable, catch the word is perfect. So, for this, you're going to need a soft ball or a balloon. And you're going to throw the ball to the child. And when you do it, you're going to say what you want the child to say. For example, di un animal en español. Say an animal in Spanish. When the child catches the ball, they then say an animal, gato. And then they throw the ball. So, they can't throw the ball until they've said their item. You could also say, di un color en español. Yeah, say, a color in Spanish. And you remember that you want to reinforce it positively. So, you could say, sí, ahora lanza la pelota. Now, throw the ball. Ahora lanza la pelota. Have you heard of that game, hot potato? It's like that, but educational. And you can use different categories like colors, foods, or even numbers. And finally, a game that works for all ages, búsqueda del tesoro, aka treasure hunt. Now, this is a great one for Easter as well and can be adapted for Easter egg hunts. So, you're going to hide objects around the house or around the garden with Spanish clues on cards for them to find. Clues like, busca algo que usamos para beber. Find something we use to drink. And a child might go and find a cup and say, vaso. Yeah, and you'll be like, sí. Ahora encontramos algo que usamos para escribir. Now, find something that we use to write. And you can even make a mapa de tesoro, yeah, or a treasure map. I used to do this with my children when they were younger and they absolutely loved it. It's a great activity. As long as you keep the sentences simple and appropriate for their level and age, it's a great way for them to learn. Here are some more clues that you can use in a búsqueda de tesoro for your child. Brilla en la noche, no en el día. Soy roja o verde, dulce y crujiente. Voy en tus pies y tengo un par. Tengo una llave, pero no soy cofre. Tengo hojas, pero no soy un árbol. And there you have it, five easy, fun games to teach children Spanish at home without making it feel like school. We have Veo Veo, Carrera de Palabras, La Caja Mágica, Atrapa la Palabra, and Búsqueda del Tesoro. Which game are you going to try first? Let me know in the comments. And don't forget to like and subscribe for more easy Spanish learning tips. ¡Hasta la próxima! ¡Adiós!