¡Actividades for el Español en la Escuela Primaria!
Activities for Spanish in the Elementary School
Written, Adapted, and Compiled by Shasta Ruddock (Doll) (2004)
Please enjoy the following activities that are available to help you quickly and efficiently incorporate
Spanish into your classroom. I have used all of these activities personally in a Spanish language
elementary program that I taught weekly in Bozeman, Montana. If you have any questions, suggestions,
or feedback, please do email me at sruddock-doll@cheneysd.org .
Please know that the World Language Department at Cheney High School greatly appreciates your
willingness to expose our students to foreign language early when language acquisition is at its’ best!
Table of Contents:
Alrededor del Mundo:
Bingo:
Caliente y Frío:
Charadas:
Direcciones:
Matamoscas:
Piccionario:
Símon Dice:
Un Cuerpo de Palabras:
Around the World, a great activity to review known vocabulary
Bingo with numbers, this includes a gameboard you can adapt to any
thematic vocabulary unit
Hot and Cold
Charades: Use this for tener phrases that express personal needs.
Work on classroom direction
The fly swatter game
Pictionary in Spanish Use this game to practice any thematic
vocabulary unit. School supplies, clothing, foods
Simon Says in Spanish: Use for commands, actions, or parts of the
body
Have students draw a body using the only the corresponding words
in Spanish for lines.
~Actividad~ “Alrededor del Mundo”
Materiales:
List of questions
Direcciones:
In this activity students will play a Spanish version of the game around the world. In this game the
object is to successfully travel around the world or in this case to each desk in the classroom by
the end of the game. The game begins by choosing one student to stand next to another seated
student. The instructor gives a vocabulary word in Spanish and the first student to give the word
correctly moves on to challenge the student in the next desk. If the seated student wins the round,
that student stands and moves on to the next desk in attempt to travel around the world. The
standing student sits in the desk where he/she is stopped. In participating in this activity students
may be awarded points based on the number of seats traveled throughout the game.
Objetivos / Aplicaciones
This activity serves several purposes. One, this activity challenges students ability to recall and
express materials and concepts learned in class. This activity also demonstrates in a less
conventional manner student understanding and mastery of content. This should by no means be
used as a sole evaluator, but may be used as a tool for the instructor. This activity keeps the entire
class engaged because of it’s fast pace, and allows students to review questions that are presented
to classmates. Furthermore, this activity offers a great deal of flexibility, and can be adapted to
hold students individually accountable.
~Actividad~ “Bingo”
Materiales:
Bingo cards
Bingo chips (or small pieces of paper to use as markers)
Spinner to choose numbers if desired
Direcciones:
Students will play bingo with the traditional rules and procedures.
Objetivos / Aplicaciones
Students will practice numbers 1-30 both hearing them orally as the numbers are called off, as
well as correctly repeating the numbers in Spanish to claim a Bingo.
Nombre (Name):
¡Bingo!~Los Números~
~Los Números ~
1
uno
19
diecinueve
2
dos
20
veinte
3
tres
4
cuatro
5
cinco
6
seis
7
siete
21
veintiuno
8
ocho
22
veintidós
9
nueve
23
veintitrés
10
diez
24
veinticuatro
11
once
25
veinticinco
12
doce
26
veintiséis
13
trece
27
veintisiete
14
catorce
28
veintiocho
15
quince
29
veintinueve
16
dieciséis
30
treinta
17
diecisiete
18
dieciocho
~Actividad~ “Caliente y Frió”
Materials:
No materials needed
Direcciones:
In this activity, instructors may play the game with the entire class, or break students up into small
groups. Caliente y Frío is the same as the game Hot or Cold in English, however all commands will be
given in Spanish. The instructor will pick an item, or give each group a list of items, for one student to
search out. This game can be modified to include more Spanish by allowing students to ask for clues
which will be given only in Spanish.
Objetivos / Aplicaciones
The objective of this game is for students to have fun and apply the Spanish language to classroom
activities. Students will practice both oral and listening skills in Spanish.
If desired, directions for the students looking for the object can be given in Spanish.
Direcciones:
Doblar- to turn
Bajar- to go down
Subir- to go up
A la derecha- to the right
A la izquierda- to the left
Andar- to walk
Caminar- to walk
Pasos- steps
Seguir- to continue
Parar- to stop
~Actividad~ “Charadas”
Materiales:
Flash cards with key-phrases are optional
Direcciones:
This activity is most effective if the students have the opportunity to review the phrases before beginning
the game. This activity is started by electing a student to choose one of the phrases, and then try to act out
the phrase for the rest of the class to guess in Spanish.
List of Tener Phrases to act out:
Tengo sueño.
I am sleepy.
Tengo dalor.
I have pain.
Tengo frío.
I’m cold.
Tengo hambre.
I’m hungry.
Tengo sed.
I’m thirsty.
Tengo miedo.
I’m afraid.
Tengo calor.
I’m hot.
Tengo prisa.
I’m in a hurry.
Objetivos / Aplicaciones
In this activity students will use physical actions to associate the Spanish names of verbs that describe a
person’s state of being. This activity is particularly effective with kinesthetic learners.
~Actividad~ “Direcciones”
Materiales:
No materials needed.
Direcciones:
For this activity students will work in pairs. In each pair, one student will be blindfolded, while the other
student will help guide the blindfolded student. The instructor will call out instructions for students to
follow to reach a specified destination. Following is a list of “directional” vocabulary to include in the
activity.
Direcciones:
Doblar- to turn
Bajar- to go down
Subir- to go up
A la derecha- to the right
A la izquierda- to the left
Andar- to walk
Caminar- to walk
Pasos- steps
Seguir- to continue
Parar- to stop
Objetivos / Aplicaciones
This activity is most effective if the instructor first demonstrates the activity in front of the class with a
student volunteer. Students will be able to identify and follow instructions about direction. Student will
enhance vocabulary, and will be able to apply these skills to give directions to others.
~Actividad~ “Los Meses del Año”
Materiales:
Music
Flashcards of the months of the year
Direcciones:
The instructor should begin this activity by reviewing/ or teaching each of the months of the year in
Spanish with the flashcards. After students are able to verbalize each of the months, teacher should play
song. (Upload coming!) To continue practice with the months of the year, the teacher can ask students
“En cual mes es….la navidad, el día de San Valentín, El día de independencia para los EEUU, El año Nuevo,
o El día de San Patricio.” (In which month is….Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, The Fourth of
July etc.
Objetivos / Aplicaciones
After the completion of this activity students will be able to recognize the months of the year in Spanish.
The students will also be able to pronounce each month correctly in Spanish.
Song Lyrics:
Enero, Febrero, Marzo, Abril
Mayo y Junio y Julio
Agosto, Septiembre, Octubre, Noviembre
Diciembre
Son los meses del Año,
Son los meses del Año
Son los meses del Año los doce meses
Janurary, February, March, April
May and June and July
August, September, October, November
December
These are the months of the year
These are the months of the year
These are the months of the year, the 12 months.
~Actividad~ “Matamoscas”
Materiales:
4 colored fly swatters
White board to write on
Direcciones:
Class should be divided up into two or three teams. The instructor then writes on the board potential
answers to a list of questions composed by the teacher. The teacher then reads aloud the question and a
selected member from each team confers with group to decide the answer to the question (answer
should be found on the whiteboard). The student with the matamosca (flyswatter) runs to the front of the
room and swats the correct answer. The student must then orally repeat the answer, and the first student
to swat the correct answer wins that round.
Objetivos / Aplicaciones
This activity is particularly useful for reviewing grammatical concepts like transitions or similar verbs.
The activity is fun and a great activity for kinesthetic learners.
Potential Lists to put on the board:
El Tiempo: The Weather
Hace sol.
It’s sunny.
Hace frío.
It’s cold.
Hace fresco. It’s cool.
Hay viento. There is wind.
Está lloviendo. It’s raining.
Está nevando. It’s snowing.
Hace calor. It’s hot.
Partes del Cuerpo: Parts of the Body
cabeza/ head
ojos/ eyes
hombros / shoulders
boca / mouth
piernas/ legs
orejas/ ears
pies/ feet
dedos / fingers
abrazos/ arms
manos/ hands
cintura / waist
cuello / neck
estomago / stomach
espalda / back
~Actividad~ “Simon Dice”
Materials:
Optional Flash Cards with written potential commands to use as a review device before playing the game.
Direcciones::
This activity is the Spanish version of the game “Simon Says”. Following is a list of possible vocabulary to
incorporate.
Mandatos:
Toca
Salta
Anda
Corre
Levántate
Siéntate
Pon
Repite
Partes del cuerpo:
la cabeza
la nariz
la boca
las orejas
las mejillas
la lengua
el cuello
las piernas
los pies
el estomago
la espalda
el corazón
las rodillas
los brazos
los codos
los dedos
Objetos en la Clase
el escritorio
un lápiz
un bolígrafo
el libro
la lapizara
la maestra
los estudiantes
el reloj
Objetivos / Aplicaciones
Simon Dice is an activity that is marvelous for both kinesthetic learners and slightly tired students. This
activity engages the students in Spanish, while require a TPR, or total physical response. As the
vocabulary is progressively mastered, students can be further involved in the activity by having the
students be Simon, which helps the student practice orally with emphasis more on being understood than
grammatical perfection.
~Actividad~ “Un Cuerpo de Palabras”
Materiales:
Paper
Pencil
Colored Pencils or Markers
Direcciones:
In this activity students will draw a person using the vocabulary words in Spanish to form the parts of the
body. (See enclosed example) Students may only form their drawing from Spanish words. Below is a list
of possible words to require students to include:
Partes del Cuerpo:
La cabeza- head
La cara- face
La boca- mouth
La nariz- nose
Las Orejas- Eras
Las Mejillas- cheeks
Las pestañas- eye lashes
Los Ojos- eyes
La barbilla- chin
El cuello- neck
La garganta- trota
El pecho- chest
El estomago- stomach
La espalda- back
Trasero- bottom
Los Hombros- shoulders
Las rodillas- knees
Las caderas- hips
Los dedos de pie- toes
Los dedos- fingers
Los manos- hands
Los pulgares- thumbs
Los codos- elbows
Las cejas- eyebrows
Los pies- feet
Las piernas- legs
Objetivos / Aplicaciones
After completing this activity, students will be able to write, label, and identify parts of the body in
Spanish. This activity allows for learning through repetition, as well as encouraging creativity in an
artistic manner.