March 8, 2023 by Nicole Canún Homeschooling, Learning Strategies, Our Top Picks, Spanish for Kids 0 comments

7 Spanish Reading Games for Kids: Boosting Literacy Skills

Are you ready for some reading games in Spanish?

There’s no better way of learning a new language as a kid than learning with the help of games. Fun games help language learners progress quicker and make lessons more memorable.

Reading in Spanish is a skill that requires focus and patience. But it also helps us fast track towards proficiency and fluency.

As an adult, you have the emotional maturity to assume your responsibilities, unlike some kids.

That’s why we have to get creative when teaching children.

Remember, they have more neuroplasticity than grown-ups, and they benefit from that as they absorb new knowledge easier. However, they must come up with exciting and inviting lessons.

So, introduce these 7 reading games in Spanish to your kids. We guarantee they’ll have a blast!

1. El juego de las palabras escondidas – Word Search Game

You may already know some of these literacy games for kids, and your children are probably familiar with the word search game. So, let’s start here!

By playing these games, kids can learn to spot Spanish words by looking at them.

Recognition is a good starting point for learning a language. This game is called Sopa de letras in Spanish or “Letter Soup.” The goal is to recognize different words that are placed vertically, horizontally, diagonally, forwards, or backward, and they’re hidden between a bunch of other letters, hence the name.

You can make your own word search game for free here. However, we recommend you take a look into the following variations, as they’re made for different age groups or language levels:

Kindergartners: horizontal, forwards, medium-length. If the words are too long, kids can get lost looking for them, but it won’t be as easy to find them if they are too short. You can take words from vocabulary lessons they’re learning in class.
Elementary schoolers: vertical and horizontal, forwards, short and medium-length.
Middle School: vertical, horizontal, short, medium, and large words.
High school: vertical, horizontal, diagonal, long, more difficult, and backward.

See next: How to Teach Your Child To Read in Spanish: 10 Easy Tricks

2. El juego de las palabras mixtas – Scrabble-Like Game

Some reading games are harder than others. Scrabble is probably best for those intermediate learners. The goal of this game is to form words from the letters you receive.

Unlike the word search game, this one requires previous Spanish knowledge. So, naturally, someone with at least basic reading skills will excel at this game.

El juego de las palabras mixtas is best for middle schoolers and up.

3. El crucigrama – Crossword Puzzle Game

The crucigrama, or crossword puzzle, is a perfect game for high school students. It is, in fact, the most challenging one on this list.

The point of reading games in Spanish, like the crucigrama, is to guess the answer word for a question or statement with clues in it.

In English, we know it as a crossword puzzle, and you can make your own here.

Of course, you can increase or decrease the difficulty, but to complete a crossword, you must always stay focused and have some vocabulary.

Consider this, some native Spanish speakers find it hard to solve crossword puzzles.

So, if you are looking for ways to increase mental agility, this game is perfect.

4. El juego de la lectura en voz alta – Reading-Aloud Game

Reading in Spanish provides many advantages to the learner: they understand the language, can contextualize what is on the page, and may even become familiar with a new culture!

Check-out: How To Help Your Children Understand What They Read

Try playing this game to gain proper rhythm and assign punctuation where needed.

It’s pretty easy to find age-appropriate books online. Just look for children’s books or YA books.

5. El juego de la lectura de labios – Lip-Reading Game

The juego de la lectura de labios or “lip reading game” falls under the games for high school students category.

These exercises involve much more than the rest.

Lip reading requires lots of vocabulary, memory, and language skills, but also some skill in reading people’s lips.

At first, it may seem silly, but by playing this game in Spanish, you can become more aware of how Spanish speakers gesture their words, which can help with your pronunciation.

6. El juego de la lectura de noticias – News-Reading Game

Learning a language by reading the newspaper sounds more like a task than a game.

But you can still make it fun if you find a kids’ or planet section, for example.

Reading games in Spanish can be very useful not only because they help you get used to its grammar but it can help you increase your vocabulary.

Sites such as Free News in Spanish share different topics. We’re sure you can find some fun readings for your kids.

7. El juego de la lectura de cuentos – Story-Reading Game

Grown-ups read stories to children so they can get some sleep. Now it’s their turn to read!

Here are some Free Printable Spanish Books for Kids that they can use to practice a new language as they venture into new worlds and have lots of fun.

If you have a Kindle, here’s another resource you can use: Free Kindle Spanish Books.

Under the summary, you can find the book’s age group.

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Want more free Spanish lessons, fun content, and easy learning strategies for kids? Check these out!

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Nicole Canún

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Blogger, content creator, and marketer. Proudly Mexican. Been to 30 countries. I love learning from different cultures and trying their cuisines. Obsessed with Asia. Fluent in Spanish and English, not so much in French.