August 7, 2023 by Nicole Canún Homeschooling 0 comments

10 Productive Back-to-School Activities for Your Spanish Class

Learn these 10 back-to-school activities to motivate your kids in your classroom!

The back-to-school season is an exciting time for teachers and homeschooling parents.

It marks a fresh start, new beginnings, and the opportunity to create an engaging and productive learning environment for students.

As you prepare for the first week of school, incorporating back-to-school activities into your Spanish class can set the tone for a successful year.

In this article, we will explore school activities for kids of all ages as well as back-to-school games that are fun and educational.

Join 559 million people on the planet who speak Spanish!
Sign up for your free trial Spanish class today. ➡️

Importance of Organizing Back-to-School Activities

Back-to-school activities are crucial in creating a thriving classroom atmosphere, building bonds, and getting students involved from day one.

These activities for schools and homes serve as icebreakers, helping kids connect with the teacher and the topic.

You should start at a high point after returning from vacation because children might have had a highly stimulating time exploring new things and meeting new people.

Getting them seated down to attend traditional classroom lessons might feel boring or tedious.

Let’s dive into 10 powerful and productive back-to-school activities!

Activities for Elementary Students

1. All About Me Collage

Ask your kids to create a collage with images and words representing their interests, hobbies, future goals, and more about their personality.

Then cut letters to form words in Spanish. They can create titles, picture footers, or phrases. And when it’s ready, they can go to the front of the room or classroom to present their creation.

Make the collage activity more exciting by changing the theme.

It can be about their recent holiday experience, especially if they traveled to see family or to visit a new city or country.

These back-to-school activities allow students to express themselves in Spanish while learning new vocabulary and using grammar structures.

2. Find a Partner

Create a mingle back-to-school activity where students must find a partner who matches a Spanish description given to them.

The objective is that they use new vocabulary about interests, colors, activities, and more by asking and answering questions to partner up.

Here are some examples in English:

Find a partner who has traveled to a Spanish-speaking country
Find a partner who enjoys playing sports
Find a partner who likes to eat tacos
Find a partner who wore a green, blue, or red T-shirt yesterday
Find a partner who likes to sing

3. Spanish Scavenger Hunt

It’s adventure time!

Hide Spanish vocabulary cards around the classroom and give children a list of items they need to find.

Encourage them to use Spanish phrases and sentences to communicate and describe their findings.

To make it more difficult or exciting, you can also hide items and ask kids to describe whatever they find in terms of colors, shapes, textures, and other specifics.

Scavenger Hunt Flyer | © Joel Kramer/Flickr

4. Guess Who in Spanish

Have students write the descriptions of themselves in Spanish on a sheet of paper. Then they must fold them and shuffle them in a basket.

Each student picks one and then reads it aloud to the class. Everybody will try to guess who they are describing based on the information provided.

You can use these back-to-school activities on different school levels by asking for more advanced descriptions in the case of mid and high-school students.

See next: Back To School Setting School Year Goals for Your Spanish Classroom

Fun Activities for High School Students

5. Picture Storytelling

Provide students with a series of pictures and ask them to create a story using the images.

This back-to-school activity fosters Spanish knowledge and promotes creativity and storytelling skills.

The less connected these pictures are, the more you will encourage vocabulary expansion and constant practice of grammar abilities.

6. Spanish Charades

Divide kids into small groups and give them Spanish words or phrases to act out without speaking.

This back-to-school game enhances vocabulary retention and cognitive agility and encourages teamwork, bonding, and communication skills.

You can watch a Spanish movie with your students before. Then use descriptions of the scenes, settings, and characters to make it more interesting.

Hand-picked for you: 20 Ways to Homeschool Spanish as a Non-Native Speaker

7. Cultural Show and Tell

Ask your children to bring an object or picture representing a Spanish-speaking country or culture.

They can present it to the class, sharing interesting facts and stories related to them.

Encourage your students thoroughly research traditions and customs and not only present something from the top of the Wikipedia page.

8. Spanish Cooking Class

Plan a cooking activity where students can make simple traditional Spanish dishes together.

This hands-on experience teaches them about the culture and reinforces vocabulary related to food and cooking.

Be very careful when choosing the dish. Decide whether or not it is appropriate—according to children’s ages—to include baked or stove-heated food on the menu.

Check this out: Sight Words

9. Song Lyrics Analysis

Choose a popular Spanish song and distribute the lyrics to the students.

Ask them to analyze the lyrics, identify new vocabulary or idioms, and discuss the meaning of each in the context of this song.

This back-to-school activity combines language learning with cultural appreciation.

Also, you may find in students some music skills that require development and attention in order to get to a master level.

You may even have the next music star in your classroom!

10. Travel Brochure Project

Assign students the task of creating a travel brochure for a Spanish-speaking country.

They can research and gather information about the country’s attractions, history, and culture, presenting it in a visually appealing format.

These back-to-school activities for your Spanish class are designed to engage with students, promote language learning, and foster a sense of community within the classroom.

Incorporating these fun and educational activities into your lesson plans creates an environment where students can learn Spanish.

Keep Teaching Spanish!

As you embark on a new school year, remember that teaching is a noble and rewarding profession. You can shape young minds, ignite curiosity, and inspire a love for learning.

Embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with each new day, and remember to take care of yourself along the way.

In conclusion, back-to-school activities are essential for setting a positive tone in your Spanish class.

These activities entertain and engage students and promote language learning, cultural appreciation, and teamwork.

By incorporating these 10 powerful and productive back-to-school activities, you can create a vibrant and enriching learning environment for your students.

So, whether you’re a teacher in a school setting or a homeschooling parent, make the most of this back-to-school season by implementing these activities in your Spanish class.

The benefits will extend far beyond the first week of school, fostering your student’s love for the Spanish language.

The best and fastest way of learning Spanish is by getting exposed to native, authentic instruction.

That’s why here at Homeschool Spanish Academy, we offer real human connection with our teachers from Guatemala.

Our innovative, human-centered learning strategies will help you achieve your learner-specific language goals.

Find out why parents voted us the “Best Overall Online Spanish Classes for Kids” and listen to them speak Spanish from their very first class. Try a free class today!

Remember, teaching and learning is an adventure; your dedication and attention will shape the future.

Here’s to a successful school year filled with excitement, growth, and meaningful connections.

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– 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!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

“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!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

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

Author
Recent Posts

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.