Celebrate Thanksgiving in Spanish! Vocabulary for Kids

Thanksgiving is a special time of year that is uniquely celebrated in the United States and Canada. Even so, celebrating Thanksgiving in Spanish is common for Latino families living in these countries as well as for families who prize language-learning in their homes.

El día de la acción de gracias is a significant day for families to get together, share abundant amounts of food, and give thanks for what they appreciate in their lives.

Are you planning on celebrating your Thanksgiving in Spanish? 

We’ve compiled a list of vocabulary words that you can share with your family this Thanksgiving as well as some activities and games you’ll want to play after the big meal! 

Thanksgiving in Spanish Vocabulary

The most important elements of any Thanksgiving revolve around its history and traditions. Most homes and schools dedicate time to teaching children about the origins of this day. If you’re looking for Spanish vocabulary that will help you explain the simpler, child-like version of this holiday, then these words will be perfect to set the scene:

History and Tradition

As you know, no Thanksgiving is complete without a cornucopia of colorful, heart-warming dishes served straight from the oven. Here is a list of words you’re likely to encounter in the kitchen!

Food and Cooking

Ways to Use the Vocabulary

Helping your child at home with vocabulary-building exercises is an essential ingredient to their success! The best way to bring your Thanksgiving in Spanish to life is to employ various learning tactics in a playful way. You may want to:

• Put up a word wall – Print out the Spanish words and hang them in a special place (your child’s room, study area, or a high-traffic place they frequent). You can cluster them by theme or arrange them in alphabetical order. Make sure it’s in a place where your child can easily reference them when trying to recall or write the word.
• Create word search puzzles – Make your own word search with the help of Discovery Kids! These worksheets are classic fun for kids and help reinforce spelling skills. 
• Spanish flashcards with images – An effective way to boost your child’s memory of new words is to use flashcards in fun ways. You want to make sure the flashcards have an easily identifiable picture or graphic and the word in Spanish. Try out our high-quality Thanksgiving in Spanish flashcards! Fill out the form above and they’ll immediately be emailed to your inbox. 

Thanksgiving in Spanish Q&A

One enjoyable way to connect with your child or student while you practice Spanish is to do a theme-based Q&A! This works especially well if your child already feels comfortable using Spanish in conversation, but they don’t need to be fluent or native to answer the following questions. Here are some excellent conversation starters:

• ¿Qué sabes sobre el Día de Acción de Gracias?
• ¿Cómo celebras el Día de Acción de Gracias con tu familia?
• ¿Qué alimentos están asociados con el Día de Acción de Gracias?
• ¿Cuál es tu comida favorita de Acción de Gracias?
• ¿Quién cocina la cena de Acción de Gracias en tu casa?
• ¿A qué hora empiezas a comer?
• ¿Por qué crees que la gente celebra el Día de Acción de Gracias?
• ¿Cuál es tu recuerdo favorito del Día de Acción de Gracias?
• ¿Cuál es tu peor recuerdo del Día de Acción de Gracias?
• ¿Qué vas a hacer en el Día de Acción de Gracias este año? ¿Qué hiciste el año pasado?
• ¿Cuáles son algunas de las cosas por las que estás agradecido?
• ¿Prefieres ser un peregrino o un nativo americano y por qué?
• ¿Cómo estuvo el clima en su Día de Acción de Gracias?
• ¿A dónde vas para el Día de Acción de Gracias?

Thanksgiving in Spanish: Gratitude

While you’re in the mood to show oodles of gratitude, be sure to check out our blog post on 20+ Ways to Say Thank You in Spanish and Express Gratitude!

It’s no secret that Thanksgiving is the ultimate day to give thanks, but it’s important to pass this value on to your children as more than just holiday-based. In fact, according to a 2019 study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, kids who learn to be grateful by the age of 5 are categorically happier than children who do not!

Agradecer – to thank, to feel grateful

Estoy agradecido por mi familia. – I’m grateful for my family.

Gratitude Activities in Spanish

• Make piedras de gratitud with your child – Find stones with a fairly flat, clean surface. Gather up paint, glitter, and a paintbrush. After you wash and dry the stones, have your child paint happy imagery on them, like hearts and smiley faces. Use them before dinner by passing them around to members of your family who have to say something they feel grateful for.  
• Play Recoge los Palitos, or “pick up sticks” – Gather 10 popsicle sticks and write a theme on each one, like persona, lugar, cosa, comida, juego, and cualquier cosa. In a group, each person picks up a stick, reads it, and says what they are grateful for from that category.

Thanksgiving in Spanish is Special

This Thanksgiving, give your child something extra special to be grateful for by signing them up for a free class with a native, certified Spanish-speaking teacher! They will get to speak Spanish, play games, and have plenty of fun with one of our kid-friendly language professionals. We look forward to serving you!

Seeking Spanish resources for kids? Check these out!

• 5 Fun and Engaging Ways to Introduce Spanish to Your Preschooler
• Forget the Easter Bunny: Easter Traditions in Latin America
• 10 Ways Learning Spanish Can Improve Your Child’s Behavior
• 8 Places to Learn Spanish in Costa Rica
• Languages in Spain: How Many Languages Are Spoken in Spain?
• What’s the Difference Between Hispanic and Latino?
• Equipping Your Child for Fluency: 8 Tips for Teaching Spanish
• Ways to Promote Internet Safety for Kids While Learning Online

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Lindsay del Valle

Former Director of Content at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Lover of words and a foreign language fanatic. Experienced content leader, strategist, and editor with a track record of success. As a writer, I blissfully share Spanish-learning tips, best-idea-ever travel advice, and at-a-glance cultural guides. When you can't find me working spiritedly from my home office in Antigua, Guatemala, I'm probably outside playing games and exploring nature with my 3 bilingual kids.

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