My parents spoke fluent Spanish growing up, yet lost it when they started school, intermingling with their English-speaking friends. A bit of history (not to get too heavy): Back then (like way back), speaking Spanish was seen as a setback, especially in California, which had weird tension with the huge population of Hispanics becoming more of a mainstay in non-Latino neighborhoods. These are the days of yesteryear, and now speaking Spanish fluently can open many doors for our children, especially in the work force. And don’t worry: Both my parents re-learned Spanish as adults and speak it muy purfecto.
Of course, holding on to this beautiful language is what we wish for our niños and niñas. One of the annoyances my fellow mamas have is that the loss can start as soon as the kids start to socialize. Starting school holds its own set of challenges. I volunteer at the school library, and I see how these kids struggle to find the right book for their language abilities. This means learning how to help our kids keep up with their Spanish-speaking skills falls on us, the parents. Many of my Spanish-speaking friends have turned to books, apps, and games in order to keep their household a two-language casa. And thankfully there are many tools to do this—fun and downright cool ones that help our kids fine tune the language of their grandparents while also perfecting their English. Here are my favorite Spanish games for kids that’ll sharpen their language skills. Check them out in the slideshow.
Spanish Games for Kids That’ll Sharpen Their Language Skills
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Frida's World
Frida's World: App, Ages 3 Years and Up
Here's an app for all ages that makes learning Spanish fun by following artist Frida Kahlo. The app can be played in Spanish or English, making this ideal for Spanish-speaking kiddos, as well as English-only kids who are new to the language. Players can choose narration or auto play, or they can read the book.
image: iTunes
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Spanish for Toddlers
Learn Spanish for Toddlers - Bilingual Child Bubbles Word Game: App, Ages 1 to 4 Years
This is the perfect app for a bilingual child. Cute graphics and animated bubbles allow your little one to touch/poke their way through learning Spanish. I wish I had known of this app when my son was a wee one as the bubbles make for a fun game that teaches and keeps their attention---not always easy when they are so young.
image: iTunes
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ABC Letter Game
Super Why ABC Letter Game: Board Game, Ages 3 Years and Up
I have been told many times by speech therapists that kids speaking more then one language also need to work on the one they hear the most. Which, in our case, is English. Of course let's make it fun! Super Why game is a great extension of the show. You move around the board and select cards from one of the four character piles: Alpha Pig, Wonder Red, Princess Pesto, and Super Why. Players will have to match upper and lower case letters, come up with words that rhyme with other words, identify initial letter sounds (including blends), match words to pictures, and replace words so sentences make sense. What is great about this game is that children can grow with it. A three year old can work on recognizing letters, while a five year old can find the words to match a picture. This is a great pre-reading skill-building game, and when spoken out loud it ultimately helps with speech.
image: Amazon
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Dígame
¡Dígame! Spanish Learning Card Game: Board Game, Ages 8 Years and Up
This is a fun game if Spanish is your child’s first language as it is an immersive language card game geared toward learning. Even without knowing any Spanish, it's just as fun---especially if your niñas y niños are learning to speak Spanish in school. The main focus of the game is to learn pronunciation and comprehension, which can take practice. What better way than with a cool card game?
image: Amazon
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First 1000 Words in Spanish
First 1000 Words in Spanish Sticker Book (First Thousand Words Sticker Book): Activity Book, Ideal for Young Children
Never underestimate the power of a sticker book. As my son started his speech therapy, sticker books were a huge tool in helping with his word development. By matching stickers to 1,000 words, kids have access to the book's vast Spanish vocabulary. Plus, it's fun to learn new words or just work on the ones they already know.
image: Amazon
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ABC Mouse
ABC Mouse (English and en Espanol): Online, Ages 2 to 7 Years
This site is chock-full of helpful lessons and is one of my favorites, which is probably why I feel that every parent should have this site bookmarked. As a parent of a speech-delayed child, I have found this resource to be instrumental in sharpening my hijo's language skills. Nacho's favorite exercise when he was four was the printable mazes, and at six he is still visiting this site weekly. Learn through art, books, puzzles, and more.
image: abcmouse.com
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Endless Spanish
Endless Spanish: App, Ages 5 Years and Under
Endless Spanish is an app where you can bounce between learning collections of words in English and Spanish. It's perfect for the bilingual child or the child learning Spanish. This app is fun, but I find the words to not be that difficult, which is why it is ideal for ages five and under.
image: iTunes
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Lee Paso Paso
Lee Paso Paso: App, Ages 6 to 8 Years
This app is geared toward the Spanish-speaking child who is beginning to read. I actually volunteer at my son’s library and find that the Spanish-speaking kids struggle to find books that help them in the actual act of learning to read; there are plenty of novels, but when kids are speaking two languages it can get a bit confusing. This app, with over 200 images and 800+ words, helps with vocabulary, identifying sounds, and reading. It's perfect for not only learning new things but also building skills in their first language.
image: iTunes
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Limpia Tu Gramática
Clean Up Your Grammar/ ¡Limpia Tu Gramática!: Online, Grades 1 to 7
Another bookmark on our family computer is Scholastic.com, a resource you will most likely find yourself using once your child enters elementary school. On the site, you’ll find a free program, Maggie's Earth Adventures (www.missmaggie.org), which works for both students and teachers with interactive games that target specific areas of knowledge. There are many games that are for ESL students, which is cool. Your niña can switch back and forth from English to Spanish depending on their comfort level with each language. The ¡Limpia Tu Gramática! game encourages your child to recycle the trash as it washes up on the beach; as verbs and nouns wash up, your child’s job is to place them in the correct bins.
image: Miss Maggie
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Verb Challenge
Verb Challenge: App, Ages 6 Years and Up
I first saw some of the fifth graders in my hijo’s school playing this game. It is a bit sophisticated, and although the younger set can play it, its full educational potential is best used by the older kids. Which is a good thing, as the older the kid the harder to please, and apps are what they seem to love. This app doesn’t fool around---it is fast paced and fun, all the while improving your child’s ability to conjugate verbs.
image: iTunes
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Splingo's Language Universe
Splingo's Language Universe: App, Ages 18 Months to 4 Years
Designed by a speech therapist, Splingo's Language Universe is a motivating game that makes learning proper speech fun. Your child will feel accomplished when they move from one level to the next while playing with different concepts. Although the directions may feel difficult at first, your little one will master the different levels while learning key language skills.
image: Splingo's Language Universe
