¡Hola profes! As we wind down toward the end of the school year, one thing we all know is that language skills need consistent practice—especially over summer break. Whether you teach middle school or high school, chances are you’ve had a student walk into your class in August and say, “Wait…what does ‘el verano’ mean again?” 😅
Don’t worry—we can help students avoid the summer slide with these 10 super fun, low-pressure ideas to keep their Spanish skills alive and thriving while they enjoy sunny days, new places, and maybe even a little Mexican culture (or Colombian, or Nicaraguan, or Peruvian, or Argentinian…) on their family vacation.
These are perfect to share during your last week of class or send home in your weekly newsletter—no boring lesson plans required!
🌮 1. Order Like a Local at a Taco Truck (or Any Latinx Restaurant)
Eating tacos and practicing Spanish? Yes, please. Encourage students to try ordering in Spanish at a local taquería or restaurant with a Spanish-speaking staff. In our community we have many Mexican restaurants but I always encourage my students to branch out and try the colombian, puerto rican, and salvadorian restaurants in our area too.
Why it works: This is a real-life Spanish conversation moment! Plus, it builds confidence with simple sentences like “Quisiera tres tacos de carnitas, por favor.”
🔁 Extension idea: Have students write a mini restaurant review (in Spanish) of their experience!
📱 2. Turn Your Phone into a Spanish Coach
Change the language settings on a phone or favorite app to Spanish for one week (or more!). Snapchat? Spotify? Instagram? Boom—now it’s Spanish class today.
Why it works: It forces daily life immersion, helps students pick up new words, and shows how the Spanish language functions across platforms.
🎯 Bonus: Combine this with following native-speaking influencers or pages about Spanish culture or Hispanic culture on social media.
🧩 3. Create a Summer-Themed Spanish Fortune Teller (Cootie Catcher)
You remember these from middle school, right? They’re a fun way to practice question/answer patterns, present tense, and vocabulary like playa, helado, and amigos nuevos.
Activity: Students write eight Spanish challenges under the flaps like:
- Canta una canción en español
- Dibuja tu comida favorita y escribe su nombre
- Di cinco palabras relacionadas con el verano
Perfect for small groups or siblings during summer camps or road trips.
🧃 4. Play “Grocery Store Detective” at Home
Next time a student goes to the store with their family, challenge them to hunt for products with Spanish labels. From cereal boxes to cleaning supplies, many items include bilingual packaging.
Have them make a list of new vocabulary they find and translate it at home.
🕵️♂️ The thrill of the hunt makes this one surprisingly fun—and it’s a great way to connect language to daily life!
🎧 5. Host a One-Person Karaoke Night with Spanish Songs
Who says language learning can’t be loud? Tell students to pick a few Spanish-language songs, pull up the lyrics, and belt it out like they’re on La Voz.
💡 Try a summer playlist of reggaeton, pop en español, or even mariachi to explore musical styles from across the Spanish-speaking world.
🎯 Bonus: Add a crossword puzzle challenge based on the lyrics! Use lyrics to make custom puzzles focused on new language acquisition.
📚 6. Do a Close Reading of a Spanish Summer Reading Topic
If you assign optional Spanish summer reading comprehension over break, don’t just send home a packet—offer options by theme!
📝 Students can choose to read about:
- Beaches in Costa Rica
- Summer festivals in Spain
- Mexican culture in the month of July
Ask them to respond with 3–5 sentences (in Spanish) or complete pages of a reading comprehension activity using a close reading strategy.
🎯 Best for: Students in honors, dual language, or those pursuing college credits or AP test prep.
🍳 7. Try a Spanish Recipe from a Spanish-Speaking Country
Encourage students to cook (or help a parent cook) a recipe from Hispanic culture. Think cooking classes—but at home.
Students can:
- Watch a Spanish-language cooking video
- Follow a written recipe (in Spanish!)
- Write a short review of the dish
This is a perfect way to blend culture, Spanish vocabulary, and fun activities—plus it’s tasty.
🎲 8. Design a Bilingual Board Game with Family or Friends
Students can re-invent a classic game like Guess Who, Taboo, or Bingo using Spanish vocabulary from the school year. Think: clothes, foods, verbs, and places in the city. (Here is an example of a board game in Spanish.)
They’ll build game cards using Spanish words and have family members play along—bonus points for getting the whole family vacation group involved during downtime!
🎮 This one’s ideal for young learners, English speakers, or even as a project to share at summer school.
✍️ 9. Start a One-Sentence-a-Day Spanish Journal
It’s summer, not an AP class, so keep it light. Encourage students to write one simple sentence per day in Spanish about something they did.
Examples:
- Fui al parque con mis amigos.
- Comí una hamburguesa enorme.
- Vi una película sobre dragones.
At the start of the new school year, have them bring it in for extra credit or as a great Spanish conversation starter.
🎯 Extensaion Activity: Take a day at the end of the school year to let them decorate the front of their journals and create a list of important and useful vocabulary words, especially high frequency verbs like fui, vi, me gustó.
🎒 10. Join or Start a Local or Online Spanish Club
Know of a day camp, language school, or international summer camp near you? Or maybe your district offers a free trial or short-term Spanish immersion summer program?
Help students explore options to connect with other learners—or even native speakers—in relaxed, low-pressure ways.
💡 If no formal camp is available, suggest a casual weekly Zoom with classmates to play Spanish games, chat about their favorite shows, or swap language-learning tips.
🏖️ Wrap-Up: El Verano Is a Great Opportunity
Summer vacation should be relaxing, yes—but it’s also the perfect time for students to try creative ways to keep up with the Spanish language. From labeling items around the house, to writing journal entries, to jamming out to Latin music, there’s no better way to make progress than with activities that feel fun and meaningful.
Remember, language is meant to be lived—not just memorized. So let’s help our Spanish students head into the new school year with stronger language skills, deeper cultural experiences, and maybe even a few new friends made along the way.
💬 What would you add to the list? Share your favorite summer ideas in your world languages community or forward this to colleagues prepping their own students for el verano!
Related Blog Posts:
Summer Vacation Activities for Spanish Class
Dreading Cleaning out your Classroom at the End of the School Year?
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