Every teacher has days when they just need a quick activity that is no prep to low prep—a go-to time-filler or engaging game because, let’s face it, sometimes the original plan just won’t work. Here’s a list of 25 no-prep to low-prep Spanish classroom games and activities that have saved my day more times than I can count and a few recommendations too. You will be able to seamlessly incorporate these fun Spanish games into your lesson plans whether you teach elementary school, middle school, or high school. From whole class review games to games and activities to let students practice independently. Each activity will help keep students engaged in the target language without needing extensive planning. Let’s dive in!
25 No Prep to Low Prep Games and Activities
1. Qué prefieres? Would You Rather?
Sometimes simple questions can spark the most interesting conversations! “Would You Rather?” is a zero-prep way to engage students in Spanish with thought-provoking or silly choices. You can tailor questions to fit any theme or unit to get students speaking in the target language. I created a set of 125 Would You Rather Questions to use with my students. I love to provide images sp that students can make connections to Spanish words. Read more about this activity with of these blog posts: Would You Rather Activity for Spanish Class, 5 Ways to Use Spanish Would You Rather Activity, and 5 Reasons to Use “Would You Rather” Activities for Relationship Building in World Language Classrooms.
- Materials Needed: List of “Would You Rather” questions (optional).
- Great for whole class or small groups
2. ¡Yo Tengo! ¿Quién Tiene?
“¡Yo Tengo! ¿Quién Tiene?” (I Have, Who Has) is a whole-class activity ideal for reviewing vocabulary or verb conjugations. The game requires a small amount of setup but is worth it since it can be reused.
- How to Play: Print and cut out cards with vocabulary terms or questions, laminate them to extend their life, and shuffle them. Students take turns reading their cards aloud in a “popcorn” style, keeping everyone engaged as they find who has the next card.
- Materials Needed: Pre-made game cards.
- Great for whole class
3. Matamoscas
Matamoscas, or “Fly Swat,” is a classic, fast-paced game that can be adapted for various topics. Divide students into teams, and have them compete to swat the correct answer first.
- How to Play: Place target words or images on a board. The teacher calls out a term, and students use fly swatters to “swat” the correct image or word as fast as possible. It’s perfect for vocabulary review!
- Materials Needed: Fly swatters, printed target words or images, dry erase board or wall space for words.
- Great for whole class or small groups
4. Teléfono
This game, a classroom version of “Telephone,” requires zero prep and is great for listening practice. Students line up, and the teacher whispers a Spanish phrase to the first student, who whispers it down the line. By the end, the phrase is usually hilariously garbled! This game is no prep and will definitely keep students engaged. It’s also the perfect way to give a brain break.
- How to Play: Use phrases related to the current unit or vocabulary list for extra practice.
- Materials Needed: None!
- Great for whole class
5. SEIS
SEIS is a 2-5 player game where students race to complete their SEIS boards before their opponent rolls a six. One student works to fill their board while the other rolls a die, attempting to roll a six and swap roles. It’s a bit competitive, loud, and highly engaging. SEIS is a fun game that students will beg to play more! The best part is that it is little prep for you! Read more about SEIS and how to play here and grab a free game!
- Materials Needed: Dice, printed SEIS boards, timer (let students play for a set amount of time each round)
- Great for partners, whole class or small groups
6. Rondas
Rondas is a no-prep game perfect for two players and easily done in Google Sheets! Students work on a shared document and race to enter the correct answers first. Only one student can enter an answer per round, encouraging speed and accuracy. Rondas is a great review game that can be great for practicing verb conjugation, use of verb structures in context or new vocabulary.
- Materials Needed: Laptops or tablets,
- Google Sheets access
- Great for 1:1 classrooms
7. Wordle in Spanish
The viral game Wordle can be played in Spanish, giving students a fun challenge with vocabulary and spelling. You choose a five-letter word in Spanish, and students have six tries to guess it correctly.
- How to Play: You can lead the activity on the board or let students work in pairs. Give clues or feedback based on their guesses.
- Materials Needed: None (use whiteboard or Wordle app in Spanish).
- Great for whole class
8. Four Corners
Four Corners is a no-prep activity that gets students moving. Label each corner of the room with a different option related to the unit you’re studying, then ask students questions. They must move to the corner that represents their answer choice. This is a great activity to get students engaged, listening in the target language, and relationship building.
- Materials Needed: Corner signs, dry erase board to display questions.
- Great for whole class
9. Two Truths and a Lie
This game is an easy time-filler that can be customized for any level. Each student writes down two true statements and one false statement about themselves, then shares them with the class, who guesses the lie.
- How to Play: Put the statements into a jar and pull them out at random for the class to guess. It’s an easy way to provide lots of language input.
- Materials Needed: Paper, pen, container for statements.
- Great for whole class or small groups
10. 20 Questions
In this classic guessing game, the teacher thinks of a target word or object, and students take turns asking yes-or-no questions. If a question results in a “Sí,” that team earns a point.
- How to Play: Divide the class into teams and have them take turns asking questions to reveal the answer. Provide feedback in Spanish to reinforce vocabulary.
- Materials Needed: None (optional: board for keeping score).
- Great for whole class
11. Quizlet Live
Quizlet Live is a digital team-based game for vocabulary practice, using any Quizlet set. You can set up the game for team play or individual competition, and it adapts easily to any unit. Read more about Quizlet live here!
- How to Play: Choose vocabulary sets in Quizlet, then share the code with students to join the game.
- Materials Needed: Devices with internet access, a Quizlet account.
12. Simón Dice
Simón Dice (Simon Says) is ideal for teaching vocabulary like body parts, classroom commands, or simple verb conjugations. Students must listen carefully and follow only the commands preceded by “Simón dice.”
- How to Play: Focus on vocabulary you want students to review, such as body parts or classroom items, and have them respond physically.
- Materials Needed: None (optional: vocabulary list on the board for visual reference).
- Great for whole class
13. ¡Yo lo tengo! Bingo
¡Yo lo tengo! or Bingo is a great way to reinforce vocabulary and listening skills. You can create custom Bingo cards with vocabulary words, verbs, or even cultural symbols depending on your unit. Call out the words or descriptions in Spanish, and students mark their cards accordingly. It’s a versatile and engaging way to review, and students love the competition. Find ready to go ¡Yo lo tengo! Bingo games here!
- Materials Needed: Printable Bingo cards with images or target vocabulary, markers or chips for each student.
- Great for whole class
14. Memoria
Memoria, or “Memory,” is a matching game where students pair vocabulary words with pictures or definitions. It’s especially effective for vocabulary building, as students must remember and recognize the pairs in Spanish.
- Materials Needed: Printed matching cards with vocabulary words and images or definitions, laid out on a table or desk.
- Great for small groups
15. Whiteboards
Mini whiteboards are perfect for quick, interactive responses. You can ask questions about vocabulary, grammar, or comprehension, and students write their answers on the boards to hold up. It’s a low-prep way to assess understanding on the spot.
- Materials Needed: Mini whiteboards, dry-erase markers, and erasers for each student.
- Great for whole class review
16. Running Dictation
In Running Dictation, pairs of students relay information to each other, with one student “running” to read a sentence posted around the room and then dictating it to their partner. It practices listening, writing, and memory, and it’s full of energy! Read more about running dictation and grab a freebie here!
- Materials Needed: Short sentences or phrases for dictation, printed and posted around the room.
- Great for partners or small groups
17. Prueba y Pasa – Quiz Quiz Trade
Students each have a card with a question on one side and the answer on the other. They walk around asking and answering questions with classmates, then swap cards after each exchange. This is an excellent review for vocabulary or key phrases and encourages full-class interaction.
- Materials Needed: Flashcards with questions and answers printed on both sides.
- Great review for whole class or small group practice activity
18. Barcos (Battleship)
Adapt the classic Battleship game to reinforce verb conjugations or vocabulary. Students mark their “ships” on a grid with vocabulary items, and their partner tries to “sink” their ships by guessing the coordinates and correctly using or identifying the vocabulary.
- Materials Needed: Printed Battleship grids with vocabulary items or grammar points.
- Great for partners or small groups
19. Yo Espío (I Spy)
In “Yo Espío” (I Spy), students play a Spanish version of the guessing game “I Spy” by describing items they see around the room. It’s an engaging way to practice adjectives, colors, and prepositions.
- Materials Needed: None.
- Great for whole class or independent work
20. Task Cards
Task cards are mini-activities that students can work on individually or in groups. Place the cards around the room for a gallery walk, and have students respond to prompts, questions, or scenarios in Spanish. This is great for review or in-depth practice.
- Materials Needed: Printed task cards with questions or prompts related to the unit.
- Great for whole class
21. Story Pass
Story Pass is a collaborative storytelling activity where students add to a story one line at a time in Spanish. Each student builds on the previous sentence, leading to hilarious and unexpected narratives. It’s great for creativity and practicing sentence structures.
- Materials Needed: Paper and pen, or a shared digital document for each group.
- Great for small groups
22. Hot Seat
Hot Seat is an exciting vocabulary game where a student sits with their back to the board, and classmates give hints in Spanish to help them guess the word behind them. This is ideal for review and speaking practice, as students must use synonyms or descriptions in the target language.
- Materials Needed: Paper or board with vocabulary terms written out for classmates to see.
- Great for whole class
23. Charades
Students act out vocabulary words, phrases, or cultural symbols in Charades while the class guesses in Spanish. This game reinforces comprehension, speaking, and kinesthetic learning as students perform and respond.
- Materials Needed: Vocabulary list or flashcards for ideas.
- Great for whole class
24. Find Someone Who
In this activity, students ask each other questions from a bingo-style grid with prompts like “Find someone who likes sports” or “Find someone who can play an instrument.” They fill out their grids by finding classmates who match each prompt, and it’s an easy icebreaker or vocabulary practice.
- Materials Needed: Bingo-style worksheet with “Find Someone Who” prompts.
- Great for whole class
25. Guess Who? (¿Adivina Quién?)
“Guess Who?” or “¿Adivina Quién?” is a fun, low-prep activity perfect for practicing descriptive vocabulary and asking questions in Spanish. Students play in pairs or small groups, trying to guess each other’s “mystery character” by asking yes-or-no questions. This game is ideal for units on physical and personality descriptions, as it encourages students to use descriptive adjectives and structures in context.
- How to Play: Each player chooses a “mystery character” from a set of characters (these can be provided on cards or written down). Players then take turns asking yes-or-no questions in Spanish to narrow down the possible characters. For example, “¿Tiene el pelo rubio?” or “¿Lleva gafas?” The goal is to guess the opponent’s character by eliminating options based on their responses.
- Materials Needed: Character cards with illustrations or descriptions (these can be created with famous figures, cartoon characters, or simply drawn characters), a checklist or chart with characteristics for reference.
- Great for time filler. Pick a student and let students find a mystery student.
This activity not only reinforces descriptive language but also improves questioning skills, listening comprehension, and logical deduction in Spanish!
These are just a few no-prep to low-prep ideas for keeping your students engaged and excited about learning Spanish. Whether you’re filling time, practicing Spanish vocabulary, or building listening skills, these activities will make your life easier. Having a set of activities to go to when you need it will be the biggest game changer for your classroom and sanity! Try them out, and let me know which ones work best for your class in the comments below!
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