I love collaborating with other elementary language teachers. One of the things I find most helpful is hearing about how others teach a certain concept or topic. I always seem to come away with new inspiration and a great idea to try. So, I’d like to share some ideas on teaching colors in Spanish.
I reflect on my general process for planning lessons in a separate post–check that out if it sounds helpful. Today my focus will be to go through my favorite ways to teach colors in Spanish at the elementary level.
Teaching Colors in Spanish to a Kindergarten Class
When teaching colors in Kindergarten, my teammates and I like to start with just a few colors and then we add more as we go.
If the timing works out, some years I start with just the fall colors (rojo, amarillo, anaranjado, verde, y marrón). We’ve enjoyed using this booklet and activities from Mundo de Pepita. It’s fun being able to connect words in their new language to the world around them. We’re in the Midwest so we get lots of beautiful colors during fall.
Other years it ends up that we’re not starting colors until after the excitement of fall has passed. In that case, we usually start with these 5 colors: rojo, verde, azul, amarillo, y rosado. A colleague (thanks, Sra. Burkel!) came up with a cute song that we use and she was nice enough to let me turn it into a video–check it out here.
Unit Pacing in Kindergarten
- Introduce & practice 5 colors: 2 or 3 lessons
- Add additional colors & practice: 2 lessons
- All colors: 4 or 5 lessons
- Review: 1 or 2 lessons
- *Assess: 1 or 2 lessons
Here are my google slides for the first 4 lessons to get you started!
*My PLC team and I have had many good conversations about the necessity of assessment (especially in kindergarten). Do we want to spend time on it here? How many colors are we expecting students to master at this time? Ultimately, since I’m responsible for teaching this power standard and putting grades on the report card, I do assess here. We expect them to be able to identify 5 colors by the end of this unit. Students who are partway to meeting the learning goal have more chances later in the school year to show me what they know.
Activities for Teaching Colors in Spanish
When I think about all the different kinds of activities I use within a unit, the list gets fairly long. Even though our lessons are only 30 minutes, each one is filled with several different activities.
I’d like to share many different activities for teaching colors with you–pick and choose what might work best for you and your students!
Mundo de Pepita Booklet–Arturo y la Bota
This is one of my all time favorite Mundo de Pepita booklets. Arturo goes fishing and catches different colored fish. I’ll let you guess what he catches in the end. 😃 Its simplicity is perfect for kindergarten students and the ending is silly and fun.
After we read the story as a whole group, I send students to their seats. We work on coloring the fish one at a time. I generally call out a color and have students find that color crayon and hold it up. That way students who need a little help can get on the same page before everyone starts coloring.
When using booklets with students, we always use them over a few different lessons. My favorite way to wrap it up is to bring a small stuffed animal for each student to read their story to. It is so sweet to see students sitting all over the classroom and hear them reading in Spanish to a stuffie.
Digital Matching Game–Whole group
As I said before, I often plan several activities for one lesson. I like to do quick whole group games at the start or end (or both!) of class.
Playing a matching or memory game is something we do often in my class. You can choose to just play one round or more than that if you have more time.
A volunteer student picks which number to look under and then everyone repeats the color after I move the cover. We make it into a cooperative game and see how long it takes to find all the matches.
Seesaw Activities
After working on a whole group activity, I find it important to transition students to some independent work time. The Seesaw app is a great tool for this. I linked two activities that are so fun to do with kindergarten or first grade students when working on Spanish colors.
Seesaw Activity: Color Scavenger Hunt *Seriously, this one is so fun. I walk around smiling to myself as I watch and listen to students gleefully taking photos of different colors around their classroom.
Seesaw Activity: Color Sort *Simple but effective. Students are asked to sort images based on their color. Each time they move an image, they should listen to the color word in Spanish. Great additional input!
Kahoot
Kahoot is a fun and techy review game to play towards the end of a unit. I wrote about teaching this game to my kindergarten students in a previous post–read more here.
For younger grades (kinder and 1st) I usually only create two answer options. Although I’m always reading the question and answer options for the class, this game also has students reading a fair amount so I prefer to keep it simple.
I find Kahoot to be energizing and engaging for students. It’s a fun way to connect spoken language with the visuals of the game. I also like that it’s a way for kids to answer on their own and for me to see how they’re doing with the content.
I use this Spanish colors Kahoot towards the end of our unit.
Colors of a Country
We set up our K-5 program to focus on one country during each year. Students learn about the culture and traditions of the country throughout the school year. One way we do that is by incorporating the country wherever we can!
Our kindergarten students learn about México so when we learn colors, we talk about the colors of México. In addition to talking about the colors of the flag, we talk about the colors we see in different pictures of México. Here’s an example of what I mean.
Books for Teaching Colors in Spanish
Oso Pardo, Oso Pardo ¿Qué ves ahí? by Bill Martin Jr & Eric Carle
I’ve always loved reading stories to students that they are familiar with in English. Their eyes always light up when I get out this book. Reading it in Spanish is such a fun way to work on colors and I appreciate that it adds the animal vocabulary as well. This is a fun one to have kids repeat after you as you read.
Isabel and her Colores go to School by Alexandra Alessandri
A new favorite for sure! We read this book last year and I fell in love with the story and illustrations. The author beautifully describes the languages of English and Spanish as being different colors. Several of my students connected with Isabel because they already speak Spanish and are learning English at school too. I highly recommend this book!
Videos for Teaching Colors in Spanish
I have a whole list of my favorite videos for teaching different topics in Spanish here. BUT! Here are two of my favorite videos for teaching colors.
Movement Ideas for Teaching Colors in Spanish
We know kids need to move (I wrote a whole post on that here) and I have a great movement activity to use with colors!
Color Freeze Dance
Choose a fun and bouncy dance type song and have students dance until you pause the music. Shout out a color and they have to find that color in the classroom before they freeze. I have students point to the color they found. Everyone repeats the color and then we all dance again.
Stand Up / Sit Down
So simple but a great way to review colors in Spanish. If you’re wearing…stand up! You can play until everyone is standing. OR Switch it up sometimes and say if you’re wearing…sit down. If they’re already sitting, they should stay seated.
This activity is perfect for when an activity wraps up and there are still two or three minutes left in class.
Recycle colors in future grade levels
One of my favorite things about teaching multiple grade levels is seeing students grow and be able to do more with each year. It’s important to recycle or reuse content they’ve learned previously so that they continue to work towards mastery. Plus, it helps students build confidence in their new language.
1st grade
After being introduced to colors in kindergarten, 1st grade students are ready to do more with them! It is super fun to have students share their opinions about the different colors. I love that their knowledge of the color words enables them to focus on using opinion phrases like “me gusta” and “no me gusta.”
We also use this I Spy game with the phrase “yo veo.” This is a perfect game to use whole group and then send kids off to work in pairs. I also use this game with sub plans (after kids are familiar with how to play).
A big part of our first grade curriculum is learning about the rainforest of Costa Rica. Students love learning to talk about and describe rainforest animals and we use colors as part of that description.
Lastly, we use a color story called ¿Dónde Vives, Dinosaurio? in 1st grade. It’s wonderfully simple and students enjoy answering the questions throughout the story.
2nd grade
A big part of our 2nd grade curriculum is learning to talk about school. An easy way to recycle colors is when we’re learning school supplies. Students do very well with describing their different school supplies, both the color and size.
Final Thoughts on Teaching Colors in Spanish
As teachers, we end up teaching the same or similar content for many years. One thing I’ve done to keep it interesting and more exciting for me each year is I switch up which activities I use.
After using the song, El Gusano Tutu, for several years, I wanted a change. We still listened to the song El Gusano Tutu but we spent more time reading and working with Oso Pardo. If you find yourself growing weary of a certain topic or activity, I encourage you to try something else that grabs your attention more.
Whew! This post is full of resources I hope you’ll find useful. Don’t forget to bookmark it so you can easily find it again.
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I come from a musical family. I’m sure that everyone who has married into my large extended family experiences the same “wow moment” the first time they hear us sing dinner grace in 3 or 4 part harmony. So, I grew up loving music and that love has followed me to my Spanish classroom. Plus, music and songs are such a fun way to use language! I incorporate music into my lessons as much as possible and whenever I’m teaching Spanish colors, we listen to El Gusano Tutu by Lauren Bruzonic.
There’s nothing sweeter than overhearing a little kindergarten student singing one of our Spanish songs in the hallway. Since they’re so catchy, learning songs is a wonderful way to start introducing young learners to a new language.
Getting Started with Teaching Spanish Colors
When I first start teaching colors, I show students simple slides of the color and have them repeat the Spanish word after me. I don’t find it necessary to say the English word at all here.
After they’ve heard and seen the colors several times, it’s time to find different colors around the room. It’s fun to have volunteers get up and show the class something in a certain color. “¿Dónde está algo rojo?” I also have students take out their artbox so they can find and hold up the correct color crayon.
Teaching a Song
I find it helpful to be really intentional when I teach a Spanish song to students. I learned part of this process from my days as a counselor at Concordia Language Villages in MN.
The first time I play a song for a class, we just listen as we watch the video. Then I play it again right away but I give students a job–something to listen for in the song. For example, I might have students raise their hand every time they hear the word “rojo.” Or one side of the room listens for “rojo” and the other listens for “azul.” Then switch!
Once students are familiar with the tune, it’s time to start learning the words line by line. The first few times, I have students repeat the spoken words after me.
I might say:
“Clase, repitan, Él es rojo.” (they repeat)
“Él es rojo.” (repeat)
“Él es verde.” (repeat)
“Él es verde.” (repeat)
Next I have students repeat after me singing the lines. Then we sing those two lines together slowly a few times before we continue with the next two lines.
This song is fairly simple but keep in mind that for longer or more complex songs, it’s okay to just teach part of the song.
Activities to Use with El Gusano Tutu
As students are working with this song, there are some fun activities that can help extend the learning.
Scarves
This first idea came to me from a colleague, the lovely Sra. Stauber. She gives all her students different colored scarves. When they hear their color in the song, they get up and wave their scarf–how cute! You wouldn’t have to use scarves; you could pass out colored cards or have students hold up a crayon or marker. I love that this activity has students actively listening to each color word in the song.
Coloring
Next up is some sort of listening/coloring activity. I find it important to give students a task at their seat that moves the focus of our lesson from the whole group to solo. This activity invites students to try and find the correct color on their own while providing a safe environment full of support if needed.
Most years I’ve used this coloring worksheet with this song. I ask students to color in one color at a time. Before coloring anything, I tell them the color and have students hold it in the air. Students who aren’t sure of the color can check those around them. *I let kids choose the color of the head and feet, ps.
Once the group is done coloring, you’re all set to listen to the song again while pointing to the different colors on their page!
For those who want a more in depth activity, I have a Gusano Tutu booklet in my shop. I use the booklet in much the same way as the worksheet, but there’s an option available for students to write in the color word as well. I also like that once it’s complete, students have a “book” they can take home and share with their families.
Mini Talent Show
Depending on the personality of the students in your class, it can be fun to have a “Sing Off” or “Mini Talent Show.” Once students know the song well, they get into groups to practice singing it on their own. Then groups/students that want to can present their version of the song to the class. It’s a fun way for those kids who enjoy acting to shine. I also love that it gives the class additional target language input.
Final Thoughts on Teaching Spanish Colors with Gusano Tutu
After students learn and work with a song in my class, we probably listen to it every other lesson or so as we continue with other unit activities (I see students three times a week). Hearing and seeing the colors in the context of a song is so beneficial to our young learners.
I also bring back some of our favorite songs throughout the school year to mix things up for our welcome song or as a brain break. For example, if we’re learning about México and talking about the colors that we see in photos, I might start that lesson with Gusano Tutu.
I encourage you to give El Gusano Tutu a try as you’re teaching Spanish colors this year. Don’t forget to sign up for our email list and save a copy of the FREEBIE!
Are you looking for a fun way to get your elementary Spanish students moving during class? We know kids benefit when we incorporate movement into our lessons at school. One of my favorite ways to do that is a simple movement game: 4 Corners.
I’ve heard about a variety of different ways to play 4 Corners and I thought I’d share how my students and I like to play. When I plan to play this game in class, I have two goals: get students moving while engaging with Spanish.
Movement Game Set Up
I love this movement game for several reasons…but my favorite might be the easy prep. All you need in order to play are signs to hang around the room. I tend to put the signs in plastic page protectors and then hang them up with masking tape.
If you travel to different classrooms, make sure to have a student help you remember to take them down at the end of the lesson. It’s easy to forget them!
What goes on the signs?
Images or images plus text!
Depending on the content you’re working with, you can have anywhere from 3-6 signs. I always use at least 3 signs at a time. If you plan to use more than 4 signs, I encourage you to only use 4 at a time. Switch out a few signs part way through the game or the next time you play.
It never fails that the lesson after we play this game, students are asking to play it again! I often plan to play it the second half of one lesson and then just a few rounds at the start of the next lesson.
Student Instructions
Since the main idea of this game is that students are MOVING, it’s very important to review the rules each time you play. I remind students that we have to follow these rules for safety and if we don’t, the game will end.
#1: Use walking feet
#2: Be near a sign by the time I get to 10. If you’re not, you’re out. (No hiding somewhere being goofy).
After reviewing the rules, have students check around their desks and put away anything that could get stepped on or tripped over. I ask students to push in their chairs and stand behind their table spots when they’re ready to play.
During the Game
The game starts when I start counting slowly to 10 in Spanish. During that time I “keep my eyes closed” and students move to a sign. I cover or close my eyes so I don’t know who is where when I call a sign. *I usually need to give a few reminders about walking feet as students get quite excited to start the game.
Once I get to 10 I pause and listen for all the little feet to stop moving before I call one of the signs. Whoever is standing by that sign sits back at their table spot and helps me count for the rest of this round. Play resumes when I start counting to 10 again.
I used to play this game until there was only one person still standing. That is definitely always an option. When you play that way, make sure to tell students once there are fewer students than signs, there cannot be two kids at the same sign.
I found that after a while, the students who were “out” had trouble waiting until the next round. Asking them to wait in their seats all that time felt counterproductive. So, I came up with a new version that restarts when there are still several students who are “in.” You can restart at any time but I usually do it if I call a sign that has no students standing by it.
Playing 4 Corners with Kindergarten Classes
Teaching this game to kindergarten students at the start of the year can be hit or miss. They definitely enjoy the game but it also comes with some challenges.
I like to introduce this movement game after we’ve been in school for at least a month. We play it when we’re learning to describe our basic feelings with this freebie set. During the game set up, I stress that there are no winners in this game and when you “get out,” remember you’ll be back “in” soon.
I tend to monitor students a bit more when playing with kindergarteners. There are always a few students who never sit down when they’re supposed to. This can be frustrating for others who are trying to follow the rules.
Overall, kindergarten students love this game and as the year goes on, they do quite well with it.
Wrap it Up
It always feels good to get students up and moving during Spanish class. Moving is such a big part of learning for kids at the elementary level; and, it serves us well as teachers to plan for movement.
Read more about planning for movement within your lessons here!
