Learn Spanish Numbers with Fun Activities

Hola! This next lesson is on Spanish Numbers (los numeros). I hope you enjoyed my prior lesson on animals in Spanish. If you missed it you can check it out here! 

My third lesson is on counting in Spanish. To teach Spanish numbers, I chose to use a book that would reinforce prior lessons in addition to teaching numbers. I love Ann Whitford Paul’s series featuring Culebra (snake), Iguana, Conejo (rabbit) and Tortuga (turtle). The incorporation of Spanish words throughout the story make learning fun, and the stories themselves are amusing and interesting.

Therefore, to teach Spanish numbers I used Count on Culebra. This is the story of Culebra helping Iguana after she hurts her foot. The book is great for reinforcing the names of animals and learning how to count to 10 in Spanish. In addition, the story also introduces the word “dulces” (candy).

Additionally, I chose to teach the children a few more words in addition to Spanish numbers. Specifically, as each Spanish number is introduced in the book it relates to a specific thing used in making dulces (such as a skillet, pot, etc.). As these were read, I also provided the Spanish name for the item, and used these names in our craft project.

Spanish Numbers – First Part of the Lesson

Firstly, we began with a quick review of animals using the chart I created for Lesson #2 (you can find it here for free if you would like to use it). We used the chart to help sing a song about animals. It was very simple, but the kids really enjoyed it. Using the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell” we sang about each of the animals, changing the animal after each verse.

Here is the first verse; change the animal after each is completed:

“el gato is the cat, el gato is the cat, hi ho, did you know, el gato is the cat.”

We then moved on to numbers. I started by showing this (very short) video with a counting song:

Although many kids think they already know how to count in Spanish, I wanted to make sure they really understood the pronunciation of each word. To help with this, I created a chart that includes the number, its name in Spanish, and its phonetic pronunciation. Here is what it looks like:

You can get these here (or just click on the image).

Spanish Numbers – Second Part of the Lesson

Secondly, after we went through all of the numbers, I read Count on Culebra to the children. Before I started, I passed out flashcards with the animals, dulces, and numbers for the children to refer to during the story. Here is a sample (click on the image to get the entire set):

Moreover, throughout the story, I encouraged the children to hold up the cards as they heard each word. At the end of the story we went through each of the items counted in the story (there is a great chart included in the book). I then told the children the Spanish words for each thing.

Third Part of the Lesson

Finally, after the story, we did a project – making our own fold-out booklets featuring all of the numbers and items from Count on Culebra. The directions for creating the basic booklet can be found here. Depending on the ages of your children you may need to help with the folding as it was a bit tricky! Moreover, you may want to consider making the booklets ahead of time (depending on how much time you have and the age of your students).

Additionally, I also printed out all of the items onto large labels so the kids could simply cut them out and stick them on. You can download my labels for free here. We used each small square for one number, the item(s) that corresponded to that number, and the Spanish and English words for the item(s). The booklet folds up to the size of a single small square so it is great for the kids to take out and practice their numbers!

Another fun way to practice Spanish Numbers

If you’re looking for a great way to practice Spanish numbers, this “I Have, Who Has” game is perfect! Kids love it, and have so much fun they don’t even realize that they are learning! I love to set a timer while my class plays, and then tell them their time at the end of the game. They then work to beat their time (and boy do they get excited about it)! You can check out a printable version of this activity by clicking here.

Have you tried this lesson? If so, I would love to hear how it went! Please leave a comment below and share your experience. Hasta la próxima vez (until next time)!

You may also like these resources for Spanish number practice:

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