¡Hola profes! How are you doing? I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is almost here already! Are you one of the lucky ducks who is off for the whole week? If so, I hope you are getting some much deserved rest and taking the time to do something that you love!
With Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s the perfect time to bring a bit of seasonal warmth and cultural exploration into your Spanish classes. Thanksgiving-themed activities both enhance vocabulary and give students a chance to reflect on gratitude. Here’s a collection of ideas and resources that can bring Thanksgiving to life in your Spanish classes.
#1: Start with a Thanksgiving vocabulary list.
A great way to introduce the theme is by sharing a comprehensive Thanksgiving vocabulary list that contains essential Thanksgiving terms, from “pavo” to “agradecido/a,” covering a broad range of words that will help students discuss the holiday. You can use this list to introduce vocabulary before diving into games, worksheets, and conversations.
Here’s a FREE Thanksgiving vocabulary list that you can use with your students!
#2: Decorate the classroom with a Thanksgiving word wall.
Visual resources are invaluable for vocabulary retention, and a Thanksgiving-themed vocabulary word wall makes learning festive! Match images with corresponding Thanksgiving terms and post them on a wall or bulletin board in your classroom, creating a rich visual anchor that keeps new vocabulary top of mind for students. You could even assign students to create short descriptions for each term on the wall, furthering their interaction with the vocabulary!
Like the idea of a word wall, but not the idea of putting one together? I’ve got you covered! Grab this ready-to-print Thanksgiving word wall – just print, cut, and post in your classroom!
#3: Play Thanksgiving vocabulary bingo.
Create bingo cards filled with Thanksgiving-related vocabulary in Spanish. Include words like “pavo,” “gracias,” and “familia.” You could also use pictures on the bingo cards instead of words to add an additional challenge! Have fun calling out the words in Spanish, encouraging students to listen and mark their cards. This not only builds students’ vocabulary, but also enhances listening skills. Games like this are perfect for holding your students’ attention, which can be challenging on the days leading up to a break from school!
Looking for ready-to-print Thanksgiving Bingo cards that are perfect for any Spanish classroom? Look no further! Check out this Bingo cards set, featuring 35 different cards in 3 different formats! Calling cards and word list included!
#4: Practice interactive reading comprehension with a Thanksgiving story escape room.
Add some fun and excitement to your Spanish class with a Thanksgiving-themed story escape room! In this interactive activity, students read a fun Thanksgiving story in Spanish and solve a series of language-based puzzles to “escape.” The puzzles focus on key Thanksgiving vocabulary, comprehension skills, and critical thinking, making it a perfect blend of festive fun and meaningful learning.
No time to design one yourself? I’ve got you covered! Grab a ready-to-use Thanksgiving Story Escape Room, available in both printable (PDF) and digital (Google Slides) formats. Students will read the story and complete four puzzles to escape. Puzzles include matching vocabulary with definitions, decoding hidden messages, and more! It’s ideal for small groups or pairs and keeps students engaged while reinforcing key vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.
Bonus! The escape room format encourages teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills your students will love putting to the test! Plus, it’s a low-prep activity for teachers that works great for a Thanksgiving station, sub plan, or end-of-unit review.
#5: Use Thanksgiving vocabulary worksheets for practice.
To reinforce vocabulary learning, incorporate Thanksgiving-themed worksheets. These could include crossword puzzles, word searches, “which word doesn’t belong,” and logical/illogical sentences. These exercises keep students actively thinking about word meanings and structures while giving them plenty of chances to use each word in various contexts.
Grab these no-prep, ready-to-print Thanksgiving worksheets that you can use in your classroom ASAP!
#6: Ask your students about their Thanksgiving plans, preferences, and traditions.
One of the most meaningful ways to connect vocabulary to students’ lives is to make personal connections. Asking your students about their Thanksgiving plans, preferences, and traditions is a great way to do just that! Sample questions might include: “¿Cuál es tu comida favorita de Día de Acción de Gracias?” or “¿Cómo celebras el Día de Acción de Gracias con tu familia?” These questions can be used as writing prompts, icebreakers, or speaking activities, encouraging students to make personal connections to the new vocabulary.
Looking for a ready-to-use set of questions? I’ve got you covered! Check out this set of 15 Thanksgiving-themed preguntas personales:
#7: Practice vocabulary with color-by-code activities.
For a creative twist on vocabulary practice, check out these Thanksgiving color-by-code activities! This set includes four unique color-by-code pages, each designed to reinforce students’ understanding of Thanksgiving-themed vocabulary in Spanish. Students match vocabulary terms with colors, and as they color in their answers, a festive Thanksgiving image emerges. This activity is perfect for students who enjoy hands-on learning, and answer keys are included so that students can easily check their work!
Grab your copy below:
#8: Thanksgiving Recipes.
If you are currently studying a food unit, or you’d like to review food vocabulary from an earlier unit, this recipe activity is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving repertoire! Have students create a recipe card for a Thanksgiving dish. This can be a recreation of a family favorite, or it can be a new and original recipe. Students should list the ingredients in Spanish, the preparation steps, and should include a picture. If your students have studied commands, this is a great opportunity for students to practice that concept in a natural context as they give instructions for preparing their recipes! (If your students have not studied commands yet, you can have them simply use infinitives). If you’d like, you could put all the recipe cards together and make a class recipe book!
#9: Thanksgiving Storytelling.
Tap into your students’ creative sides by having them write their own Thanksgiving stories in Spanish. You can have students incorporate a certain amount of Thanksgiving-related vocabulary, or give them an opening line or a scenario to describe. I typically find that, the sillier the prompt, the more fun students have! Perhaps the family dog ate the turkey and the family is looking for alternatives, or a bad storm strands a family in an airport for Thanksgiving. Depending on your students’ proficiency levels, you can have them write longer stories or include more complex vocabulary and grammatical structures. This activity is great for keeping students engaged at a time when this can be a challenge!
#10: Cultural Comparison.
If you teach AP students (or are interested in preparing your lower-level students to be successful in AP Spanish one day), have students do a cultural comparison activity! Have students research celebrations and holidays in Spanish-speaking countries for a day or two in class. Then, have them compare and contrast a celebration or holiday that they researched to Thanksgiving. This is a great way for students to learn about culture, practice comparison vocabulary, and to practice an AP-test task. Best of all, this activity requires very little prep work from you!
#11: Thank You Notes.
Have your students write thank you notes to someone in their lives, or you have them write to a staff member at school. If the recipient doesn’t speak Spanish, you could have your students also write the message in English underneath. Writing thank you notes not only enhances language skills, but also promotes mindfulness and self-expression and helps students express their gratitude!
I hope this was helpful and that you found some ideas you can use in your classroom! Please feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email if you have any questions! ¡Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias!
Señora Q 