¡A Moverse! Fun with Spanish Action Verbs

A short and fun introductory Spanish lesson for a 10-year-old homeschool student, focusing on learning common action verbs through physical activity (Total Physical Response), engaging games, and creative application.

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¡A Moverse! Fun with Spanish Action Verbs

Materials Needed: Flashcards (DIY or printed) with pictures and Spanish words for action verbs (correr, saltar, comer, beber, dormir, bailar, cantar); Whiteboard or large paper; Markers; Optional: Fun props for charades (e.g., a toy microphone for cantar, a pillow for dormir).

¡Hola! Let's Get Started! (5 minutes)

Welcome to our Spanish action adventure! Today, we're going to learn some super fun words that tell us what people (or animals!) are DOING. These are called 'verbos de acción' (action verbs). Are you ready to move and have some fun? ¡Sí!

Learning Our Action Words (10-15 minutes)

Let's learn our words. I'll show you a flashcard, say the word, and we'll do the action together! Repite después de mí (Repeat after me):

  • Correr (koh-RREHR) - To run! (Let’s jog in place!)
  • Saltar (sahl-TAHR) - To jump! (Let’s jump up and down!)
  • Comer (koh-MEHR) - To eat! (Pretend to eat something yummy!)
  • Beber (beh-BEHR) - To drink! (Pretend to drink water!)
  • Dormir (dohr-MEER) - To sleep! (Pretend to be asleep, make a snoring sound!)
  • Bailar (bai-LAHR) - To dance! (Show me your best dance move!)
  • Cantar (kahn-TAHR) - To sing! (Let's pretend to sing a song!)

Practice saying each word a few times while doing the action. This helps your brain remember!

Game Time: ¡Simón Dice! (Spanish Simon Says) (10 minutes)

Let's play "Simón Dice" (Simon Says)! I'll be Simón. If I say "Simón dice..." followed by an action, you do it! If I just say the action without "Simón dice...", don't do it! For example:

  • "Simón dice... ¡correr!" (You run in place)
  • "¡Saltar!" (Don't jump!)

This game is great for listening and reacting. ¡Vamos a jugar! (Let's play!)

Creative Action: Mini Charades or Story Time! (10-15 minutes)

Now it's your turn to be the star!

Option 1: Charades!

Pick one of our new action verbs and act it out. I'll try to guess the Spanish word! Then we can switch roles.

Option 2: Quick Story/Scene!

Let's use at least 3 of our new verbs to act out a very short story or scene. For example: "Un gato le gusta correr, después comer, y luego dormir." (A cat likes to run, then eat, and then sleep.) Or "Una estrella de pop le gusta cantar y bailar, después beber agua." (A pop star likes to sing and dance, then drink water.) We can write our simple story on the whiteboard/paper and then act it out. You can draw pictures too!

This helps us use our words in a fun, creative way!

¡Adiós! Wrap-up (5 minutes)

¡Excelente trabajo hoy! (Excellent work today!) We learned some fantastic Spanish action verbs: correr, saltar, comer, beber, dormir, bailar, and cantar. Can you show me your favorite action one last time?

Keep practicing these words this week by doing the actions when you think of them. ¡Hasta la próxima! (Until next time!)