1. Explain the rules/guidelines to the students. The goal is to match a picture with a Spanish word. Show them the cards and show them an example. Two pictures can’t be a pair. Two words can’t be a pair (there are a few exceptions to this rule…like Pets/Mascots or Garden/Garden. A pair would be the PICTURE of the cat and the card that says "EL GATO."
2. Students will play in small groups of 4-5. They need to put all of the cards down in a grid like pattern, FACE DOWN. You may want to actually set up a game on the rug so that they get the picture. One student goes first and turns over two cards. If it is a match he/she keeps the pair. If not, the next student has his/her turn. If a student gets a pair, he/she does NOT get to take another turn…it still goes to the next person. The person with the most pairs wins. There can be ties.
3. One thing to remind students is that when it is their turn to flip over two cards, EVERYONE in the group gets to see what was turned over. ALSO, CARDS must be flipped back over in the same spot. Explain that to change them means it is not a game of MEMORY! You can play this game as long as students are having fun. If a group finishes, they can mix the cards up and start over.

1. Use the laminated pictures that have magnets on the back…always use pictures that do not have the Spanish word on them…if students don’t know a word they can always look it up in their Diary (Journal.) If you are playing with numbers, just write the numeral on the board. If you are playing with colors, use the color items in the folder labeled "colors" on each cart. You can also play this by using the magnet men to clip up plastic food, stuffed bears, or class objects into the giant tic-tac-board that you draw on the board.
2. Pick a student to lead the game and be scorekeeper. The lead student writes a big grid on the board and places nine pictures in the spaces. You divide the class into two teams (X and O) and play the game. The lead student can run the game by taking the picture down when a team says the word in Spanish.
3. The team’s X or O then gets placed in the spot where the named food item was. Play this for about four games. The team gets a point for each word they say. If a team gets three in a row, they win and get three bonus points.
4. Let students lead this. It gives them a chance to be a leader and it makes them use more Spanish listening skills. Also, they know how to say the words.

1. Students all are used to this game, so it shouldn’t be as complicated as it will sound here! You play ON THE RUG. Students STAY IN THE X and O teams if you have been playing Tic Tac Toe OR you just divide them into two teams. In first grade, I don’t make teams…students just play for fun.
2. Pick a student to be the DOOR GUARD and another student to be the SCORE KEEPER. Put about 10 different pictures of the vocabulary words on the rug. (Don’t use all to start.) Send a student from one team (for example, the X’s) outside the room. The door guard shuts them out and monitors. Then pick someone from the O team to pick the BUZZ WORD. Everyone will know this word except the student who left the room.
3. The "exiled" student then returns to try and say as many food words as possible while avoiding the buzz word (like you don’t want the Old Maid card in that game.) The student accumulates points for each word that is said UNTIL they say the buzz word. When they do say the buzz word, the class yells out "BUZZ" and the turn is over.
4. Then, someone from the O team goes outside and an X team member picks a buzz word. After each team has a few turns, you can change the objects. Play as long as students are interested/focused.

This can be played with any topic (colors, numbers, breakfast food, lunch food, class objects, classes, ANYTHING.) It is like BUZZ…you can tell the students that…they all know what BUZZ is.

1. Divide the class into two teams. Write #1 and #2 on the board (or give them colors like Rojo and Azul or Gato/Perro (Cat/Dog.) This is where you will tally points. The object is to get points by guessing the secret ZAP word that the teacher picks. Two people go outside and do not hear the ZAP word. They come back in and take turns guessing the ZAP word in Spanish until someone gets it and gets the point.
2. Send one person, FROM EACH TEAM (two students, total) out of the room. You will need to remind them not to wander, to peek in the room, and to be quiet in the hall. They should just stand outside the door, but away from it.
3. YOU pick one item and show the class. They all WHISPER it in Spanish (like lápiz for pencil or panqueque for pancake.)
4. Replace the object. The two "exiled" students come back inside. Start with one team. The "exiled" student says an object and takes it off the board.

• If it IS the ZAP word, the class says ZAP (once) and that team gets a ZAP (a point.) Then, put the object back up, pick two new students and pick a new object (that is, start over but keep the score.)
• If it is NOT the ZAP word, the class all repeats the name of the object. Then, the other team goes. This repeats until someone gets the ZAP word and the ZAP point.

• Remind the students that they can not hint to teammates (or non-teammates) what the ZAP word was. It is a secret.
• When you start the next round, pick the student from the second team to go first. That is, alternate which team needs to go first each time.
• Play until one team gets a set number of points (say 5 or 6.)
• Remind the class that they all must repeat the word that their classmates say (when it is not the ZAP word.) If you feel a group is not repeating, tell them that you can subtract points and even give them a negative if they are not participating by repeating…this is a great opportunity to practice vocabulary.

You can use pictures of vocabulary from a folder labeled with that vocab. or you can use the "real item" (like plastic food, a stuffed bear for colors, or class objects) just use magnet men to clip the objects on the board. The carts are always "stocked" with the current materials.