What are the Top Online Spanish Games for Kids Learning at Home?
I was paid a wee bit to write this post (read our Disclaimer for details,) but just like with all things from The WOLFe Pack, what you will find here is an honest opinion from a seasoned homeschool mom with a Master’s Degree in Education who is also on a current journey to find the right Spanish curriculum for her High School son {after an utter disaster last year!} So, checking out these Spanish-teaching games was perfect timing for me. Even though these Spanish games for kids are too young for my high schooler, the information I found in my research has been helpful in assessing the best option for High School. So, no matter where you are on your foreign language learning journey, you might find the info handy too!
Benefits of Learning a Second Language
Few would argue that knowing a second language is a beneficial skill for anybody to have at any age. And, most have probably heard that knowing a second language is especially beneficial to young children. But, have you ever stopped to ponder why? Let’s look at a handful of those benefits.
Bilingual kids have better focus and longer attentions spans.
I used to think that teaching a young child a second language at the same time as he/she was still acquiring their first language would be a confusing undertaking. But, then I spent four years teaching abroad in a First Grade classroom. My task was to teach all of my students how to read and write in English. Some were native English speakers and some were not. Those who were also attended Spanish classes and those who were not were given extra English instruction. The goal was for all students to be able to read, write and speak in both languages at the end of the school year. And, for the vast majority of students, that is exactly what happened! While my brain was struggling to add just basic Spanish phrases to my English mastery, I was watching dozens of six-year-olds learn how to read and write in two languages at the same time.
Bilingual kids become more intelligent adults.
As children grow into adults, their brain cells typically shrink in number but research indicates that as bilingual kids grow up, they retain more actual, physical grey matter. And this extra grey matter can be used for any number of functions…not just speaking a second language. So, being bilingual can benefit a person in math, science, life skills and more!
Bilingual kids develop enhanced executive functioning skills.
In addition to more grey matter, bilingual kids tend to also have a better developed brain powerhouse (front part of the brain) which results in enhanced executive functioning skills. This means that bilingual kids can set goals, develop plans and then meet these goals/execute these plans more effectively than their monolingual counterparts.
Bilingual kids show more empathy.
This was not a benefit of learning a second language I had ever considered, but it certainly makes sense. As a person learns to understand another person’s first language, those other people become less foreign and become more relatable and real. And, I could see how this ability to empathize with others would translate to being less ego-centric across a person’s life.
Bilingual kids don’t have to struggle when it’s time to learn a new language in High School.
After the disastrous year my High Schooler had with Spanish in 2022, I truly wish I had found a way for him to have learned a second language much, much earlier. Instead of adding an enormous amount of work to an already heavy workload of Geometry, Physics, Research Paper Writing and more, we could have simply added a third language to his extra-grey mattered powerhouse of a brain!
Note: Choosing the wrong fit for a live, online Spanish class certainly did not help matters, of course, but that’s a whole different matter!
Check out this video outlining the top six benefits of being bilingual from childhood.
Benefits of Online Spanish Games for Kids
Clearly, there are several excellent reasons to have kids learn a second language. Now, let’s consider how to do that! Possible options to teach your child a second language include real life immersion, formal classes, private instruction, physical curriculum and online games. Of course some of those options are more feasible than others. For the sake of feasibility, we’ll focus on just online Spanish games in this post and the benefits they present.
Online Spanish games increase the fun factor and lower the stress levels of learning.
Apparently, scientists have discovered that language learning needs to be fun, engaging and compelling in order to lower what they call the affective filter so that language acquisition can happen! This just means that when your language learning experience is stressful or boring, the part of your brain responsible for language acquisition is less responsive and you learn less. And, generally speaking, online games tend to be fun and engaging, which results in prime conditions for successful language acquisition! I can surely see how the disorganization and discombobulation of my son’s Spanish class last year raised his affective filter which only compounded the ineffectiveness of the experience.
Online Spanish games allow for necessary repetition.
We all know that repetition is often the key to learning something new. But, we also know that repetition can often be boring, frustrating and discouraging. But, if presented in fun and fresh ways, repetition can get great results which is why online games can be such a great option to learning a second language. They offer the necessary repetition but in entertaining and exciting ways.
Online Spanish games respect the silent period.
This necessary step in learning a language was something of which I had never really been aware but makes perfect sense. The silent period is when the learner is actively listening while their brain begins to process the new language and rewire the neurons to acquire it. But, the learner is most often doing this without speaking or really interacting at all so it often appears pointless and gets rushed. With online games, the learner can take the time he/she needs for this process because the game is not in a rush and respects this silent period.
Online Spanish games often utilize the strategy of comprehensible input.
Comprehensible input is when the gist of what is being expressed can be understood by listeners, even if they can’t understand all the words or structure of the text. Online games often use this strategy through video presentations, familiar songs, easy-to-follow games, etc.
Online Spanish games promote independent learning.
With an online game, there is no need for parental instruction or sibling teamwork. If designed well, a young student should be able to maneuver the app or site all on their own.
Note: As always, use caution when allowing children access to online resources. Read reviews from previous users, verify how easy/hard it is to leave the app or site to wander to something else, look for internet safety awards, etc.
Online Spanish games are convenient.
Obviously, online games are more convenient than live classes, private tutors, physical curriculum and real life immersion. An app or website is not only easier to access, it will be less expensive too!
Best Online Spanish Learning Games for Kids
Now, let’s take a peek at four different online Spanish learning games for kids.
FABULINGUA
FabuLingua is an app where students become explorers on a journey across a fantastical island. As students master stories and level up, they’ll unlock new locations to explore and will go from playing with a frog family in the Playful Pond to fluttering with colorful fairies at Fairy Falls and then dancing with Unicorns at the Musical Mountains. All the while, they’ll be learning Spanish without even thinking about it! From the student’s perspective, it’s a fun game that is easy to maneuver with clear objectives and specific tasks. From an adult’s perspective, it’s a clearly organized experience based on research with the goal of language acquisition for the student. It’s not free, though you can get a free month with code WOLFE1MONTHFREE and then pay just $69.99/year for six profiles.
CANTICOS
Canticos translated into English is “songs” and that’s exactly what this site offers: songs! Canticos has several music videos for young students. They have songs in English that are then followed by the same song with Spanish lyrics. They have songs in Spanish that are followed by the same song with English lyrics. They also have songs that are intermixed with both English and Spanish lyrics. The videos were fun though random in both content and presentation. Everything I watched on the site under the video tab was free and they also have a YouTube channel which, of course, is also free. They do offer an ad-free app at a cost $6.99/month or $57.99/year. I am not sure what all the app has to offer, though they do have a free seven day free trial if you want to check it out. They also offer several free printables that reinforce the lessons in the videos.
ROCKALINGUA
RockAlingua is a website that includes videos, games, songs, worksheets and more. Some of it is free while other features only come with a paid membership ($20/month for a family of five.) Though the style of animation was a little odd to me, the songs, videos and games were well done in the sense of content and effectiveness. Everything I played around with included helpful text in Spanish and was presented in clear context. With a paid membership, there seemed to be a lot of content which I would imagine would keep young students engaged though every piece I experienced was stand-alone with no connection from one to another.
PBS KIDS
When my son was much younger, we loved PBS Kids. We loved most of the shows they had on TV but also the games they had on their site and in their app so I was pleased to see PBS Kids pop up as an option when searching for online Spanish games for kids learning at home. However, the Spanish games that PBS Kids has to offer are not aimed at teaching Spanish. They are simply Spanish versions of some of the simple games (counting, seek & find, etc) games that they also have in English. When the “Spanish” button is toggled on, all of the directions, audio and text on the screen will be in Spanish. You can also turn the closed caption on which then puts all of the audio in Spanish on the screen as well. So, it certainly provides a young child the opportunity to hear (and see) the Spanish language while playing a silly game like “Meatball Launcher” (aka Lanzador de Albondigas.) It would also be important to note that though there are printable worksheets listed in Spanish to go with many of the games, the actual printable is all in English.
Make Spanish Learning Fun and Effective With FabuLingua!
In conclusion, if you are looking for a game to help your students learn Spanish, my vote would be for FabuLingua. It is a highly developed mobile game with all of the advantages that most language learning games have, but with a clearly organized focus on the science of effective language acquisition. Many of the other Spanish learning games for kids may be fun, provide repetition, offer convenience and nurture independence, but only FabuLingua seems to be based on research and science. FabuLingua is not just a fun game… it is an effective learning tool! Check it out for one month free and see what you think!
