5 Fun Activities for Teaching Spanish Numbers and Ages

Why does mixing instructional formats work so well? Neuroscience shows that when students engage with content in different ways—through listening, speaking, writing, and moving—their brains form stronger neural connections, leading to better retention. Multisensory learning taps into the brain’s natural ability to remember and organize information. By blending whole-class instruction with small group and independent activities, you’re helping students process information more deeply and effectively.

The key here is repetition through variety. By hearing, seeing, and using numbers 16-20 in multiple formats, students strengthen their understanding of the numbers themselves and how to use them in everyday phrases like “Tengo diecisiete años.”

How to Use the Presentation for Whole Class, Small Group, Partner, and Independent Work

1. Whole-Class Instruction: Start with a whole-class presentation using the digital slides for numbers 16-20. This allows you to model pronunciation, writing, and simple sentences.

• Interactive Call and Response: Show the number on the screen and have the class repeat after you: “¡Dieciséis!” Use hand gestures or visuals to reinforce understanding.
• Number Identification: Flash the number quickly and ask students to shout out the number as fast as they can. This builds excitement and reinforces recognition.

2. Small Group Work: Break your students into small groups to allow for more focused practice.

• Group Challenges: Assign each group a number from 16-20. Their task is to create a fun sentence using their number with items they would find in the classroom (e.g., “Tengo diecisiete lápices de color”). They then present their sentence to the class in a mini skit.

3. Partner Work: Partner work allows for interactive peer-to-peer learning.

• Flashcard Fun: Give each pair a set of flashcards with numbers 16-20. One partner says a number, while the other has to show the matching card, practicing both recognition and pronunciation.
• Guess My Number: Partner A writes a number between 16-20 on a piece of paper. Partner B asks questions like “¿Tienes dieciséis años?” Partner A can only answer “sí” or “no” until the correct number is guessed.

4. Independent Work: Let students practice on their own using the tracing and writing activities in the workbook.

• Sentence Building: Have students independently create sentences using the numbers. They can write phrases like “Hay veinte libros” or “Tengo dieciocho años.”
• Interactive Slides: Give students access to the digital presentation and let them navigate through the numbers independently, repeating and writing the numbers as they go.

5 New Games to Compliment the Presentation

1. Number Dash
   Set up numbered stations (16-20) around the room. Call out a number, and students must dash to the correct station and shout out “¡Tengo dieciocho años!” or another appropriate phrase.
2. Guess the Number Skit
   Have students perform short skits in groups. Each group writes their number on a hidden card, and as they act out a scene, the rest of the class tries to guess their number based on the clues in their dialogue.
3. Flashcard Match-Up
   Create flashcards with the numbers 16-20 and matching phrases (e.g., “dieciséis” and “Tengo dieciséis años”). Spread them out on the floor, and have students take turns matching the number with the correct phrase.
4. Clap and Count
   Engage the entire class in a rhythmic counting game. Students clap their hands in rhythm and count from 16 to 20 in Spanish. Then, speed up the rhythm to challenge them!