Parts of the body in Spanish is a necessary topic for every beginning Spanish class. For example, if you’re ever sick or injured in a Spanish-speaking country, you’ll need to tell a doctor what’s wrong. This topic is also fun and easy to teach since students carry the target vocabulary on their own bodies!
So, if you’re looking for some fresh ways to teach body parts in Spanish, here are 5 fun, low-prep activities you can do tomorrow!
Activities for teaching parts of the body in Spanish
Games and Songs
Play the game, “Simon Dice” or act out the song, “Cabeza, Hombros, Rodillas, Dedos de Pie“. They may seem elementary, but even secondary students can enjoy them. Use them as a review or a “pausa” to get a distracted class back on track. Here is a video showing one of my students leading the game “Cabeza, Rodillas, Caramelo” on his birthday. (Hence why he is wearing the sombrero!)
Outdoor Activities
Body Chalk Outlines
This activity was a hit with past classes and all I needed for prep was some sidewalk chalk from the Dollar Store! In groups, students outlined one group member and labeled their parts of the body in Spanish. You can differentiate by having advanced students label internal organs and use more scientific terminology. The best part about this activity: you can do it OUTSIDE! It also works well for distance learning to give students a break from their screens.
Reading Comprehension for teaching parts of the body in Spanish
Mr. Potato Head Stories
You can teach body vocabulary and reading comprehension in Spanish through silly stories about a popular childhood toy- Mr. Potato Head! In Part 1, Students read a description of Mr. Potato Head and his wife and color their body parts based on those descriptions. In Part 2, students read a story where the family dog runs off with Mr. Potato Head and his wife has to find his missing body parts throughout the house. This story offers great repetition and is a fun follow-up activity to practice rooms of the house in Spanish.
Monster Drawings
Want to add some art to your Spanish lessons? Students can draw monsters or other creatures based on silly descriptions in Spanish. Students will learn some lesser-known characteristics in Spanish such as “manchas” (spots) and unusual numbers of body parts, such as one eye. Beginners can do a similar activity by describing a normal person. Then they can culminate the project by describing their own “mystery creature” that their partner has to draw.
Daily Routines using reflexive verbs
Finally, it’s important for students to practice parts of the body in conjunction with reflexive verbs such as brushing one’s teeth. Students can practice Spanish vocabulary and reading comprehension by reading a silly story about Tarzan as he tries to get cleaned up to impress Jane!
If you like these ideas and want to see exactly how to teach them in your classroom, check out this four-week unit plan. It includes speaking, listening, reading, and writing practice, online activities, games and assessments for teaching body parts, reflexive verbs, and daily routines. It also comes with an easy-to-follow, day-by-day teacher’s guide that I’ve used with my middle school classes.
Happy Teaching!
