Day of the Dead / Make Your Own Lotería
Make Your Own Lotería
Children design picture cards and boards for lotería, a much-loved Mexican picture bingo game often played at family gatherings, then play a round together using Spanish words.
How to run it
- Explain that lotería is a traditional Mexican game played with picture cards and boards, a bit like bingo, and is enjoyed at family gatherings.
- Choose 16 simple pictures with Spanish names, such as el sol (the sun), la luna (the moon), el corazón (the heart), la flor (the flower) and el pájaro (the bird).
- Have children draw a set of calling cards in small groups and make their own four-by-four board using any of the pictures.
- Play by calling out the Spanish name of each card, with children covering matching pictures with beans or counters until someone completes a row.
You will need
- card
- printed list of pictures with Spanish words
- pencils and markers
- rulers
- dried beans or counters
Make it easier or harderUse a three-by-three board and fewer words for younger children; older children can take turns as the caller and add a rhyme for each card.
SafetyKeep dried beans away from children who might put them in their mouths or noses.
My Time Our Place · Outcome 5, Outcome 4Children learn and use Spanish vocabulary while designing and playing a traditional game.
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