In this post: Make learning Spanish fun and exciting this summer with these easy Spanish summer camp ideas you can do at home.
Spring has only just started, and I’m already daydreaming about summer. Warm weather, sunshine, and time to recharge with my family are just what I need after the busy school year. The long days playing in the backyard or sitting by the pool are a very welcome change of pace!
As much as summer break can be a great time to slow down, I also see it as the perfect chance to try some new hobbies together that we don’t always have time for.
Plus, having some activities planned provides you and your kids with just enough structure throughout the day to keep everyone entertained and happy.
This makes summer break the perfect time to learn a new language together! If you need a little direction for keeping your kids excited about learning Spanish this summer, we have plenty of resources that will help you get creative and have fun with language learning.
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FREE Summer Spanish Camp Activities
I don’t know about you, but I’m always on the lookout for free activities to do with my kids, especially during summer break.
Local parks, nature centers, and libraries can be perfect for this. But if you’re looking for free resources and activities specifically for learning Spanish this summer, you won’t want to miss our Spanish Freebie Library!
Sign up for free and discover a plethora of resources, like summer-themed flashcards, book lists, games, and more!
If you don’t want to follow structured lessons or do bookwork over the summer, this is a fantastic option that won’t feel like doing schoolwork to your kids.
In our free printable library you’ll find:
- Fun, thematic lessons
- Flashcards
- Vocabulary games, including the popular Mexican game Lotería
- Sight words
- Seasonal music playlists for kids
- Book lists
- Tips and more resources for learning Spanish
I highly recommend our freebie library if you’re on a tight budget or are just getting started with Spanish and would like to test the waters before committing to anything.
Likewise, if you just want to keep things light over the summer but still want to fit in some Spanish practice at home, this is a fantastic option!
Summer Spanish Camp Unit Study
We’re all about thematic learning at Llamitas Spanish, and doing unit studies on the different seasons and holidays can be a great way to learn Spanish in context year-round.
For more summer-themed Spanish materials to practice with, you’ll want to check out our Holiday and Seasonal Bundle!
This is a really fun way to learn Spanish and discover Hispanic culture and traditions through games, crafts, recipes, videos, songs, and more! The “El verano” (summer) printable pack includes worksheets, games, a song, story, and more that your kids will love.
But that’s not all! There are seven holiday units and four seasonal units to enjoy:
- Día de San Valentín (Valentine’s Day)
- La Pascua (Easter)
- Hispanic Heritage Month (Frida Kahlo unit)
- Halloween
- Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead)
- Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving)
- La Navidad (Christmas)
- El otoño (Fall)
- El invierno (Winter)
- La primavera (Spring)
- El verano (Summer)
So you can enjoy our summer Spanish unit study right now and then celebrate the holidays and seasons with the other units throughout the rest of the year!
Related post: Weather and Seasons in Spanish
Llamitas Spanish Level 1 Curriculum
One of the best things about homeschooling is the flexibility. Many families take advantage of this by keeping the learning going all year long!
Of course, that doesn’t mean you don’t take breaks—but who says you need to take a three month break? Year-round homeschoolers might find that regular, shorter breaks work better for their family and prevent burnout.
Rather than going into full-blown summer break mode and forgetting everything they learned over the school year, families can use summer to get a head-start on their Spanish!
Our Llamitas Spanish Level 1 Curriculum would make the perfect homeschool Spanish summer camp to dive into and explore this summer. It even starts with a unit study all about the ocean!
Just like traditional summer camps, our lessons all include themes. From the ocean to the farm, community helpers to space, there are so many engaging and interactive lessons to enjoy!
Jump in this summer for a head-start in Spanish and then continue your language learning journey throughout the year.
Related post: Ocean-Themed Spanish Lessons for Kids
TruFluency Kids Online Spanish Camps
Finding quality online Spanish classes is another great way to keep working on those language skills this summer. But we also know that, with so many options out there, it can be tough to tell which ones are worth your valuable time and resources.
That’s why we’ve partnered with Trufluency Kids to share their fabulous Spanish summer camps on Zoom! With thematic lessons in small groups taught by native speakers, your kids can even take their Spanish lessons poolside and enjoy learning with fun, interactive lessons!
Use coupon code MAMALLAMA20 for 20% OFF your first order! Enrollment for summer is open now!
Related post: TruFluency Kids Review: Spanish Classes Online
Spanish Summer Reading List
Just because it’s summer, that doesn’t mean you have to experience the dreaded “summer slide,” or learning loss that happens over summer break.
If your kids have lost some of their academic skills after summer break in the past, don’t feel bad—it happens to the best of us. But there are some things you can do to prevent it, and summer reading is at the top of that list.
The key is to make reading something they actually want to do, though, and not a chore. This is what instills a love of reading.
Psst… Grab this multi-page FREE Summer reading list in the Freebie Library! Here’s a sneak peek:
Try some of these tips to incorporate reading throughout the summer:
- Make books accessible. This can mean keeping books at home on low shelves within easy reach and taking regular trips to the library. If your kid isn’t a big reader yet, ask the librarian for suggestions based on their interests.
- Use rewards. Most libraries have summer reading programs that encourage kids to read with fun prizes. You can also make your own summer reading list or chart and reward your child for completing it.
- Choose the right level. Help your child find books that are at their reading level so they don’t become discouraged. Child Mind Institute recommends the “five finger test”—have your child read the first page, counting how many words they miss with your fingers. If it’s more than five, the book is too difficult.
- Include other reading materials. Reading skills can be built through materials other than traditional books. Board games, puzzles, magazines, recipes, crafts, and more can all provide opportunities for reading.
- Follow your child’s lead. While it’s tempting to push our own interests on our kids at times, let yours pick out books that pique their interest. That may mean comic books or search-and-finds, and that’s perfectly OK, as long as the books are age-appropriate.
Need some more summer reading inspiration? You can put together your own Spanish summer reading list by checking out our post on our favorite Spanish summer books for kids!
Our Freebie Library also includes a summer reading list that you can download—for free, of course! With these fantastic book recommendations along with engaging Spanish vocabulary games and activities, learning Spanish this summer can be fun and easy!
And don’t forget to take a look at our Holiday and Seasonal Bundle to learn all about el verano (summer) and explore Hispanic culture with exciting activities and games.
Lydia is a freelance parenting and education writer. She previously taught English as a second language and enjoys sharing her love of language learning with her children.