Whether it's family game night or you simply need to entertain the kids for a while, games are a fun way to not only bring the family together, but can also serve as a way to practice Español. Here are some fun games that can entertain the whole family.
7 Must Have Games for Bilingual Families
Scrabble Spanish Edition
Now the classic game is available in Spanish and great to continue your family's bilingual journey. It has letter additions like ñ and ch. As a kid I remember playing the English version in Spanish with my parents picking a few tiles to modify, so it's great that they've added this edition! It's also great for early readers as you just play with open tiles and practice word building.
Classic Mexican Pirinola Toma Todo
Pirinola is a classic Latin American game, played in many countries like Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina. I remember growing up and playing this with my family for hours. The game is simple and uses simple phrases like Pon 1 (Put One), Toma 2 (Take 2) or Toma Todo (Take All) to refer to take one coin, one piece of candy, one card, or anything that can be exchanged after the player puts the Pirinola for a spin. The players take turns until players with no cards or coins cannot continue to play. The game ends with 1 player that has it all. It is a fun, interactive game, that helps children learn to count and learn the various phrases of the Pirinola side. This is a great game for the older kids, plus it's a family game that everyone, even abuela can play, just watch out for the cheaters!
Don Clemente Authentic Loteria Card Game Gift Box Set
Lotería is a Mexican game of chance similar to Bingo. Cards with pictures are drawn instead of numbers on ping pong balls. Each player has a card or tabla with different picture combinations. The caller randomly draws a card and announces it to the players. The first player to get 4 images marked in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row yells "Loteria" and wins. This is another fun and great game for the whole family to enjoy.
Sorry or Parqués
Sorry is very similar to Parqués, one of my favorite kids growing up. It's a great game to practice counting and colors in Spanish. It's also a very fun and entertaining game that can last hours. Here's my little Victoria jugando Sorry :)
Dominoes
Growing up in Miami, Dominoes was the game of choice at social gatherings and family fun. This is a classic game that everyone in the familia can play. There are also variations of the game like Mexican Train (above) or the ones we used to play called "tapado." Whatever your variation is or budget, this is a classic game tradition you'll want to pass down!
Monolpoly in English or Spanish
Monopoly was our family game. I remember spending hours with my family playing, watching my dad cheat his way to victory, lol. I wish we had the Spanish game for my parents back then, but I am happy to see that it is now available. Because I love this game so much, I purchased the junior Monopoly as a way to introduce my 4 year old to our family tradition and I've created a Monster,lol. My daughter looks forward to playing this so much. A win in my book!
Spanish Naipe Mexican Playing Cards
Another one of our family favorites was baraja or Spanish naipe. The Spanish cards are different from regular cards in that their suits are, bastos (clubs), espadas (swords), copas (cups), or oro (gold). They are colorful cards and there are many games, like my personal favorite, Tuteor the Mexican favorite Conquian
While these games may be for older kids, the colorful cards are fun for the younger kids.
If you ask me my most favorite family memories growing up? I will tell you that it was surrounded by my family playing games. Now is the perfect time to start creating your familia's memories!
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