Learning Spanish culture is important because it opens children's minds to other ideas, communities and lifestyles. Learning another language and details of that culture help kids learn about history and the world around them. Learning about Spanish culture is particularly important because of the huge immersion of the Hispanic community into daily American life.
There are many activities that teachers can share with students, including worksheets, coloring sheets, workbooks and texts. However, you can also take a different approach to help students learn about Spanish culture. For example, playing a game like Telephone in Spanish or telling stories in Spanish can be good ways to incorporate language and vocabulary. There are many places that encompass Spanish culture, so share different folklore and fables that are specific to each place. This is a great way to incorporate all Spanish cultures and language.
From making a pinata to cooking authentic Spanish food for the kids to try, hands-on learning is better than just passing out a worksheet and expecting the student to absorb the culture. A great way to teach Spanish culture is to introduce the actual culture from other kids the same age. Starting a pen-pal program will let the children ask other children who live in another part of the world questions and practice their ability to read and write Spanish.
Another idea for teaching Spanish culture to children is role playing with props. For example, replicate a farm setting in order to learn about animals and animal sounds, or visit a grocery store to learn about vegetables and fruits. Having the students create memory game cards is another fun idea. Give the students a theme, like Spanish culture places and their flags, and let them create the cards for a huge game of memory. Native music and dance is another way to show and teach culture.