Carnaval Activities for Spanish Class

If you’re on the lookout for some great Carnaval Activities for Spanish class – you’ve come to the right place! This blog post is going to share some great videos about Carnaval, plus a web quest for your middle school or high school students!

During Carnaval, many countries around the world celebrate in excess and joy before the season of Lent begins. Carnaval is quite possibly the biggest fiesta in the world, and finding ways to incorporate it into classroom activities is a great way to help kids learn all about how cultures around the world celebrate Carnaval!

From masks and music to virtual travel and cultural comparisons, Carnaval offers a gold mine of teachable moments. Whether you’re teaching elementary or high school, CI or textbook-based lessons, this post has something for everyone. Let’s turn your classroom into a cultural celebration your students will actually remember.

A Quick Look at Carnaval Activities for Spanish Class

Carnaval is celebrated across the Spanish-speaking world, from Cádiz and the Canary Islands in Spain to Barranquilla in Colombia and Veracruz in Mexico. It marks the last big celebration before Lent and is known for its parades, music, dancing, and elaborate costumes. Carnaval is loud, joyful, and full of life and that energy makes it the perfect cultural touchstone for Spanish learners.

By incorporating Carnaval into your curriculum, you’re not just teaching vocabulary or grammar, you’re giving students a window into the world. You’re showing them how language lives in culture and how celebration connects communities.

Elementary Carnaval Activities for Spanish Class

Carolina over at Fun for Spanish learning has shared a great resource if you want to study El Carnaval de Baranquilla! Click here to see her post and try out a fun mask activity that is perfect for elementary students!

Novice Carnaval Activities for Spanish Class

If you’re looking for fun Carnaval activities for your novice students, check out this interactive Google Map! Google maps are one of my favorite ways to explore culture. Students explore the map, read short facts, see images, and watch videos about holiday traditions around the spanish-speaking world regarding Carnaval. 

Students complete a graphic organizer or comprehension questions as they explore the map. It’s a great, simple way for them to learn about Carnaval!

What Teachers are saying about Carnaval Activities for Spanish Class

• This is a really great activity! I love the use of Google Maps!
• I love these digital resources. Great when you’re not feeling well or for a sub.
• Fun activity that the students really enjoy!
• A great introduction to Carnaval around the world. Fun interactive map and culture hunt.
• Very engaging! My students loved this activity!

Upper Level Activities for Carnaval

If you’re looking for more options of Carnaval activities for Spanish class, check out my Pinterest board here! I saved several different YouTube videos that might be good options for you. Click here to check them out! Upper level students could use them for listening activities and watch to learn about the different traditions.

Christy Clark shared some resources she plans on using with her 3 & 4s in the iFLT/NTPRS/CI Facebook group! I don’t currently teach upper levels, but you can bet I saved them to my Pinterest board for the future!

These are great for:

• Listening comprehension practice
• Class discussions or debates
• Personal writing and cultural comparisons

Christy Clark even shared some amazing upper-level CI-friendly Carnaval activities in the iFLT/NTPRS/CI Facebook group. If you teach Spanish 3 or 4, they’re worth checking out and yes, I saved them for later too.

What do you do to celebrate Carnaval in your classroom?

Do you cook? Watch clips? Decorate masks? Comment below to share your ideas!

Keep the Party Going in Your Classroom

So how do you celebrate Carnaval in your class? Do you decorate masks, host a mini parade, cook a traditional dish, or let your students create their own celebration? There are so many ways to bring this celebration to life and every little bit helps your students build cultural understanding along with their language skills.

If you have a go-to Carnaval activity or a fresh idea you’re planning to try, I’d love to hear it. Drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram. Let’s inspire each other to make Spanish class not just educational, but unforgettable.