Digital Day of the Dead Activities for Spanish Class

There are tons of options when it comes to activities to celebrate Día de los Muertos in your Spanish Class, but this year more than ever it’s nice to know what our options are to study this celebration digitally! Check out this list of resources and ideas for digital Day of the Dead Activities for Spanish class!

Websites to Explore Day of the Dead

• Interactive 360 image of an altar (worksheets are linked on the page too!)
• This page from Google Arts & Culture
• Or explore these collections also from Google Arts & Culture
• This collection of resources from the Smithsonian
• Explore ofrendas in 3D

Interactive Map

I LOVE using Google Maps with culture in my classroom. I really enjoy that students get to connect culture and geography while they learn and explore. Students navigate the map, read descriptions, look at pictures, and watch embedded videos. As they do so, they fill out the graphic organizer, or answer comprehension questions! Click here to check it out!

Digital Day of the Dead Activities

Leslie Roteck shared this activity she created for her students to create an altar inspired by the Bitmoji classroom craze! Click here to grab a copy of it to try out with your students!

She also mentioned that towards the end of the presentation she placed a bunch of transparent images you could use for decorating your virtual classroom! How awesome is that?

Kelsey BingBrown shared this activity for students to create a digital altar activity! She says it was inspired by the “create your own locker” digital activity some teachers shared during back to school time. It’s short and sweet and can be done in one class period for your online students. Check it out here! I also love that she included a spot to remind students to SHARE their finished project to submit it to you!

For both of these activities, make sure you make a copy and share YOUR copy with your students! Even though these wonderful teachers have the links set to share, your district may block access from outside of the district so it’s important that you share from your school account when working with your students.

Content + Culture

One of the things that I have struggled with in the past is needing to stay on pace with my required content, but wanting to spend time exploring the culture! This set of Boom Cards does both!

This set of Boom Cards is perfect for exploring culture while completing a review of common Spanish 1 topics. Students click on an element of the ofrenda, learn about the element’s connection to Día de los Muertos celebrations in a short reading, then complete a series of practice activities to earn that element of the ofrenda! As they earn the pieces, they become colored in, so it’s easy for students to track how far they’ve gone in the review challenge. Download the set here!

Digital Stations for Día de los Muertos

Looking for a more in-depth exploration of the holiday and its celebration? Check out these station activities! Students explore a variety of activities to learn about the history, traditions, and practices that comprise Día de los Muertos.

Stations Include:

• Halloween vs. Día de los Muertos Comparison Sorting Activity
• Chumba la Cachumba- Canción
• Las Calaveras y Las Calacas Reading and Glyph
• Design a Calavera Activity and Classroom Display
• Un Cortometraje
• Las Ofrendas – Matching Activity
• Historia de Día de los Muertos

Make It Personal with Digital Storytelling

One of the most powerful ways to explore Día de los Muertos is through personal stories. Even if your students don’t celebrate the holiday themselves, they can still connect with the theme of honoring loved ones. A great digital spin on this is a storytelling slide deck. Students can create a short presentation or narrated video about someone they admire or someone who has passed, using simple Spanish vocabulary.

You can offer sentence starters or a word bank to support all levels. Add an option to include photos, music, or even voiceovers to make it feel special. Not only does this connect students to the heart of the celebration, but it also gives them a chance to practice writing and speaking in a meaningful way.

It’s one of my favorite Digital Day of the Dead Activities for Spanish Class because it blends emotion, language, and culture all in one go.

Virtual Gallery Walks They’ll Actually Enjoy

If you’re teaching virtually or just want to spice things up, try a digital gallery walk. Post a collection of ofrendas, artwork, or calaveras from around the world using Google Slides or Jamboard. Then create a response sheet where students leave comments, reactions, or questions all in Spanish, of course.

Want to level it up? Ask students to vote on their favorite or write a reflection about what stood out most. This is a great way to build community, explore authentic visuals, and get them thinking critically.

Whether you’re teaching in person, hybrid, or completely online, these fresh ideas help you keep your Digital Day of the Dead Activities for Spanish Class engaging, thoughtful, and packed with purpose.

Alternate Ideas for Dead Activities

Do you need an alternative assignment for Día de los Muertos? Sometimes students need an another option instead of participating in the activities with the rest of the class.

• Research Poster Project – 40 templates with names of famous Hispanics filled in, perfect for lots of choices! Students learn about and recognize contributions made by Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States and world. Click here for the digital version!
• A digital country report project – Have students create an interactive map to explore a country, or complete a research project using Google Slides!
• Have them choose a different holiday or celebration to study!