Let’s be honest—when you’re home-educating, everything has the potential to feel like either a beautifully child-led adventure or a slightly chaotic attempt to tick boxes while someone refuses to put trousers on. Spanish? That one often floats somewhere in between “We’ll do it later” and “Wait… does Duolingo count?”
When we moved back to the UK after living in Argentina, I home educated my two kids bilingually for six years. They were born in Argentina, and Spanish was their first language—so I wasn’t about to let all that beautiful language just fade into the background. I had to get creative. I had to be consistent. And I had to make Spanish feel just as real and important as English, maths or science. Here’s what worked for us—and what might work for you, too.
1. Give Spanish a Time and Place (Consistency = Confidence)
We gave Spanish its own time in the day, just like any other subject. Some days it was a full lesson, other days it was 15 minutes of silly songs or writing a shopping list in Spanish. But it always existed. It wasn’t just an “extra” or “if we have time.”
Giving Spanish its own regular slot gave it weight. It told the kids: this matters. And even better? It gave them confidence to switch between languages like total pros.
2. Tie It to Things They Already Love
My youngest daughter was (and still is) obsessed with hockey. So, guess what? We learned the names of hockey positions in Spanish, shouted ¡gol! during kickabouts, even watched Argentina play on the TV and in real life at the FIH Pro League semi finals Olympic Park in London.
My oldest daughter loved cooking, so she helped me write recipes in Spanish and label everything in the kitchen. If they were into it, we made it Spanish. Easy win.
3. Keep It Real (and Fun!)
We watched cartoons in Spanish; Pocoyó was always a bit hit, read bilingual books (I even wrote two and got them involved in the projest). We played games like Lotería and Spanish charades. I even encouraged them to speak Spanish to each other during certain parts of the day. (OK, I bribed them with snacks sometimes. No shame.)
Spanish doesn’t have to be textbook-perfect to be powerful. With a little structure, a bit of creativity, and a good dose of fun, you can make it feel like a real subject—and an even real-er part of your child’s world.
¡Ánimo! You’re doing brilliantly. ❤️🇪🇸
Want some of the actual activities we used? Let me know—I’d love to share!
Related blog posts: Top 10 children’s TV programs in Spanish – Adventures in Spanish, What to Do When Mainstream Education Isn’t Working for Your Child – Adventures in Spanish
