Boost Imagination and Language Skills with These 5–7 Age Activities

Exploring Language Through Creativity

Between the ages of 5 and 7, children:

Better understand the rules of games.
Have active imaginations and love stories.
Have developed basic structures in their native language.
Are curious about the “why” behind things.
Are beginning to read, write, and express more complex ideas

This means we can take language exposure up a notch—while keeping fun as the main ingredient. At this stage, symbolic play, storytelling, challenges, and mini conversational routines become our star tools.

1. Stories, Tales, and Dramatization

Children at this age are fascinated by stories. You can use this interest to support listening comprehension, vocabulary building, and speaking skills.

What kinds of stories work best?

Short tales with fun or repetitive characters
Books with questions, activities, or alternative endings
Stories that explore emotions, values, and everyday themes

How to use them:

Read aloud in the second language
Ask questions like: “¿Qué pasa luego?” or “¿Dónde está el gato?”
Act out the story with puppets, drawings, or costumes
Use audiobooks or story apps

Tip: Read the same stories several times during the week. Then let your child “retell” it in their own words or draw a scene and describe it.

2. Board Games and Rule-Based Play

At this age, kids enjoy following simple rules and engaging in friendly competition. Use that to introduce games where language plays a key role.

Bilingual Game Ideas:

Memory (matching pairs): cards with images and words in the target language
Lotería or Bingo: themes like animals, colors, numbers, food
Simon Says (advanced version): combos like “Simon says jump and touch your nose”
Twenty Questions: to guess a character or animal
Hangman: using words in the target language
Twister: using colors and directions in a second language

Tip: Don’t worry if your child mixes languages. The goal is for them to use new words in fun, real-life contexts.

3. Creative Language Activities

Drawing with Words

Ask them to draw a scene (a beach, park, or castle), then label objects in the language: sun, tree, boy, ball…
Create a homemade illustrated dictionary together

Stress-Free Writing

Make a list of new words and decorate them
Write labels to place around the house
Play “mailbox”: leave notes or drawings with simple phrases

Inventing Characters or Stories

“What would a monster that only speaks Spanish be called?”
Make sock puppets and have them communicate only in the second language

4. Learning Through Their Interests

Children at this age have clear passions—dinosaurs, superheroes, unicorns, science, animals, soccer… Use those as vehicles for language learning.

Practical example:
Your daughter loves horses → find videos, books, and vocabulary in the second language: horse, saddle, ride, mane…
Your son loves dinosaurs → “Let’s pretend we are dinosaurs!” — create a role-play game and look up the dinosaur names in Spanish.

When language connects with something they already love, learning happens without resistance.

5. Mini Projects and Special Missions

At this age, kids can take on small challenges and feel proud of their accomplishments. Try creating language “missions” such as:

Learn 10 words on a topic and make a poster
Memorize a song and perform it for the family
Give a short oral presentation on their favorite animal
Create a book with drawings and sentences in the second language
Record a short video saying hello or telling a simple story

Tip: Let your child choose the topic. They’ll feel ownership over the project—not like it’s homework.

In Summary:

✔️ Children aged 5 to 7 learn best through stories, structured games, and creative activities
✔️ Dramatized storytelling boosts vocabulary and listening skills
✔️ Adapted board games are powerful language tools
✔️ Tapping into their interests keeps motivation high
✔️ “Missions” or mini projects build pride and real-world use of the language
✔️ Thoughtful use of tech can enrich the experience in a fun, effective way.

Every word, every drawing, every shared laugh in another language… is building a bridge between your child and the world.
And you are the architect of that bridge.