Updated May 2026
From engaging classroom activities for the Spanish classroom to thought-provoking discussion topics, there is everything you need to make this month a cultural success. So take a deep breath, grab a cup of coffee, tea, or beverage of choice, and get ready to dive in! Let’s make this May one to remember.
May is an exciting and busy month for Spanish educators. But with so many cultural celebrations and holidays taking place, it’s the perfect time to explore new themes, share engaging stories, and promote important discussions with our students–especially in the target language.
Whether you’re a seasoned educator or just starting out, it can be challenging to find the right resources to help you make the most of this exciting time. That’s why I’ve put together a list of resources that will help you celebrate the various themes and holidays that pop up in May! Buckle up and enjoy–and don’t forget, the year is almost over! You’ve got this!
🇲🇽 Resources for Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is one of those classroom topics that gives us a real opportunity to go beyond the surface. Instead of letting students walk away thinking it’s “Mexican Independence Day” or just another reason for chips and salsa, we can help them understand the actual history behind the Battle of Puebla and why the day is recognized differently in Mexico and the U.S.
This is also a great chance to build critical thinking. Have students start with a quick Myth or Fact warm-up, compare Cinco de Mayo with Mexican Independence Day, or reflect on how cultural celebrations can become commercialized. Even one honest lesson can help students challenge stereotypes and share more accurate information with others.
Helpful Blog Posts and/or Videos:
- 📝 Link to blog post about Misconceptions about Cinco de Mayo
- 📝 Link to blog post: Teach Cinco de Mayo Without Perpetuating Stereotypes: Meaningful Ideas for Spanish Class
- 🎶 YouTube Musical playlist for class!
Awesome Resources for the Classroom!:
- 🙌🏽 Cinco de Mayo Cultural Webquest Digital Notebook
- 🙌🏽 Mexico Cultural Bundle!
- 🙌🏽 Cinco de Mayo Task Cards | Myth Busters Activity | Spanish Culture Review
🇨🇺 Resources for El Día del Son Cubano (Cuban Son Day): May 8th
Son cubano is such a powerful topic for Spanish class because it helps students see how music carries history, identity, and culture. Son blends African and Spanish musical influences and became the base for many later genres, including salsa.
Students may even connect this to music they already know. For example, Bad Bunny released a chart-topping salsa song in 2025, which opens the door to a fun conversation about how older musical traditions still influence today’s artists.
A simple activity? Play a short clip of traditional son cubano, then compare it with a salsa song (see links below). Ask students: What sounds similar? What feels different? What instruments or rhythms do you notice? It’s an easy way to make music, history, and culture come alive.
Helpful Blog Posts and/or Videos:
- 🎥 Origins of Son Cubano YouTube Video
- 📖 “Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo” by Ned Sublette
- 🎶 A few great examples of Son Cubano (YouTube):
- Some popular salsa songs influenced by Son Cubano (YouTube):
- Awesome Resources for the Classroom!:
- 🙌🏽 Download some free resources from modern-day artists who were influenced by Son Cubano:
👩👧Resources for Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day can be meaningful, but it’s also a holiday that deserves an inclusive approach. Not every student has the same family structure or the same relationship with their mother, and some students may have complicated feelings around the day.
Instead of asking students to write a card to “mom,” give them options. They can write to a mother, grandmother, aunt, caregiver, mentor, teacher, or simply someone they appreciate. That small shift creates room for every student to participate without pressure.
This is a beautiful way to show students that language is for real connection. They can practice phrases like Gracias por…, Te aprecio porque…, or Eres importante para mí porque… while writing something kind and meaningful.
Helpful Blog Posts and/or Videos:
Awesome Resources for the Classroom!:
🌏 Resources for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
AAPI Heritage Month is a wonderful reminder that Spanish-speaking culture is not one-size-fits-all. Spanish class can also be a place to explore Asian Latino stories, migration, identity, and the many communities that have shaped the Spanish-speaking world.
This helps students see culture in a more global and layered way. A quick classroom idea is to have students read a short biography or explore a community connected to AAPI heritage and the Spanish-speaking world. Then students can answer: What does this teach us about identity, culture, or belonging?
Even a short lesson can help students expand what they think Spanish-speaking culture “looks like.”
Helpful Blog Posts and/or Videos:
Awesome Resources for the Classroom!:
👩🏽🏫 Resources for Test Prep/Quick Tips
Testing, assemblies, field trips, half-days… May really does the most. 😩
That’s why flexible review activities are everything. Quick games, task cards, sentence-building challenges, verb relays, and partner review can help students practice without making the room feel heavy.
The goal is simple: keep students reviewing, moving, thinking, and using Spanish without creating a ton of extra prep for you. Because yes, they still need practice… but you also need something that works when the schedule is doing too much.
Helpful Blog Posts and/or Videos:
- 📝 A New Take on Verb Practice: La Batalla, a no-prep review game
- 📝 Fun Spanish Classroom Games to Boost Engagement!
Awesome Resources for the Classroom!:
My Top Test Prep/End of Year Resources
Need some games for review + fun moments?
For verbs, vocabulary, sentence structure, warm-ups, wind-downs, and those “I need something ready” days.
Act it out ➡️ learn more verbs!
This low prep activity will help your class memorize crucial verbs, just in time for any end of year exams!
Nouns, adjectives, and verbs: AGREEMENT!
Review concordancia/agreement and creating sentences on the spot with this fun take on “Guess Who?”
A competition in verb conjugations
This creative take on “Battleship” will have your kids asking for more game sheets–a great opportunity to practice verb conjugations.
🧘🏽♀️ Resources for Mental Health
May can feel exciting and exhausting at the same time. Students are tired. Teachers are tired. Everyone is counting down, but there’s still learning to do.
Mental health topics can fit beautifully into Spanish class because students learn language they can actually use: feelings, needs, stress, rest, breathing, and self-care.
Try a quick check-in with phrases like Estoy cansado/a, Me siento tranquilo/a, or Necesito descansar. You can also do a short breathing activity, an emoji mood check, or a simple reflection about what helps students feel calm and supported.
Sometimes, even five minutes of intentional calm can help reset the whole room. I’ve used THIS VIDEO in class with a mini-activity on body parts (last video below).
Helpful Blog Posts and/or Videos:
- 📝 Self Care: Knowing When You Need A Day (personal/for teachers)
- 🎥 YouTube videos for deep breathing, yoga, and mindfulness (mostly in Spanish/for teachers). I find that I relax better when I do yoga & meditation in Spanish:
- 🎥 Video below for yoga activity you can do in class with your students; you can select captions and make this a brain break:
Awesome Resources for the Classroom!:
- 🙌🏽 Descansos Cerebrales | Brain Breaks in Spanish Class
- 🙌🏽 Multiple Intelligences: Spanish Choice Board | Distance Learning
A Little Culture, A Little Calm, and a Lot of Grace
May may be chaotic, but it is also full of beautiful opportunities to bring culture, connection, and meaningful conversations into the Spanish classroom. Whether you’re exploring the real history behind Cinco de Mayo, listening to the roots of son cubano, celebrating appreciation in an inclusive way, highlighting AAPI voices, reviewing for end-of-year assessments, or simply giving students language to talk about how they feel: every small moment counts.
And listen…you do NOT have to do it all. Pick one topic, one activity, one song, one quick discussion, or one ready-to-go resource that makes your teacher life a little easier.
Because even in the May madness, you can still create lessons that help students see the world with more curiosity, care, and cultural understanding.
Un abrazo,
