Spanish Song Activities That Save Hours of Prep and Turn Students into Spanish Music Fans

Andrea Sotelo and her colleague used to build their own song worksheets. They picked the songs, typed the lyrics, and cut out the blanks by hand.

"It would take us hours to create these," Andrea says.

Andrea has taught at Winnebago High School for 13 years, where she teaches Spanish III, IV, and V. This year was her first with a Roxxem subscription. Here's what changed in her classroom, plus ideas you can use in yours.

The Hidden Cost of Homemade Song Worksheets

Fill-in-the-blank lyric sheets are a classic Spanish class activity. Students love music, and the format is simple.

The problem is the prep. Finding a song, checking it's classroom appropriate, and building the worksheet can eat up a whole planning period or more.

When Andrea found Roxxem, that work was already done. "It was there. It was done," she says. "And the kids loved it."

How Andrea Uses Roxxem Twice a Week

Andrea's classes use Roxxem at least twice a week. Sometimes it's the warm-up that starts class.

Other times, she picks a song that matches the theme her class is studying. Her students also make requests, since they now know many of the artists and songs by name.

Spanish Vocabulary Games Students Ask For

Whack-A-Word is Andrea's go-to live game, because the whole class can play together. On their own, students gravitate to Vocab Harvest and Sentence Snake.

Vocab Harvest made a big impression. Students told Andrea they wanted it in class or as homework, because after a couple of rounds they really knew the words.

Quiz Ninja became a favorite too. Once her students finished their Vocab Harvest rounds, the vocabulary questions in Quiz Ninja felt like a breeze.

Skip the worksheet prep. [Try Roxxem free] and turn your next song into a vocabulary game in minutes.

What a Spanish Music Competition Did for Her Classes

This spring, Andrea's classes joined Locura de Marzo, a Spanish music competition where classes earn points by playing Roxxem activities. Her students studied the leaderboard and hunted for the best power-ups.

The strongest classes shared strategies with each other, and the teamwork stood out to Andrea. "The collaboration and the teamwork," she says. "So many skills were involved in this."

When other classes asked how those groups did so well, her answer was simple. They put in the work, and they worked together. Afterward, she gave a quick assessment on the competition songs to see what stuck.

When Students Start Building Spanish Playlists

For Andrea, the best moments happen outside class. Students come back and tell her they added a Roxxem song to their own playlist.

"They're from kids who you would never think would have a Spanish playlist, but they have one," she says.

They remember lyrics, recognize artists, and ask for more. That's the kind of curiosity that keeps students learning a language long after the bell.

Go Beyond Songs with Authentic Videos

Music is one piece of authentic content. Andrea also runs a Friday video routine using short YouTube clips from Spanish-speaking countries.

Her favorites are a little zany: sandboarding down a volcano in Nicaragua, the thousands of potato varieties in Peru, and people in zebra costumes directing traffic in Bolivia. Each clip runs two minutes or less, and the surprise factor grabs students' attention.

Try Andrea's Friday video format:

Show a short authentic video, with or without sound.

Have students draw a picture of what they saw.

Ask for two sentences in Spanish about what they saw or heard.

Add questions like "What cognates did you hear?" or "What are the people like?"

Roxxem supports this kind of content too. It includes videos like street interviews with native speakers, and teachers can use the editor to add YouTube videos from their own lessons.

Easy Wins for Sub Days and Independent Practice

With a Pro subscription, Andrea can assign activities for students to complete on their own. Sandbox assignments let students choose their own songs, which she loves.

Roxxem also makes sub plans easier. "If I have a sub coming in one day, I can give a Roxxem assignment and let them choose the songs," she says.

Next year, she plans to assign about 15 minutes of Roxxem each week. It's a simple routine that builds steady practice.

Advice for Teachers on the Fence

Andrea's advice is to give it a try. "If you just use the free version, it's great," she says. "But the Pro version has been amazing."

She can build assignments, choose activities, and let students practice independently. In her words, "I wouldn't give up my subscription for anything."

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good Spanish song activities for high school?
Lyric listening, vocabulary games, and song-based quizzes all work well. Roxxem turns songs into games like Whack-A-Word, Vocab Harvest, Sentence Snake, and Quiz Ninja.

How can I save time on Spanish song worksheets?
Use a platform where the activities are already built. Roxxem pairs songs with ready-made activities, so there's nothing to type or print.

What should I leave for a Spanish sub?
A Roxxem assignment works well because students can play independently. You can pick the songs or let students choose their own.

Can I use authentic videos in Roxxem?
Yes. Roxxem includes videos like street interviews with native speakers, and the editor lets teachers add YouTube videos.

Is Roxxem free?
Yes, you can start with the free version. Pro adds assignments and more control over activities.

Bring Music and Culture into Your Spanish Class

Roxxem serves over 2 million students across more than 4,000 US districts. Give your students the songs and videos they'll want to come back to.

[Try Roxxem free].