For Spanish class
Every card is a word of the holiday, so a round of lotería is vocabulary practice that kids ask to repeat. Use the 3×3 boards with the little ones, print one per student (two per page saves half the paper) and stop on a card now and then to talk about the ofrenda. A few of the words in the deck:
- La Ofrenda — the altar for the departed
- El Cempasúchil — the marigold
- La Calaverita de Azúcar — the sugar skull
- El Pan de Muerto — the bread of the dead
- El Papel Picado — the cut-paper banner
- La Veladora — the candle
- El Copal — the incense resin
- El Camino de Pétalos — the path of petals
- La Mariposa Monarca — the monarch butterfly
- El Xoloitzcuintle — the Mexican hairless dog
- El Panteón — the cemetery
- La Calaverita Literaria — the satirical death poem
How to play it on Día de los Muertos
- Mark with what’s on the ofrenda: pumpkin seeds, corn kernels or marigold petals instead of beans.
- Prizes from the holiday: sugar skulls, pan de muerto or Mexican hot chocolate for whoever shouts ¡Lotería!
- Agree on the pattern first: four in a row for quick rounds, the full board to close the night.
- Talk about each card. When El Copal, El Camino de Pétalos or El Vaso de Agua comes up, tell what it does on the ofrenda: that’s half the game.
No printer?
Play the traditional deck on your phones: the online lotería caller calls the 54 classic cards aloud in Spanish —pick the La Catrina voice for the season— and everyone opens a board on their own phone.
FAQ
Is this Day of the Dead lotería really free?
Yes. The PDF is built in your browser and downloads with no sign-up and no watermark. Print as many copies as you need for your home or classroom.
What cards are in the Day of the Dead lotería?
54 cards of the holiday: La Catrina, El Catrín, La Calaverita de Azúcar, El Pan de Muerto, El Cempasúchil, El Papel Picado, La Ofrenda, El Xoloitzcuintle, La Mariposa Monarca and 45 more. Each board has 16 of them, or 9 on the 3×3 boards.
Does it work for preschool and elementary Spanish?
Yes. Choose the 3×3 boards: nine bigger cards and quick rounds. The art is festive, not scary, and with young kids it helps to show each card while you say its name.
How many boards should I print?
One per player. For a class, one per student; with two boards per page you use half the paper.
How do you play lotería?
Like bingo with pictures: the caller draws the cards one by one and says their names, and players mark them on their board. The first to complete the agreed pattern —a row, the four corners or the full board— shouts ¡Lotería!
Play lotería online — free
¿En español? Lotería de Día de Muertos para imprimir.