Finding Stuff in Spanish at Goodwill {4 Tips}


The chances are, if it is Thursday and the kids and I don't have plans, you will find us at Goodwill. I am not sure about the rest of the country, but here in Minnesota Goodwill has all kids' clothing and toys 50% off on Thursdays. I have found some great stuff there at really low prices. However, the purchases I get the most excited about are when I find things in Spanish! I have found flash cards, board games, books, and more. I'm the first to admit it is definitely luck of the draw, but I do have a few tips I use to increase my chances.

1. Visit Goodwill stores located in cities with Spanish immersion programs. I feel like this helps there to be more things in Spanish, either through the donations received or due to the demand of the families in the area. Whatever the case, I have had good luck at these stores compared to others.

2. Dig around a bit. A lot of the time the things I've found in Spanish weren't in the direct line of sight. For example, I had to look through the baskets of flash cards or search through the books a bit. If I would have simply scanned the shelves I would have missed the majority of the things I've bought.

3. Look for bilingual toys. I have been fortunate to find a couple of awesome bilingual toys at Goodwill. Many times brands like Fisher-Price or Leap Frog will have a Spanish function on some of their toys, so check for that. This is a simple way to include a little more Spanish language input as children play.

4. Think outside the box. I keep an eye out for things I can easily use in any language, like quality picture cards, alphabet blocks, memory games, etc. For example, if I find some really great flash cards in English I know I can cut the words off and just use the pictures, or even cut them in half to create a matching activity.

¡Te toca! Do you shop at Goodwill, and if so, have you ever found things in Spanish?

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