A Sandwich, Neighbourhood Friends, and Hours to Play: Talking About Childhood in Spanish

School finished. The afternoon began.

At half past four, we left school.

We went home, had a sandwich and a fizzy drink, and went back outside. Other children were there, and we played until nine.

That is the childhood remembered in the text at the heart of our new IGCSE Spanish and IB Spanish Ab Initio programme.

The routine is simple. What gives it meaning is the narrator’s reflection:

“Teníamos poco dinero, pero éramos ricos en experiencias.”We had little money, but a wealth of experiences.

It is a personal perspective—and a starting point for a Spanish lesson.

Describing what we used to do

Childhood memories give students a reason to use the imperfect tense.

The narrator is not describing one exceptional afternoon. These were repeated actions:

• Salíamos de la escuela. — We used to leave school.

• Íbamos a casa. — We used to go home.

• Merendábamos un bocadillo. — We used to have a sandwich as an afternoon snack.

• Jugábamos con otros niños. — We used to play with other children.

Together, these verbs create a picture of everyday life.

Students can follow the same pattern to describe the narrator’s routine, invent a character’s childhood, or share a memory if they wish:

“Cuando era pequeña, jugaba con mis vecinos después de la escuela.”

The aim is not simply to name a tense. It is to use that tense to communicate a routine and explain what it meant.

Remembering the past is not the same as proving a comparison

The text becomes more challenging when the narrator turns to children today.

They do not go outside, the narrator says. They do not have neighbourhood friends. They have everything, but lack play and enjoyment.

These statements express the narrator’s view. The memory itself does not establish that they apply to all children today.

That distinction gives us a discussion:

¿Los niños de antes se divertían más o se divertían de otra manera? Did children in the past have more fun, or did they have fun differently?

Students do not have to accept or reject the whole text. They can agree with one idea while questioning another.

For example:

“Estoy de acuerdo en que jugar es importante, pero no creo que todos los niños de hoy se diviertan menos.”

That is a more thoughtful response than simply saying that the past was better.

More things—or more experiences?

The contrast between possessions and experiences is another theme to explore.

What does the narrator value most: the sandwich, the freedom to go outside, or the friends waiting there?

And what would students include in a happy childhood?

They might choose friendship, family time, games, creativity, or opportunities to explore. Their task is to explain their choices—not to produce one “correct” version of childhood.

A starting point is:

“Para mí, una infancia feliz necesita… porque…”

Students can then add an example or consider a different perspective.

From reading to discussion

The programme develops these ideas through seven activities:

Warm-up → Story → Flashcards → Why Is It False? → Grammar → Ask Me → Debate

Students first understand the routine, then explore the vocabulary and grammar, and finally evaluate the narrator’s comparison.

The closing challenge brings everything together:

“Antes los niños…, mientras que hoy… Sin embargo, creo que lo más importante es…”

A sandwich and an afternoon outside become more than a nostalgic story. They become a way to describe, compare, question, and communicate in Spanish.

Explore Childhood Then and Now with Teacher Miguel at Spanish Super Tutor.