8 Creative Ways to Use a Magic Box

8 Creative Ways to Use a Magic Box

by | Feb 22, 2025 | teaching strategies, teaching tips

Using a magic box works with any grade level. It’s a wonderful way to deliver comprehensible input while keeping students curious and engaged. This tool helps reinforce vocabulary and encourages speaking in a fun way. I like using a song to build anticipation before introducing the magic box. You can find the song in this post.

Here are eight creative ways to incorporate it into your lessons:

1. Introduce Vocabulary

Fill your magic box with objects related to your lesson theme, like animals, food, or seasonal items. Pull out each object and describe it in the target language:

  • “¡Mira! Hay una manzana roja.”
  • “Es un oso pequeño. ¿Te gusta?”
    Encourage students to repeat phrases or respond with simple sentences.

2. Play a Guessing Game

Place an item in the magic box and give students clues in the target language:

  • “Es un animal. Es grande.  Es de color blanco y negro. Dice “Muuu”. ¿Qué animal es?
    Take a few guesses before revealing the answer!

3. Storytelling with Props

Turn the magic box into a storytelling tool. Start with: “Había una caja mágica…”
Reveal items one by one to build a story. For example, a wand, a frog, or a hat can inspire creative narratives. If students have enough vocabulary, they can add their own ideas in the target language to expand the story.

4. Create a Daily Mystery Box Routine

Make the magic box part of your daily or weekly lessons. Reveal one item each day and connect it to your theme:

  • “Hoy en la caja mágica hay una estrella. ¿Qué más tiene estrellas?”

5. Categorization Activities

Sort objects from the magic box into categories like colors, sizes, or emotions:

  • “¿Es grande o pequeño? ¡Es pequeño!”
  • “¿Es feliz o triste? ¡Es feliz!”

6. Interactive Commands

Add movement by incorporating actions:

  • “En la caja mágica hay un sombrero. ¡Ponte el sombrero!”
  • “Hay una pelota. ¡Tira la pelota!”

7. Hidden Questions

Include question cards or mini tasks in the box. For example:

  • “¿Cómo te llamas?”
  • “Salta tres veces.”
    Students take turns pulling cards and responding.

8. Themed Explorations

Match box contents to specific themes:

  • Seasons: Leaves, mittens, or snowflakes for winter.
  • Animals: Plush toys or pictures.
  • Holidays: Small symbols of cultural celebrations.

The magic box is a simple yet effective tool for bringing excitement, curiosity, and meaningful input to your lessons. Whether you’re introducing new vocabulary, building stories, or creating themed lessons, this activity keeps students engaged and participating in the target language. Try it in your classroom and watch the magic happen!

 

La caja mágica

by | Sep 9, 2011 | teaching tips

Magic boxes are always fun to have, and they are an amazing teaching tool and classroom ritual (college professors of education might even classify them as excellent to use as an “anticipatory set.”) My students, from the youngest to the oldest grades, enjoy guessing and imagining what could be inside the box. Magic boxes are great for describing objects and brainstorming with the children using a wide range of vocabulary.
 
This year I decided to create a new magic box which I will customize little by little using some objects that I have collected in different countries, lending a bit of cultural spice. I used fabric with sparkles to let the magic flow, and added the questions marks in Spanish to make it more appropriate for class.  

What do I include in the box?
I include flash cards related to what we are learning in class, stuffed animals and other kind of props I can find in it. Sometimes I just include one thing and give them clues for them to guess what could be inside the box.



I always sing this song when I use the magic box:



¡En la caja mágica encontrarás
Una sorpresa que te encantará! (3 times)
Click here to sample/buy song on Amazon

We also chant:
¿Qué hay, qué hay en la caja mágica?
¿Qué hay, qué hay en la caja mágica?

After singing the song,  I will also give them clues. I usually put something related to what we have been doing in class in the box. For example,

1. Hay un animal.
2. Hay un animal verde.
3. Hay un animal verde que tiene ojos grandes.
4. Hay un animal verde que tiene ojos grandes y salta.

Then I count to three and start taking guesses. Once I reveal the the secret, I ask questions about it again and use a lot of gestures. These are some of the questions I would ask:

1. ¿Es un animal o una persona? ¿Qué es? ¿Qué animal es?
2. ¿De qué color es? ¿Es verde o amarillo?
3. ¿Tiene ojos grandes o pequeños?
4. ¿Nada o salta?
5. ¿Te gustan las ranas?

I really love this teaching strategy because it gets the children engaged.  I now have two cajas mágicas.

Please see the pictures below. In the first picture, you see a shoe box that I open to reveal “el secreto.”
The box in the second picture is “la caja mágica sensorial.” I place objects in them, and children can take a guess by telling me “es grande,” “es pequeño,” “es suave,” “es duro,” and so on. If the children say the words in English, for example by saying “it’s soft,” I would say “sí, es suave,” “¿clase, es suave?” Get ready for some noise and for everyone to expect (or demand!) a turn.

 

 

 

 

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