A two-language card routine for an ordinary meal.

The short routine

Use one or two cards that match what is actually happening. This example uses the app’s English and Spanish text and recordings; both languages are on the same free card. If your family uses another pair, the app’s language pages show its available card languages. A parent or caregiver stays in the conversation; the recording is there so the adult can check a word and say it aloud.

1. Before the meal: choose milk or banana if it is being served. Listen once in the language you want to check. Put the device down or use a printed card.
2. At the table: hold the picture next to the real thing. Say your everyday word, such as “leche” or “milk.” If another adult uses the other language, they can name the same thing in their own turn. There is no need to demand both words from the child.
3. When your child asks for more: respond to the point, gesture, sign, or word. Model “Más, por favor” or “More, please” naturally as you serve more. The phrase card below gives you the exact wording and both recordings.
4. Later: use the same picture at another ordinary meal. Notice whether the child points to it, names it, or asks for more in either language; none is a test to pass.

Four real cards to try

These are the exact English and Spanish labels in Their First Words. Each picture and both recordings are from a published free card. “Spoon” works when you set the table; skip it when it is not relevant.

Make it work in your home

If Spanish is the language you are trying to keep present at home, give it a real job in the routine: setting out the spoon, serving the banana, calling a relative after dinner. If English is the less-used language in your home, reverse the example. The point is a useful exchange with a person, not an equal number of turns in each language.

The Spanish card page shows more exact word and phrase examples, and the Spanish printable set gives you paper cards. The same free cards and both voices are in Their First Words when you want to listen and play together. For the broader questions about mixing languages and milestones, read raising a bilingual toddler and the bilingual language-delay guide; this activity is a practical companion to those sourced guides, not a developmental assessment.