Pictures and Motion
As I teach each verb, students see pictures that correspond with every verb. With each picture, students then learn a corresponding motion. This is easy to accomplish with verbs because verbs are what you do. For instance, when teaching the word 'correr,' we run in place.
Simon Dice (Simon Says)
After introducing each verb (1-2 each day,) students then play Simon Dice. This game can be difficult at first for younger students, so it is especially important to model the game several times before playing. Instead of making students sit out if they make a mistake, I say "te engañé." I then instruct those who did not get tricked get to do a cheer. That way students get to keep playing and playing even if they made a mistake. Students think they are playing a game, when in reality they are practicing saying these verbs dozens of times without getting bored.
Games
I try to come up with a game to reinforce the word or words of the day. To teach the two verbs 'bailar' and 'dormir' I played a game of freeze dance with a twist. Students dance and say the word 'bailar' when the music plays and then drop to the ground pretending to sleep when the music stops while saying the word 'dormir.' I like the song Yo Quiero Bailar by Sonia y Selena for this game because the chorus is a great phrase for the verbs being taught.
Written Work
After teaching any verb I have a worksheet for students to take home so they could take it home and practice. They had an opportunity to write and draw the verb. In this example, I taught the verb jugar. Students were able to see the picture they learned with the verb, the word written down, and then an opportunity for them to show me what they liked to 'jugar' all on the same worksheet. Here, Helena (4 years old) shows that she likes to 'jugar' with the ball.
Video
In this video of 'Los Payasos de la Tele,' students get to hear the target verb (jugar) but they also get to hear other verbs that are conjugated in the imperfect tense. That way they are exposed to verbs in whole language. While watching the video students were instructed to yell out the word 'jugar' every time they heard it in the video. This video could also be a great way to review the days of the week, or to have a discussion about children's television in Spanish speaking countries.
In essence, students have access to the vocabulary kinesthetically, visually, through listening and speaking, writing and through audio visuals. A lot of different ways of learning for a 30 minute period, but if you hit as many different ways of learning as possible, you giving your students the best chance of learning the vocabulary.