13 Mexican Nursery Rhymes to Teach Your Kids
A great teacher is also an excellent entertainer—which is why Mexican nursery rhymes come to our rescue!
Using Mexican nursery rhymes to teach Spanish vocabulary or verb conjugations is a smart way to introduce new topics while having a lot of fun and keeping your kids engaged.
These thirteen popular Mexican nursery rhymes will enrich your Spanish lessons, help you introduce new topics, and bring on the fun with your kids while learning Spanish.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Using Mexican Nursery Rhymes To Teach Spanish To Your Kids
- 13 Popular Mexican Nursery Rhymes
- Try a Free Spanish Class With Your Bright Language Learner
Using Mexican Nursery Rhymes To Teach Spanish To Your Kids
By now, it’s well-established that young kids are like sponges that learn pretty much everything you throw at them, languages included. As a 2012 study found that “bilingualism has positive effects at both ends of the age spectrum: Bilingual children as young as seven months can better adjust to environmental changes.”
However, young kids don’t learn like adults or even like older kids. They need to be playing and having fun while getting exposed to the goal language, which is Spanish in this case. That’s where baby nursery rhymes and charming children’s songs play an important role in your kids’ Spanish learning process.
And Mexicans happen to be very good at creating Spanish songs with lively music and fun lyrics.
13 Popular Mexican Nursery Rhymes (with Lyrics and English Translation)
I’ve put together this list with 13 of the most popular Mexican nursery rhymes, including, videos, and lyrics both in Spanish and in English, in effect making them bilingual songs for your kids to have fun and learn Spanish at the same time.
1. Naranja Dulce
Naranja Dulce has been part of Mexican childhoods for at least 50 years, as both my older brother and myself grew up hearing and singing it. It’s a sweet, fun song that asks for a hug and then a happy goodbye. An innocent song, used mostly to have fun singing and dancing with your kids.
Spanish Lyrics
Naranja dulce
limón partido
dame un abrazo
que yo te pido.
Si fuera falso
mis juramentos,
en otros tiempos
se olvidarán.
Toca la marcha ,
mi pecho llora,
adiós señora ,
yo ya me voy.
a mi casita
de sololoy
a comer tacos
y no le doy.
English Lyrics
Sweet orange
cut lemon
give me a hug
I ask you.
If it were false
my oaths
in other times
they’ll be forgotten.
Play the march
my chest cries
goodbye lady
I leave now
to my little house
of celluloid
to eat tacos
and I’m not giving you.
Useful Spanish Element
This short song includes three different food words, so you can use it as an introduction to teach food vocabulary to your kids. Also, sololoy is an old word used in Mexico to refer to the material from which dolls were made: celluloid.
la naranja – orange
el limón – lemon
los tacos – tacos
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2. San Serafín del Monte
This is the typical nursery rhyme played in kindergartens all over Mexico to entertain kids and teach them to follow instructions. The first three verses of each stanza repeat every time, and only the last verse changes with a new action in future, which the kids then have to do as they sing. Smart preschool teachers then add more actions to teach their students more vocabulary and to follow more instructions.
Spanish Lyrics
San Serafín del Monte,
San Serafín cordero,
yo, como buen cristiano,
me acostaré.
San Serafín del Monte
San Serafín cordero,
yo, como buen cristiano,
me sentaré.
San Serafín del Monte,
San Serafín cordero,
yo, como buen cristiano,
me pararé.
San Serafín del Monte
San Serafín cordero,
yo, como buen cristiano,
me hincaré.
San Serafín del Monte,
San Serafín cordero,
yo, como buen cristiano,
me pararé.
San Serafín del Monte
San Serafín cordero,
yo, como buen cristiano,
me terminé.
English Lyrics
Saint Serafín of the Mountain,
Saint Serafín lamb,
I, as a good Christian,
will lay down..
Saint Serafín of the Mountain,
Saint Serafín lamb,
I, as a good Christian,
will sit down.
Saint Serafín of the Mountain,
Saint Serafín lamb,
I, as a good Christian,
will stand up.
Saint Serafín of the Mountain,
Saint Serafín lamb,
I, as a good Christian,
will kneel down.
Saint Serafín of the Mountain,
Saint Serafín lamb,
I, as a good Christian,
will stand up.
Saint Serafín of the Mountain,
Saint Serafín lamb,
I, as a good Christian,
will finish.
Useful Spanish Element
You’ll note that the last verb of each stanza varies, but maintains its conjugation in future tense. This minor change makes it easy for you to use this nursery rhyme to introduce your kids to the future tense in Spanish.
Since all these verbs are reflexive verbs and include a reflexive pronoun, it may be necessary to cover how reflexive verbs work, too.
It’s important to mention that the last word of the song (terminé or “I finished”) isn’t in future, but in the simple past tense as it marks the end of the song.
| Verb: Acostarse (to lay down oneself) | |
| Pronouns | Future Tense |
| yo | me acostaré |
| tú | te acostarás |
| él/ella | se acostará |
| nosotros | nos acostaremos |
| ustedes | se acostarán |
| ellos | se acostarán |
| Verb: Sentarse (to sit down oneself) | |
| Pronouns | Future Tense |
| yo | me sentaré |
| tú | te sentarás |
| él/ella | se sentará |
| nosotros | nos sentaremos |
| ustedes | se sentarán |
| ellos | se sentarán |
| Verb: Pararse (to stand up oneself) | |
| Pronouns | Future Tense |
| yo | me pararé |
| tú | te pararás |
| él/ella | se parará |
| nosotros | nos pararemos |
| ustedes | se pararán |
| ellos | se pararán |
| Verb: Hincarse (to kneel down oneself) | |
| Pronouns | Future Tense |
| yo | me hincaré |
| tú | te hincarás |
| él/ella | se hincará |
| nosotros | nos hincaremos |
| ustedes | se hincarán |
| ellos | se hincarán |
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3. Brinca la Tablita
Excellent song used in Mexico to introduce kids to maths and specifically to addition. Every Mexican kid learns its first additions with this catchy nursery rhyme.
Spanish Lyrics
Brinca la tablita
Yo ya la brinqué
Bríncala de vuelta
Yo ya me cansé.
Dos y dos son cuatro
Cuatro y dos son seis
Seis y dos son ocho
Y ocho, dieciséis
Brinca la tablita
Yo ya la brinqué
Bríncala de vuelta
Yo ya me cansé.
English Lyrics
Jump the board
I already jumped it
jump it again
I’m already tired.
Two and two are four
Four and two are six
Six and two are eight
And eight, sixteen.
Jump the board
I already jumped it
jump it again
I’m already tired.
Useful Spanish Element
This one is easy, use this children’s song to introduce your kids to numbers and additions in Spanish.
dos – two
cuatro – four
seis – six
ocho – eight
dieciséis – sixteen
4. Yo Tenía 10 Perritos
This song introduces kids to math and specifically to subtraction in Mexico. Most Mexican kids learn to subtract with this silly (and a bit sad) nursery rhyme.
Spanish Lyrics
Yo tenía diez perritos,
Uno se perdió en la nieve.
No me quedan más que nueve.
De los nueve que quedaban
Uno se comió un bizcocho.
No me quedan más que ocho.
De los ocho que quedaban
Uno se subió a un cohete
No me quedan más que siete.
De los siete que quedaban
Uno se comió un ciempiés
No me quedan más que seis.
De los seis que quedaban
Uno se mató de un brinco.
No me quedan más que cinco.
De los cinco que quedaban
Uno se mató en el teatro.
No me quedan más que cuatro.
De los cuatro que quedaban
Uno se lo llevó Andrés.
No me quedan más que tres.
De los tres que me quedaban
Uno se murió de tos.
No me quedan más que dos.
De los dos que me quedaban
Uno se lo llevó Bruno
No me queda más que uno.
Y ese uno que quedaba
Se lo llevó la portera
Por cochino, por marrano
Por hacerse en la escalera.
English Lyrics
I had ten dogs
One got lost in the snow
Now I only have nine.
Of the nine that I had
One ate a biscuit
Now I only have eight.
Of the eight that I had
One hopped on a rocket
Now I only have seven.
Of the seven that I had
One ate a centipede
Now I only have six.
Of the six that I had
One died from a jump
Now I only have five.
Of the five that I had
One died in the theater
Now I only have four.
Of the four that I had
Andres took one
Now I only have three.
Of the three that I had
One died of cough
Now I only have two.
Of the two that I had
Bruno took one
Now I only have one.
That one left
The doorwoman took it
For being dirty, for being naughty
For pooping on the stairs.
Useful Spanish Element
This song is a great way for learning the numbers in Spanish from 1 to 10.
uno – one
dos – two
tres – three
cuatro – four
cinco – five
seis – six
siete – seven
ocho – eight
nueve – nine
diez – ten
5. A la Víbora de la Mar
This song is danced by everybody in Mexico, young kids in kindergartens, and adults in wedding parties. When the music starts playing, a long line (like the snake from the song) is quickly formed and goes around the room, while the teacher or the newlyweds form a kind of human bridge. The snake has to go under the bridge, and when the music stops, the teacher or the newlyweds catch the person passing through the bridge at that moment. It’s just a nice song to have fun.
Spanish Lyrics
A la víbora, víbora
De la mar, de la mar
Por aquí pueden pasar
Los de adelante corren mucho
Y los de atrás se quedarán
Tras, tras, tras
Una mexicana que fruta vendía
Ciruela, durazno, melón o sandía
Una mexicana que fruta vendía
Ciruela, chabacano, melón o sandía
Verbena verbena jardin de matatena
Verbena verbena jardin de matatena
Campanita de oro dejame pasar
Con todos mis hijos menos el de atras
Tras tras tras tras
English Lyrics
To the snake, snake
Of the sea, of the sea
You can pass through here
Those in front run a lot
Those in the back will stay
Back, back, back.
A Mexican girl that was selling fruit
Plum, peach, melon or watermelon
A Mexican girl that was selling fruit
Plum, peach, melon or watermelon.
Verbena, verbena, matatena garden
Verbena, verbena, matatena garden
Little golden bell let me go through
With all my kids minus the one in the back
Back, back, back.
Useful Spanish Element
The second stanza contains four popular fruits in Mexico and it can serve you to introduce your kids to Spanish food vocabulary.
la ciruela – plum
el durazno – peach
el melón – melon
la sandía – watermelon
6. Doña Blanca
Doña Blanca is one more of those songs that includes a game. Kids start singing it while holding hands and forming a big enclosed circle with one kid (Doña Blanca) inside and another one outside (jicotillo). At one point, the jicotillo breaks the circle separating the hands of two of the children and Doña Blanca has to get out of the circle and try to beat the jicotillo to the open spot of the circle, leaving the jicotillo outside. If the jicotillo wins, Doña Blanca becomes the jicotillo, and a new kid becomes Doña Blanca.
Spanish Lyrics
Doña Blanca está cubierta
con pilares de oro y plata.
Romperemos un pilar
para ver a doña Blanca.
Doña Blanca está cubierta
con pilares de oro y plata.
Romperemos un pilar
para ver a doña Blanca.
¿Quién es ese jicotillo
que anda en pos de doña Blanca?
Yo soy ese jicotillo que anda
en pos de doña Blanca
English Lyrics
Lady White is covered
with pillars of gold and silver.
We’ll break a pillar
to see Lady White
Lady White is covered
with pillars of gold and silver.
We’ll break a pillar
to see Lady White
Who is that little Quijote
that is pursuing Lady White?
I am that little Quijote who is
pursuing Lady White.
Useful Spanish Element
Although gold and silver don’t properly count as colors, put together with white they can give you a good excuse to introduce your kids to the colors in Spanish.
blanco – white
oro – gold
plata – silver
7. El Patio de mi Casa
A fun game to play with your kids. Form a long line and start singing and walking around the room. Every time you hear the words agáchense or agachar, everybody has to lower themselves and when they hear estirar, estirar they can walk normally again.
Spanish Lyrics
El patio de mi casa es particular
se moja y se seca como los demás.
Agáchense y vuélvanse a agachar
las niñas bonitas se saben agachar.
Chocolate, molinillo,
chocolate, molinillo,
estirar, estirar que la reina va a pasar.
English Lyrics
The backyard of my house is private
it gets wet and dry just like everybody else’s.
Squat and squat again
pretty girls know how to squat.
Chocolate, grinder,
chocolate, grinder,
stretch, stretch because the queen is going to pass.
Useful Spanish Element
This song is an opportunity to introduce the parts of the house in Spanish to your kids.
la casa – house
el patio – backyard
8. A la Rueda de San Miguel
Play this Mexican nursery rhyme by forming a circle holding hands and with one kid inside the circle. When the last verse comes around, the kid in the center of the circle says the name of another kid and they switch positions.
Spanish Lyrics
A la rueda, a la rueda de San Miguel, San Miguel
Todos traen su caja de miel.
A lo maduro, a lo maduro
Que se voltee (nombre del niño) de burro.
English Lyrics
To the wheel, to the wheel of Saint Michael, Saint Michael
Everyone brings their honey box
To the mature, to the mature
That turns around (name of the kid) of donkey.
Useful Spanish Element
With this song you can either teach your kids inventions or parts of the car (wheel) or animals (donkey).
la rueda – wheel
el burro – donkey
9. Dale, Dale, Dale, no pierdas el tino
This is the all important Spanish song for hitting the piñata. It doesn’t matter if it’s during a birthday party, a Christmas celebration, or any other holiday, the song will always be the same one.
Spanish Lyrics
Dale, dale, dale,
No pierdas el tino,
Porque si lo pierdes
Pierdes el camino.
Ya le diste una,
Ya le diste dos,
Ya le diste tres
Y tu tiempo se acabó.
English Lyrics
Hit it, hit it, hit it,
Don’t lose your aim
Because if you lose it
You lose the path.
You hit it once,
You hit it twice,
You hit it three times
And your time is over.
Useful Spanish Element
It’s a short song with not much vocabulary to choose from, but if you want to reinforce numbers and counting up to three, it can help.
uno – one
dos – two
tres – three
10. El Barco Chiquito
I remember singing this nursery rhyme with my grandmother. She would entertain me and my brother with it for a very long time. As it’s an “endless” song, you can play it for as much time as you want, or your kids keep their interest.
Spanish Lyrics
Había una vez un barco chiquito,
Había una vez un barco chiquito,
Había una vez un barco chiquito, tan chiquito
Que no podía navegar.
Pasaron una, dos, tres,
Cuarto, cinco, seis, siete semanas;
Pasaron una, dos, tres,
Cuarto, cinco, seis, siete semanas;
Pasaron una, dos, tres,
Cuarto, cinco, seis, siete semanas;
Y el barquito no podía navegar.
Y si la historia no se te ha hecho larga
Y si la historia no se te ha hecho larga
Y si la historia no se te ha hecho larga
volveremos, volveremos, volveremos a empezar.
Había una vez un barco chiquito,
Había una vez un barco chiquito,
Había una vez un barco chiquito, tan chiquito
Que no podía navegar.
English Lyrics
Once upon a time there was a small boat,
Once upon a time there was a small boat,
Once upon a time there was a small boat, so small
That it couldn’t sail.
One, two, three, four,
Five, six, seven weeks passed;
One, two, three, four,
Five, six, seven weeks passed;
One, two, three, four,
Five, six, seven weeks passed;
And the small boat couldn’t sail.
And if you think the story isn’t long enough
And if you think the story isn’t long enough
And if you think the story isn’t long enough
We’ll start, we’ll start, we’ll start again.
Once upon a time there was a small boat,
Once upon a time there was a small boat,
Once upon a time there was a small boat, so small
That it couldn’t sail.
Useful Spanish Element
Again, a fun way to learn the numbers in Spanish and practice counting up to seven.
uno – one
dos – two
tres – three
cuatro – four
cinco – five
seis – six
siete – seven
11. Las Estatuas de Marfil
A classic game from Mexican childhoods. The kids sing this nursery rhyme while moving all around the place, when the song ends nobody moves. The kid that moves first loses and stops playing, until there’s only one left at the end of the game.
Spanish Lyrics
A las estatuas de marfil
Uno, dos y tres así
El que se mueva baila el twist
Con su hermana la lombriz
Y su tío José Luis
Que le apesta el calcetín
English Lyrics
To the ivory statues
One, two and three like this
If you move you dance the twist
With your sister the worm
And your uncle José Luis
And his stinky sock.
Useful Spanish Element
You could count again, but we’ve seen many examples of that already. Let’s focus here on different elements you could use as an excuse to study verbs, animals, or family members.
Verbs:
bailar – to dance
apestar – to stink
Animals:
lombriz – worm
Family members:
hermana – sister
tío – uncle
12. Matarile rile ro
In Matarile rile ro, there are two sides of the song, it’s like a dialogue that changes from one side to the other of the conversation every time there’s a matarile rile ro. This is another fun game that can go for as long as you want. All you have to do is to keep choosing different jobs and always refusing them, until getting the right job for the kid selected.
Spanish Lyrics
Amo a to
Matarile rile ro
¿Qué quiere usted?
Matarile rile ro
Yo quiero un paje
Matarile rile ro
Escoja usted
Matarile rile ro
Escojo a ella
Matarile rile ro
¿Qué oficio le pondremos?
Matarile rile ro
Le pondremos lavandera
Matarile rile ro
Ese oficio no le gusta
Matarile rile ro
Le pondremos planchadora
Matarile rile ro
Ese oficio no le gusta
Matarile rile rio
Le pondremos bordadora
Matarile rile ro
Ese oficio no le gusta
Matarilr rile ro
Le pondremos ser la reina
Matarile rile ro
Ese oficio sí le gusta
Matarile rile ro
English Lyrics
I love to
Matarile rile ro
What do you want?
Matarile rile ro
I want a kid
Matarile rile ro
You choose
Matarile rile ro
I choose her
Matarile rile ro
What job we’ll give her?
Matarile rile ro
She’ll be a washerwoman
Matarile rile ro
She doesn’t like that job
Matarile rile ro
She’ll be ironer
Matarile rile ro
She doesn’t like that job
Matarile rile rio
She’ll be embroiderer
Matarile rile ro
She doesn’t like that job
Matarilr rile ro
She’ll be the queen
Matarile rile ro
She likes that job
Matarile rile ro
Useful Spanish Element
I think it’s important to mention that matarile rile ro and to don’t have a translation, these are just onomatopoeias. Now, this is the perfect song for learning about jobs in Spanish.
lavandera – washerwoman
planchadora – ironer
bordadora – embroiderer
reina – queen
13. Lobo, lobito estás ahí
The kids form a big circle holding hands and start singing the nursery rhyme. When they ask lobo, lobito ¿estás ahí?, another kid answers if he’s ready or not. If not ready, they will keep singing and ask again. If the wolf is ready, then everybody runs and the wolf will chase them.
Spanish Lyrics
Jugaremos en el bosque
mientras el lobo no está,
porque si el lobo aparece,
a todos nos comerá.
Lobo, lobito ¿estás ahí?
¡No! Me estoy bañando.
Jugaremos en el bosque
mientras el lobo no está,
porque si el lobo aparece,
a todos nos comerá.
Lobo, lobito ¿estás ahí?
¡No! Me estoy lavando los dientes
Jugaremos en el bosque
mientras el lobo no está,
porque si el lobo aparece,
a todos nos comerá.
Lobo, lobito ¿estás ahí?
¡No! Me estoy peinando.
Jugaremos en el bosque
mientras el lobo no está,
porque si el lobo aparece,
a todos nos comerá.
Lobo, lobito ¿estás ahí?
¡Sí! ¡Y a todos me los comeré!
English Lyrics
We’ll play in the woods
While the wolf isn’t here
Because if the wolf appears
He’ll eat us all.
Wolf, little wolf, are you there?
No! I’m taking a shower.
We’ll play in the woods
While the wolf isn’t here
Because if the wolf appears
He’ll eat us all.
Wolf, little wolf, are you there?
No! I’m washing my teeth.
We’ll play in the woods
While the wolf isn’t here
Because if the wolf appears
He’ll eat us all.
Wolf, little wolf, are you there?
No! I’m combing my hair.
We’ll play in the woods
While the wolf isn’t here
Because if the wolf appears
He’ll eat us all.
Wolf, little wolf, are you there?
Yes! And I’ll eat you all!
Useful Spanish Element
This is a very fun game that kids love to play and it’s very useful because you can use it to teach the morning routine, like in the lyrics, but you can change that and add for example, different clothes and make it as if the wolf was dressing himself. With some creativity, this song can be used to teach many different things in Spanish.
bañar – to take a shower
lavar (los dientes) – to wash (your teeth)
peinar – to comb
Play These Nursery Rhymes, Have Fun, and Learn Spanish with Your Kids!
Kids love nursery rhymes, in any language actually. Use that to your advantage and have fun with them, while making sure that they learn new Spanish vocabulary. Use these Mexican nursery rhymes to teach them the numbers in Spanish, the morning routine, or different jobs. They will love that Spanish lesson!
Remember that when it comes to languages, the earlier you start, the easier it will be for your kids to learn. Play these Mexican nursery rhymes and if your kids like them, take a look at these other kids’ songs in Spanish to keep their learning fun and entertaining.
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