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

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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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