Frida Kahlo’s Biography (Free Spanish Lessons for Kids)

Open the door to art, Mexican culture, and Spanish language with this Frida Kahlo biography for kids!

Frida Kahlo was an exceptional woman in many ways. She was an outspoken, talented woman who was ahead of her time. 

Frida had her paintings exhibited in Paris and New York. She became one of the most renowned painters of history in spite of the many physical challenges she faced since she was a little girl. These facts of Frida Kahlo’s make her story one of courage, passion, ideals, and determination. 

Read this lesson to access Frida’s biography for kids, discover her best kid-friendly quotes, read-aloud books, and children’s activities! 

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Table of Contents:

• Frida Kahlo Biography for Kids
• Frida Kahlo Kids Activities
• Frida Kahlo Quotes
• Teach Your Kids About More Personalities Like Frida Kahlo!

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Frida Kahlo Biography for Kids

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón is one of the most famous artists of the 20th century. 

She contracted polio at 6 years old and was severely injured in a bus crash at 18. Her favorite therapy was to paint self-portraits—she created 150 of them! Each one reflects how she was feeling at the time. 

As a young woman, she took her paintings to celebrated Mexican painter Diego Rivera. He was stunned by her natural talent and dedicated years to promoting Frida’s work. They got married, divorced and married again. 

At first, Frida was better known in the U.S. and Europe. As the years went by, she became an icon in her native country, Mexico. 

See also: Art and Painting Vocabulary in Spanish

Frida Kahlo’s Education

Frida Kahlo attended the prestigious Escuela Nacional Preparatoria (Preparatory National School). Of the 2,000 students, only 35 were women. 

In high school, Frida was part of a group known as the Cachuchas. They were rebels with revolutionary ideals who debated politics and social issues. 

Other members became prominent personalities, like poet and writer Salvador Novo, writer and public servant Miguel Nicolás Lira, and political speaker and columnist—and Frida Kahlo’s boyfriend at the time—Alejandro Gómez Arias. 

Frida Kahlo’s Nationality and Legacy

Frida Kahlo was an artist of Mexican nationality who was born in the iconic neighborhood of Coyoacán in Mexico City. This neighborhood is seen today as one of the most representative of Mexico for its culture, lively town square, traditional street food, and street shows. 

La Casa Azul (The Blue House)—the house in Coyoacán where Frida was born, lived with Diego Rivera, and died—is a museum.

Check out: Virtual Tour of La Casa Azul

She wore the typical Tehuana dress from the state of Oaxaca. 

At first, she did it to disguise her physical imperfections due to the 22 surgeries she had to undergo. Later it became clear that Frida also had political reasons for her choice of wardrobe.  

See also: Mexican Textiles: A Beautiful Story of Culture and Art

Oaxaca is also famous for being one of the few places in Mexico with a matriarchy, a system where women govern and decide over all aspects of life. Frida took the Tehuana dress as a symbol of Mexican identity and feminism. 

It consists of long, colorful, hand-embroidered skirts with elaborate headpieces and occasionally a hard lace veil called a resplandor (radiance).

Recommended reading: Fiesta de las Velas: A Colorful Oaxaca Tradition

Frida Kahlo Kids Activities

1.  Read Aloud Books 

Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos

Frida had a never-ending love for nature and animals. This is a story about her pets: three dogs, two monkeys, an eagle, a parrot, two turkeys, a fawn, and a cat. 

Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos

My Little Golden Book About Frida Kahlo

This book tells a powerful story where Frida Kahlo overcomes great challenges to become the iconic heroine she is known as today.  

Mi Little Golden Book About Frida Kahlo

2. Coloring Frida Kahlo kid-friendly paintings

Help your kids discover and remember Frida Kahlo’s paintings with the fun coloring sheets in our free downloadable PDF.  Click here to download it!

3. Word Search 

Practice this Frida Kahlo vocabulary with your kids. This word search features words related to Frida. 

English	Spanish
activist	la activista
dress	el vestido
fashion	la moda
flowers	las flores
icon	el ícono
roots	las raíces
paint	la pintura
talent	el talento

4. Watch Frida Kahlo Videos 

These videos are perfect to watch together as a family.

• Frida Kahlo for Kids – Frida Kahlo para niños – the story of a boy named Fama who enters Frida’s magical world through a painting at a museum
• Run or He’ll Catch You – ¡Corre que te pilla! – a song about Mr blue and how he encounters Frida and Diego at their workshop.

5. Flashcards

Teach your kids more vocabulary related to Frida Kahlo. Create flash cards together with these words:

English	Spanish
art	el arte
artist	el/la artista
brush	la brocha, el pincel
culture	la cultura
history	la historia
museums	los museos
painter	la pintora
painting	el cuadro, la pintura
to draw	dibujar
to paint	pintar
traditions	las tradiciones

Hand-picked for you: A Colorful Exploration of Mexican Folk Art

Frida Kahlo Quotes

1. Pies, ¿para qué los quiero si tengo alas para volar? 

Feet, what do I need you for if I have wings to fly?

2. Soy mi propia musa, soy la persona que mejor conozco. El tema que quiero conocer mejor.

I am my own muse, I am the person I know the best. The subject I want to know about the most. 

Recommended reading: 20 Fun Spanish Crafts to Do With Your Learner

3. Pinto flores para que así no mueran.

I paint flowers so they don’t die.

4. Escoge una persona que te mire como si quizás fueras magia.

Choose a person who looks at you as if you were magic.

See also: Frida Kahlo and Diego: Legends and Icons of Mexican Culture

5. Si actúas como si supieras lo que estás haciendo, puedes hacer lo que quieras.

If you act like you know what you’re doing, you can do whatever you want.

Check out: 25 of Our Favorite  Spanish Idioms for Kids

Teach Your Kids About More Personalities Like Frida Kahlo!

Lessons about remarkable personalities like Frida Kahlo are valuable and memorable for children who love art and painting. Many hail from Latin America and Spain. 

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