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January 22, 2021 by Paulina Lopez Learning Strategies, Our Top Picks, Spanish for Kids 0 comments

Spanish Lullabies for Kids: Lyrics, Videos, and Lessons

If you’re looking for the best way to excite your young children about learning a foreign language, Spanish lullabies for kids is the answer!

The power of lullabies is strong. Even today, if you hear a sweet song from your childhood, your mind starts wandering down memory lane and suddenly,  you envision a special moment when your mother was singing to you.

Lullabies for kids not only help to instill meaningful memories, but also spark the development of your children’s concentration, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 

Beyond that, lullabies foster rhythmic engagement as they boost your child’s creativity!

Spanish lullabies for kids

By actively learning and practicing Spanish lullabies, you support your child’s acquisition of this language as they grow.

In this blog post, I’ve compiled a list of some of the best Spanish lullabies for kids that you and your family will love. Each song on my list comes with fun activity ideas for you to practice with your little one and learn more vocabulary.

¡Ahora, a las canciones de cuna!
Now, on to the lullabies!

Estrellita ¿dónde estás?

“Estrellita ¿dónde estás?” is a translation of one of the most famous Spanish lullabies for kids: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” While the literal translation is not identical to the famous English lyrics, the idea of seeking out a star in the night sky is still prevalent.

Some have said that famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is the original artist of the tune for the lullaby, but it’s not true. In fact, the composer’s identity is still a mystery. However, we do know where the lyrics come from—published in 1806 and titled “The Star,” it was originally a poem by English author Jane Taylor.

SpanishEnglish (direct translation)English Song
Estrellita ¿dónde estás?
Me pregunto qué serás.

En cielo y en el mar
un diamante de verdad.

Estrellita ¿dónde estás?
Me pregunto qué serás.
Little star, where are you?
I wonder what you are.

In the sky and in the sea
A real diamond

Little star, where are you?I wonder what you are
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky

Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are

Word Association Activity

The song is quite short, which means more quality time you can spend with the kids learning and memorizing the lyrics.

In this activity, you’ll need four half-sheets of paper, markers or crayons, tape, and popsicle sticks. 

Have the kids draw a star, a diamond, the sea, and the sky on each half-sheet. Then, help the kids tape a popsicle stick in the back of each drawing. As everyone sings the song, have everyone raise the correspondent drawing whenever they hear the word.

Questions for Discussion

¿En qué momento del día se pueden ver las estrellas?
During which time of the day can you see stars?

¿Por qué la estrellita es comparada a un diamante?
Why is the little star compared to a diamond?

¿En dónde es más probable que encuentres estrellas?
Where are you most likely to find stars?

¿De qué crees tú que están hechas las estrellas?
What do you think stars are made of?

Los pollitos dicen

Los Pollitos Dicen is another lullaby that is very popular among the classic Spanish lullabies for kids, running in the same leagues as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” Several countries have claimed ownership of this song—Spain being one of them—but academic consensus agrees that the author is Chilean musician and poet Ismael Parraguez Cabezas. The lullaby falls under two categories: de juego (play songs) and nana or canción de cuna (lullaby).

Lyrics

SpanishEnglish (direct translation)English Song
Los pollitos dicen 
Pío, pío, pío
Cuando tienen hambre
Y cuando tienen frío

La gallina busca
El maíz y el trigo
Les de la comida
Y les presta abrigo

Bajo sus dos alas
Acurrucaditos
Hasta el otro día
Duermen los pollitos
The chicks say
Twit, twit, twit
When they are hungry
And when they are cold

The hen seeks
Corn and wheat
She gives them food
And lends them shelter

Under her two wings
All snuggled up
Until the next day
The chicks sleep
Little chickies squeal
Pío, pío, pío
When they are cold,
And when they want a meal

Mama goes and gets them
Corn from the field
Serves them each their food
And warms them head to heel

Chickies sleep so yummy
Snuggled up with mommy
And that’s just where they’ll stay
Until another day

Dance Routine Activity

Together with your children, create a short dance routine for the lullaby. It’s easy to mime some of the words and that will help to associate actions with words.

For example, when singing “Los pollitos dicen pío pío pío” the kids can do pinching motions with their thumbs and pointer fingers, as if those were the little chicks’ beaks.

“Cuando tienen hambre” can be mimed with the hands opening and closing in front of their mouths, as if eating something and then with “y cuando tienen frío,” they can shake from the cold. Get creative and have fun!

Number Practice Activity

You can also print several images with different amounts of chicks (say, from one to five or even up to ten) and use them to practice numbers. Before you sing the lullaby, ask your child how many chicks they see and help them to count up to that number in Spanish. It’s a fun and interactive way to combine vocabulary and numbers.

Questions for Discussion

¿Cuántos pollitos hay aquí?
How many chicks are there here?

¿Qué dicen los pollitos cuando tienen hambre?
What do the chicks say when they’re hungry?

¿Qué busca la gallina?
What does the hen seek?

Pin Pon

Of all the Spanish lullabies for kids on this list, this one originates from the teachings of Pin Pon, a little doll on a Chilean kids TV show. He taught kids about values, good habits, and morals through his array of catchy songs. This is why you can find different variations of the song everywhere, including an English version, which expanded it and added more scenarios. However, the Spanish verses included here are the most popular ones.

Lyrics

SpanishEnglish (direct translation)English Song
Pin Pon es un muñeco
muy guapo de cartón
se lava la carita
con agua y con jabón

Pin Pon siempre se peina
con peine de marfil
y aunque se hace tirones
no llora ni hace así: “¡ay!”

Pin Pon dame la mano
con un fuerte apretón
que quiero ser tu amigo
Pin Pon, Pin Pon, Pin Pon
Pin Pon is a doll
Very handsome, made of cardboard
He washes his face
With soap and water. 

Pin Pon always combs his hair
With an ivory comb
And although it’s sometimes tangled
He doesn’t cry like so “ouch!” 

Pin Pon give me your hand
With a strong shake
Because I want to be your friend
Pin Pon, Pin Pon, Pin Pon
Pin Pon’s a cardboard cut-out
That’s what he’s always been
He uses soap and water
To get his face all clean

He combs his messy hair out
With a comb so very small
And even though it hurts sometimes,
He doesn’t cry at all.

And when he has a snack
Or drinks a cup of milk
He uses both his hands
and doesn’t even spill. 

He listens to his mommy
Everytime she speaks
He always does his homework
Before he goes to sleep

And when the stars come out at night
And across the sky they sweep
He gets under his covers
And nods right off to sleep. 

Pin Pon give me your hand now
Stay with me till I’m grown
And let’s be friends forever
Pin Pon, Pin Pon, Pin Pon

Body Parts and Coloring Activity

Print out a blank silhouette of a little doll (or what resembles a ginger cookie man). While your children listen to the song, encourage them to color different body parts (pelo, carita, mano) with specific colors as the song mentions them. In this two-part activity, you not only practice body parts, but also colors, helping your little one to expand their vocabulary. When the song ends, you can keep listing more body parts (e.g.: nariz, boca, orejas, ojos, piernas, pies, etc.).

Questions for discussion

¿Qué lecciones nos enseña Pin Pon?
What lessons does Pin Pon teach us?

¿Por qué es importante lavarse la cara?
Why is it important to wash our faces?

Susanita tiene un ratón

This song is appropriate for older kids, who will enjoy the complexity of more vocabulary. It’s good practice and it comes with a catchy tune!

After Spanish composer Rafael Pérez Botija wrote the song, it was popularized by Emilio Alberto Aragón Bermúdez, most commonly known by his artistic name, Miliki.

Lyrics

SpanishEnglish (direct translation)
Susanita tiene un ratón
Un ratón chiquitín
Que come chocolate y turrón
Y bolitas de anís 

Duerme cerca del radiador
Con la almohada en los pies
Y sueña que es un gran campeón
Jugando al ajedrez 

Le gusta el fútbol, el cine y el teatro
Baila tangos y rock’n roll
Y si llegamos y nota que observamos
Siempre nos canta esta canción 

Susanita tiene un ratón
Un ratón chiquitín
Que come chocolate y turrón
Y bolitas de anís 

Duerme cerca del radiador
Con la almohada en los pies
Y sueña que es un gran campeón
Jugando al ajedrez
Susanita has a mouse
A tiny mouse
Who eats chocolate and nougat
And anise balls 

He sleeps near the radiator
With the pillow on his feet
And dreams of being a champion
At playing chess 

He likes soccer, cinema, and theater
He dances tangos and rock’n roll
And if we arrive and he notices that we observe him
He always sings this song 

Susanita has a mouse
A tiny mouse
Who eats chocolate and nougat
And anise balls 

He sleeps near the radiator
With the pillow on his feet
And dreams of being a champion
At playing chess

Drawing Scenarios Activity

Have the kids draw the mouse in all the different scenarios during the song, especially when he’s eating the food that the song proposes. If you’re dealing with a big group, have them pick one or two specific moments to draw. It’s also a song for the kids to let off a little steam, since it’s got a great beat they can dance to. Scenarios you’ll find in the song:

  1. The mouse with Susanita
  2. The mouse eating chocolate
  3. The mouse eating turrón
  4. The mouse sleeping next to the radiador, con la almohada en los pies
  5. The chess champion mouse
  6. The mouse playing soccer
  7. The mouse at the cinema or at the theater
  8. The mouse dancing
  9. The mouse singing

Questions for discussion

¿Prefieres el chocolate o el turrón?
Do you prefer chocolate or nougat?

¿Sabes qué son las bolitas de anís?
Do you know what anise balls are?

¿Cuál es tu actividad preferida?
What’s your favorite hobby?

¿En dónde tiene la almohada el ratón mientras duerme?
Where is the pillow when the mouse sleeps?

¿Por qué duerme el ratón cerca del radiador?
Why does the mouse sleep next to the radiator?

Ready… 1, 2, 3 ¡A cantar!

Don’t be afraid to be creative and incorporate different strategies with the children. Music is one of the ways to turn a lesson into something fun and easy to understand. There are many more Spanish lullabies for kids to discover, so rest assured that you won’t run out of options.

If you’re ready to inspire your child to start speaking Spanish instead of only singing it, sign up for a free trial class with our child-friendly, certified Spanish teachers from Guatemala. During the class, you and your child can both be present and interact with the teacher. It’s a safe and comfortable learning environment for kids of all ages—and best of all, you get them speaking Spanish on day one!

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Paulina Lopez
Paulina Lopez
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
Originally from Guatemala City, Guatemala, I currently live in Australia with my husband and two cats. I graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Master's in Creative Writing, which fostered my love for learning languages and perfecting dialects. I hope to inspire others to find their same kind of passion!
Paulina Lopez
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  • Spanish Lullabies for Kids: Lyrics, Videos, and Lessons - January 22, 2021
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