10 Songs in Spanish for Kids
Have you noticed that certain songs get stuck in your head? Or phrases from songs seem to appear out of nowhere and haunt you for days? This is the magic of music. Looking back on our childhood, we can remember the first songs we heard and learned to sing; they became our first stories. Thanks to the lyrics we memorized, we expanded our vocabulary. We asked more questions to our parents about the meaning of the song and we created more imagery in our heads.
Now, it’s time to pass on the joy! By listening to these children’s songs in Spanish with amusing tunes and playful lyrics, you will start filling your head with new Spanish words and phrases that you won’t forget any time soon. We highly recommend that you find one or two that you want to memorize and teach to a friend or a child who would love it. Check out our list of 10 popular Spanish songs for kids. ¡Vamos a cantar!
1. Un elefante se balanceaba
One by one, another elephant comes in to swing on the spider web! This is a counting song for young children learning to count by one. It has fun rhymes and repetitions to keep the little listeners engaged.
Key Words and Phrases
Se balanceaban – they were swinging
La tela de una araña – a spider’s web
Fueron a llamar – they went to call
Como veían que resistía – since they saw that it held
2. Sana, sana colita de rana
Mothers are very fond of this song. It is a special chant they sing when their child has just hurt themselves. By rubbing the minor injury while singing this tune, their little one magically starts to feel better! Part of the healing process is the laughter that comes when mom breaks out the silly song in a serious moment.
Key Words and Phrases
Colita de rana – little frog’s tail
Sana – present tense ‘heal’
Sanará – future tense ‘will heal’
3. Arroz con leche
This folk song is originally from France and survives in popularity since the 14th century. Children like to sing it while they form a circle and hold hands. Then, they choose a boy to stand in the middle. As the song goes “con esta sí, con esta no,” the boy in the middle picks a girl to be the señorita of the song. She takes his place in the middle and chooses a boy next.
Key Words and Phrases
Sepa – present subjunctive tense of the verb saber or ‘to know’
Coser – to sew
La viudita – the little widow
4. Sol, solecito
A great way to start the day is by singing this happy, classic nursery rhyme. There are popular variations to the original that add the days of the week to help kids practice. The lyrics teach concepts like night and day as well as today and tomorrow. Teachers love using this song with their students. It makes them smile with funny images of chicks, a calf, and Pinocchio drumming with a spoon and fork.
Key Words and Phrases
Caliéntame – warm me up
Cascabelera – jingling
Tocando el tambor – playing the drum
5. La vaca lechera
Jacobo Morcillo from Spain, the author of this time-honored nursery rhyme, wrote about a milk cow. While there is a lyrical debate on whether the cow gives leche condensada or leche congelada, the message remains the same: everyone loves the cow because of the milk she gives! This song is especially popular in Latin America where it helps young children develop their pre-reading skills.
Key Words and Phrases
No es una vaca cualquiera – It’s not just any cow
Un cencerro – a cowbell
El rabo – the tail
6. Los pollitos dicen pío pío
What do the little chicks say? ¡Pío pío! This is a great song for learning high-frequency phrases in Spanish like tener hambre and tener frío. Children love this song with all the great movements that go with the singalong. It teaches kids about chicks: the animal sounds they make, the food they like to eat, and how they stay warm with their mama hen.
Key Words and Phrases
El trigo – wheat
Les da abrigo – she shelters them
Quietecitos – nice and still
7. Veo veo
This is the Spanish version of the popular English kid’s song “I Spy.” It focuses heavily on the usage of proper vowel sounds. To answer the question, ¿Y qué cosita es? the child pronounces the first guess incorrectly. The song not only corrects the pronunciation but includes even more words that begin with the same vowel! This is one of the best songs to use for expanding vocabulary. Be sure to have your dictionary on hand. The fun rhythm of the song will help you to remember the new words.
Key Words and Phrases
¿Y qué cosita es? – What little thing is it?
Un montón de cosas más – a bunch of other things
¿Qué será? – What could it be?
8. El sapo
This beloved toad is determined to keep his feet dirty! This is one of the more challenging songs due to strange pronunciations of words, but this also makes it one of the most fun to sing. A simple chant is repeated again and again while using only one vowel sound for each turn. Prepare yourself for a whole lot of silliness and plenty of exercise for your mouth muscles!
Key Words and Phrases
Se lava el pie – washes his/her foot
La laguna – the lagoon
Apestoso – stinky
9. Tengo una muñeca
This Spanish children’s song spans generations, originating sometime in the 15th century in Spain. It’s about a lovely little doll in a blue dress who gets sick. The girl who has the doll has the doctor cure her and the song has a happy ending. There are many variations, but the most popular one includes math practice doing addition. For Spanish learners, singing this song is an easy way to practice new vocabulary and numbers.
Key Words and Phrases
la saqué a paseo – I took her out for a walk
se me constipó – she got a cold
jarabe – syrup
10. Los cochinitos dormilones
This song is by the famous Mexican cricket, Cri-Cri, who was a favorite radio character for kids all over Latin America during the 1950s. He entertained listeners with a handsome voice and inspiring imagery in his songs. The original singer who called himself Cri-Cri was Francisco Gabilondo Soler, a Mexican composer and performer.
Key Words and Phrases
Dormilones – sleepyheads
Se puso a llorar – he/she began to cry
Roncar – snore
Learning Through Music
Memories of our childhood would not be complete without the silly songs we all learned and loved. With this handy list of Spanish kids songs, you and your family can share in the learning of the Spanish language and its culture of children’s music. Start memorizing, singing aloud, and teaching to others! For a chance to understand these songs even better, try a FREE Spanish class today at Homeschool Spanish Academy. We guarantee that after just one free class, your child will be speaking Spanish!
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