First 99 Spanish Words to Teach Your Child

Are you looking for basic Spanish words to teach your child? This challenge may feel overwhelming. 

Where to start?

This list is all you need!

The following words and phrases relate to where your children live and study and to what they see, use, and experience on a daily basis—making it easy to integrate them into daily life. 

This lesson on first words for beginners does not include a long block of alphabetized words, but rather small digestible chunks divided into thematic categories. 

Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents:

• Spanish Words To Teach Your Child
• Let HSA Help You Teach Your Child Native Spanish

Spanish Words To Teach Your Child

These basic Spanish words to teach your child are perfect for approaching their new language. By learning them, they’ll be able to communicate what they want, need, and are currently experiencing. With practice, they’ll start to form short phrases and eventually speak Spanish!

Basic Conversation

Greetings, farewells, asking how you are, please, and thank you are the first baby steps towards making conversation—and being polite. 

These Spanish words to teach your child are easy to practice. Make it a habit to use them when your kids wake up or when they come home from school. 

Check-out: The Ultimate List of Spanish Greetings and Farewells for Beginners.

Family Members

Here are the most common members of the family. Impress their grandparents by showing them all the things your little ones know how to say in Spanish.

Animals

Animals are some of the first vocabulary words introduced to your little one in English, so it makes sense that they are one of the first Spanish words to teach your child.

See also: Animal Parts and Anatomy (Free Spanish Lessons for Kids)

Colors

Another basic chunk of Spanish words to teach your child are colors. Practice them by making a fun game out of it!

Hand-picked for you: Fun and Fascinating Facts About the Rainbow (Free Spanish Lesson for Kids)

Foods

These Spanish words to teach your child will be easier to remember as they are constantly exposed to food. Make it part of your daily routine to practice talking about different kinds of foods in Spanish. 

Recommended reading: 10 Brain Foods to Improve Your Memory While Learning Spanish

Toys 

Toys represent happiness to little kids. Learning their names in Spanish only feels natural. Why? Because relating a learning subject like a language to good feelings will make them want to learn more for pleasure. 

Check out: 9 Bilingual Toys to Get Your Kids This Christmas

Home Vocabulary

Phrases like vamos al baño (let’s go to the bathroom) or mueve la silla (move the chair) are easy to remember and say. Let them start with these short phrases or just naming items and places in and around your house. 

Continue reading: Moving Day Vocabulary: Pack Up Your House!

Clothes

Ask your children: ¿Qué quieres llevar puesto? (What do you want to wear?) and let them answer in Spanish every morning. They’ll learn these words in no time!

Get more vocab! The Ultimate Guide to Clothes in Spanish

School Vocabulary

Talk to your kids about their school day with these Spanish words. ¿Qué clases tuviste hoy? (What classes did you have today?) or ¿De qué es tu tarea? (What is your homework about?) are a superb way to start a Spanish conversation. 

Opposites

This next Spanish vocabulary is a bit more challenging. Are you ready?

See more: Spanish Opposites Activities for Kids

Environment

It is important that your children know their surroundings. This list is about some of the things they can find outside the house. Kids find it stimulating to learn things outdoors! 

Hand-picked for you: The 5 Senses in Spanish (Free Spanish Lesson for Kids)

Action Verbs

Here are some of the most common verbs that your little ones will use every day.

See also: The 100 Most Common Spanish Verbs

Pronouns

These pronouns will help your children improve their conversation skills!

Recommended reading: How to Teach Kids to Read in Spanish: 10 Easy Tricks

Question Words

Another key piece of the puzzle of acquiring a new language is learning question words. Fuel your family’s curiosity by letting them know how to ask questions in Spanish. 

Check out: The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need to Master Question Words in Spanish

Commands

Use commands in Spanish at home! They’re quite useful (as any parent should know!). Encourage your kids to repeat what you say and use them in their own original ways. 

Let HSA Help You Teach Your Child Native Spanish

Learning proficient Spanish is a tool your child will use for the rest of their life to promote connection, success, and prosperity. They’ll be able to land better jobs, travel easier to Latin America and Spain, and be more sensitive to social and cultural issues by learning Spanish as a second language. Spanish has over 580 million speakers around the world and over 41 million in the U.S. alone.

Homeschool Spanish Academy is here to support you and your family in the ultimate goal of reaching Spanish fluency. Our method gives you access to practice with kid-friendly, certified experts who are native Spanish speakers. Our teachers from Guatemala provide individualized, online, flexible sessions that adapt to your schedule. 

In fact, we’ll design a Spanish package that suits your needs and interests! 

Check our affordable pricing and flexible programs. Prepare your children for a better future by signing them up for a free trial class today!

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these

“I love that my children have the opportunity to speak with a live person. They get to practice Spanish in a 1-1 setting while improve their speaking, writing and reading skills during their lessons. HSA is a great way to learn Spanish for all ages! My children are 6, 9 and 11. My oldest two (9 and 11) have been taking classes with HSA for almost 2 years now. They love seeing their teacher each week. They understand the importance of learning several languages. I’ve seen them grow and learn with HSA. I’m excited to see how they will improve the more classes they take. I highly recommend them. You can’t bet learning and speaking with a live teacher. I’ve tried other programs. It’s just not as motivating.”

– Karie Ann, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. I have appreciated the one on one interaction and teaching that my son gets from his teachers. He has gotten to know his teachers, which has increased his confidence in speaking Spanish. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Maple, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Ready to learn more Spanish vocabulary? Check these out!

• Vegan and Vegetarian Vocabulary in Spanish
• 18 Meanings of ‘Cuenta’ in Common Spanish Idioms
• A-Z: Beginner Spanish Word Lists for Kids + Free Flashcards
• 50 Essential Medical Phrases for Your Upcoming Physical
• How To Introduce Yourself in Spanish
• 100+ Basic Spanish Words and Phrases for Travelers
• The Sweetest Guide to Valentine’s Day Vocabulary in Spanish
• An Easy Vocabulary Guide to Describe the Post Office in Spanish

• Author
• Recent Posts

Nicole Canún

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Blogger, content creator, and marketer. Proudly Mexican. Been to 30 countries. I love learning from different cultures and trying their cuisines. Obsessed with Asia. Fluent in Spanish and English, not so much in French.

Latest posts by Nicole Canún (see all)

• Tips for Introducing Your Toddler to the Spanish Language - May 24, 2023
• Fact or Fiction: Can You Really Learn Spanish in 3 Months? - May 19, 2023
• 10 Best Telenovelas to Learn Spanish - May 18, 2023