Fruits are one of the things kids love to eat the most. They’re delicious, varied and usually sweet. The best of all is that they’re also healthy. You probably don’t mind if your children ask you for a fruit instead of a candy, right? Fruits are also perfect for different dishes, from salads to desserts.
All of this makes fruits one of the most basic things children must learn during their Spanish classes. After all, fruits are used on a daily basis in any language. Plus, Latin America is known for its wide variety of fruits with all kinds of flavors and textures.
So, fruits in Spanish are a must to know to try Hispanic countries’ traditional fruits and dishes and get closer to their cultures.
52 Names of Fruits in Spanish
- Banana – Plátano
- Apple – Manzana
- Watermelon – Sandía
- Melon – Melón
- Papaya – Papaya
- Mango – Mango
- Pineapple – Piña
- Uva – Grape
- Strawberry – Fresa
- Blueberry – Mora azul
- Blackberry – Zarzamora
- Raspberry – Frambuesa
- Cherry – Cereza
- Orange – Naranja
- Tangerine – Mandarina
- Grapefruit – Toronja / Pomelo
- Pear – Pera
- Peach – Durazno / Melocotón
- Coconut – Coco
- Kiwi – Kiwi
- Nectarine – Nectarina
- Cranberry – Arándano
- Avocado – Aguacate
- Date – Dátil
- Lemon – Limón
- Lime – Lima
- Tomato – Tomate / Jitomate
- Cucumber – Pepino
- Grenade – Granada
- Plum – Ciruela
- Prickly Pear – Tuna
- Figs – Higo
- Eggplant – Berenjena
- Apricot – Albaricoque / Chabacano
- Lychee – Litchi
- Currant – Grosella
- Blackcurrant – Casis / Grosella negra
- Guava – Guayaba
- Mamey sapote / Mammee – Mamey
- Soursop – Guanábana
- Passion fruit – Maracuyá / Fruta de la pasión
- Dragon fruit – Pitahaya / Pitaya
- Tejocote / Mexican hawthorn – Tejocote
- Flat peach – Paraguaya / Paraguayo / Durazno japonés
- Jackfruit – Yaca / Jaca
- Carambola / Star fruit – Carambola / Fruta de estrella
- Black sapote – Zapote negro
- Quince – Membrillo
- Jabuticaba – Jabuticaba
- Durian – Durián
- Medlar – Níspero
- Persimmon – Caqui / Palosanto
How Can Kids Learn Fruits in Spanish
Okay, now you have a long list of fruits with their Spanish names. But reading it and memorizing it one by one it’s not the best way of truly learning all the frutas. Maybe children will learn them for an exam, but they’ll probably forget it after. They need other ways of acquiring fruit vocabulary, so they don’t forget it and know how to use each word.
Play lotería
There’s a super fun Mexican game called “lotería” or “lotería mexicana”, which could be very helpful to learn fruits in Spanish. The game involves images and words written below each image. That’s very helpful, because kids will learn the names of the fruits in Spanish by seeing how they look. The traditional lotería has some classic images/words, but you can make your own lotería and instead of using those just use images of fruits.
This game is made to play with two or more players. You can play with your children or invite all their friends from their language classes to play with them. It’ll be a fun Spanish practice for everyone.
You know what’s the best? Playing it will get your kids closer to Mexican culture. And learning a language always goes hand in hand with learning about other countries and cultures.
Carve Fruits
Have you heard of pumpkin carving for Halloween? Well, it’s just like that but with fruits! It might sound crazy, but it’s very fun. There are tons of images online where you can get inspired. There are pirates’ boats made with watermelons or turtles made with apples.
Now, we know kids should be careful doing this, otherwise they can hurt themselves. But this is not a solitary activity; you should carve the fruits with your kids. You can make all the difficult things and they can help you with anything you find easy and safe. The point is you have to make sure you use the names in Spanish for the fruits you use. So, if you’re going to carve a pineapple, tell your kid: “Common, let’s make a duck with piña”.
If you prefer, you can carve all the fruits and throw a party for your kids using the fruits. Then, present to your children your art in fruit using the Spanish language.
You don’t even have to make something crazy. There are easy fruit carving tutorials on YouTube, like this apple owl.
You can also just make a cute or fun picture using fruits without having to cut them. Take for example the image of a peacock made with a pear and grapes.
Make a Smoothie
It’s as simple as it sounds! The best way for children to acquire Spanish vocabulary about fruits is by cooking and eating them. They’ll identify how certain fruit looks and connect that with its name, plus they’ll get to know the flavor.
Usually, kids love smoothies! By making one with them, you’ll be doing your kids two favors: improve their Spanish and teach them their first steps towards cooking. Might not seem like a big of a deal, but a smoothie can be an easy approach to cooking. And that’s something useful to learn from when they become independent.
If your kids are still too little, you make the smoothie while they watch. It’s fast, easy and they’ll acquire Spanish words for fruit without feeling like they’re studying. It’s just another everyday activity for them. Remember to speak in Spanish using the words of the list above while making it.
Mamey Sapote Smoothie Recipe in Spanish
We just told you to make a smoothie for your kids, so they learn Spanish. To help you, here’s a recipe in Spanish for one of our favorite smoothies. Use some of these Spanish phrases and words while making a licuado/batido de mamey (mamey sapote smoothie) with your children.
Lo que necesitarás (what you’ll need):
- ½ mamey (mamey sapote)
- ½ vaso de leche (glass of milk)
- Azúcar (opcional) (sugar) (optional)
- Agua (opcional) (water) (optional)
*½ is pronounced “medio”.
Pasos (steps):
- Parte el mamey a la mitad (cut the mamey in half)
- Vierte el mamey y la leche en la licuadora (pour the mamey sapote and the milk in the blender and turn it on)
- Espera un par de minutos para que todo licúe muy bien (wait a couple of minutes, so everything blends very well)
- Vierte la mezcla en el vaso (pour the mix into the glass)
- ¡Listo! (you’re ready!)
*Usualmente los licuados ya quedan dulces, pero si tú hijo quiere puedes agregar una cucharadita de azúcar junto a la licuadora. (Usually, smoothies are already sweet, but if your kid wants you can add one spoonful of sugar into the blender).
*Si a tú hijo no le gustan los licuados espesos, añade un poco de agua a la mezcla. (If your kid doesn’t like thick smoothies, add a bit of water to the mix).
TruFluency Kids Knows the Perfect Trick to Learn Fruits in Spanish and More Vocabulary
As you saw with the tips above, what kids need to truly learn Spanish vocabulary is a lot of practice. As well as a Spanish environment. This means that their daily activities should be in Spanish, and they must hear the language at all times. It’s like the smoothie tip, where you do a common everyday activity in Spanish. Fortunately, that’s what we do at TruFluency Kids.
Our native teachers will teach all the fruits your kids need and want to know in Spanish. Even better, they’ll teach them vocabulary about other things and for many different situations. All in complete Spanish, because we believe a Spanish immersion program is the best way to learn.
That’s why there’s a fun activity during every lesson, so they’ll acquire the language in an entertaining and casual way. Your kids will sing in Spanish, dance, play word games and much more.
Most importantly, we encourage speaking, because that’s the only way to become truly fluent in Spanish.
So, if you want to see your kids become masters of Spanish, sign them up for our next four-week session. Or take a trial class first.
