Kids love catchy songs! There’s something special about engaging words set to a colorful melody that gives children the confidence to sing along. Since most children’s songs consist of cheerful beats and uplifting lyrics, it is the perfect combination of music and fun. Plus, children’s songs are very easy to learn by heart.
In fact, children don’t even realize how much they can improve their language skills while enjoying themselves. Thus, singing Spanish songs is an excellent way to promote language learning and fluency at home!
Even if most words are unknown at first, mimicking the words in a song helps children practice the sounds of a foreign language. Progressively, with the magic of repetition, the sounds will be understood thanks to context and your child will pronounce them naturally.
Besides, listening to Spanish songs for preschoolers gives many psychological benefits to your children in the development of language. It stimulates memory since it influences the ability to recall related concepts thanks to the fact that melodies make it easier for kids to remember long phrases.
For that reason, in our blog, we’ll share a delightful list of Spanish songs for preschoolers so you can get the most out of your child’s playtime.
Top Spanish Songs for Preschoolers
Mi Barba Tiene Tres Pelos (My Beard Has Three Hairs)
When children start forming numbers with their little hands, this song is the one to choose. The lyrics are about what makes a beard real, and it’s a great way to stimulate the psychomotor development of children since they can dance and move their hands to the song. Plus, you can make the chorus longer by skipping one or more words each time you repeat the song.
Sol, Solecito, Luna, Lunera (Sun, Little Sun, “Mooney” Moon)
A great way to start the morning in a good mood is to sing this optimistic song that praises the Sun and the Moon. It’s a bit hard to translate the title, since Lunera isn’t a word that actually exists in Spanish. However, you can think of it as a made-up adjective for the Moon. With this song, you can motivate the little ones of your house to get out of bed to go to school or to attend an event early in the morning.
Que Llueva, Que Llueva (Let it Rain, Let it Rain)
Perfect for kids that are rain lovers. In the Spanish-speaking world, children believe that singing this song does make it rain, which is, in our opinion, very cute. Plus, this song has a varied vocabulary that includes commonly used words by children. Thus, your children have a high chance to become more eloquent when explaining how awesome it is to play in the rain.
Los Pollitos Dicen (Little Chickens Say)
The production of onomatopoeias – words that name and imitate sounds – play an important role in early vocabulary development. They can help young children in two ways; by facilitating the understanding of speech sounds (vowels and consonants), and by helping them to link form to their referents.
In other words, to comprehend how and why letters sound the way they do in Pío, and to make them think of a chicken when they hear it. On the other hand, this song delivers a beautiful message about motherly love.
La Gallina Turuleca (The Weak Hen)
Turuleca refers to something or someone sick, weak, or clumsy. In this case, we meet a weak hen whose only defect is to lay too many eggs. Therefore, this song is the perfect excuse to study the numbers in Spanish, so your child can count the eggs to the rhythm of the music.
La Serpiente De Tierra Caliente (The Snake Of Hot Land)
We’re not sure if this snake is from Tierra Caliente, Mexico, or just a regular hot land. Nevertheless, we are certain it will help your child practice and master the Spanish R pronunciation. La serpiente de tierra caliente includes many words with R, both the soft R and double R.
Pronouncing the double R may be difficult for English natives at first. So we advise you to tell your children to curl their tongues and imitate a broken car (RRRRR) to achieve this sound.
La Vaca Lola (The Cow Lola)
This simple and short song describes one of the dearest farm animals for kids, a cow. La Vaca Lola is a unique example of deductive reasoning since we only know three things about Lola. Nevertheless, your children will have lots of fun dancing to the cumbia melody and mooing.
Muñequita Linda (Pretty Little Doll)
Are you the proud mother or father of a spoiled little princess? Then, this classical lullaby written by Mexican composer Maria Grever is for you. She was inspired by her daughter when she wrote this song. Therefore, this song conveys the pure feelings that derive from being blessed with a daughter; an angel in your life.
Originally a bolero, Nat King Cole recorded it in Spanish with a charming American accent. You can sing Muñequita Linda to your daughter while rocking her in a hammock or watching her in bed. And if your daughter has a toy baby and likes to play mom, you two can sing this song to her toy.
Mi Burrito Sabanero / El Burrito De Belén (My Donkey From The Savannah / The Little Donkey From Bethlehem)
The song about this little donkey is originally from Venezuela and it’s a traditional and neutral Christmas song. It narrates the journey of someone riding a donkey who is heading to Bethlehem. The song also refers to the planet Venus (El lucerito mañanero) and the 4-string Venezuelan musical instrument called cuatro, called in the song cuatrico.
Additionally, the knocking-door onomatopoeia tuki-tuki-tuki-tuki from the hook is very happy, so kids will love it. Lastly, this song is quite versatile since it doesn’t make any reference to religion or events associated with December holidays. It’s simply a narration about how exciting it is to visit Bethlehem on a donkey.
El Ratoncito Miguel (Little Mouse Miguel)
Mouse Miguel is afraid of cat Misifu, who makes his life hard every single day. Miguel is worried about his present and future and thinks he is going to starve forever. However, our little mouse thinks that it is better to see the glass half full and therefore starts seeing life with kinder eyes.
El Ratoncito Miguel was written by Felix Caignet and premiered at the Theater Rialto in 1932. As a curious fact, this song was inspired by the harsh socio-political situation that Cuba went through during Gerardo Machado’s dictatorship. So, if you relate to Cuban heritage, this song is a nice way to pass your roots to your children.
Using Music as a Learning tool for Preschoolers
Now that you’ve explored these Spanish songs for preschoolers, we’re sure you already have your favorite ones. But, do you know how to use music as a learning tool? These are our tips to introduce your children to songs in a foreign language.
Repetition
Repeat the songs with your children over and over again. If they like the songs, this will help them gain confidence very quickly. Encourage children to join in and follow the lyrics – they may have picked up a word here or there and may want to prove they know it when the song reached that point.
Movement
Moving our bodies while practicing words and sentences in a foreign language can do wonders for vocabulary retention. Gestures illustrate meaning, enhance memory, and allow people to demonstrate understanding non-verbally. Therefore, action songs and lessons are excellent for young children, shy learners, and children with special education needs.
Rhythm
It is important to use songs that have a good rhythm. But, what makes a rhythm good for language learning? Simply, one that is consistent and follows a regular pattern. Lyrics should fit well with the beat so your children can grasp the natural rhythms of language. For example stress, intonation, and cultural variations.
Lyrics
Pick a song that doesn’t go too beyond your child’s current level. A few new words and sentences are awesome, but if there are too many new things to learn, the experience can be frustrating. Singing songs with your children should be fun and inspiring, so don’t expect them to learn the song all at once. They can sing just the chorus or the part that excites them the most at first and later learn the song fully.
Try Interactive Spanish Classes
At TruFluency Kids we provide interactive language lessons for kids with teachers that have over 10 years of experience in early language development. Join a beginner 4-week session for 4-6 year olds, 7-9 year olds, or 10-12 year olds. Intermediate and advanced levels are also available.
