Songs are a good way for children to learn the days of the week in Spanish. If they understand the concept of the week in English, they are learning new labels. As they apply the words to their daily activities they will learn the words at a deeper level, but songs are a good way to start. Here are two songs that work well to teach the Spanish days of the week. The first focuses on the day of the week and the second teaches the days of the week and weather.

Song for learning the days of the week in Spanish

This song, Los días de la semana, is by Dámaris Gelabert. The tune is easy and there is plenty of repetition of the Spanish days. The words semana (week) and siete (seven) are also a part of the song, and all these words reinforce each other.

This video has the words for the Spanish days of the week on the screen, and it also has the numbers and images for cole (school) and casa (home). The lyrics and a translation follow the video. You can buy the mp3 of Los días de la semana on Amazon.

The days of the week in Spanish – Lyrics and translation

Lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sabado, y domingo.
Lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sabado, y domingo.
Son siete días a la semana,
Cinco en el cole y dos en casa.
Hoy los aprendo cantando así.
Lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sabado, y domingo.
Lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sabado, y domingo.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
There are seven days in the week,
Five in school and two at home.
Today I learn them singing this way.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Song for learning the Spanish days of the week and weather expressions

This song, Los días de la semana, is from the children’s musical Shalambá. The musical is produced by Andrés Meseguer, who produces other musicals in Spain and also CDs of children’s music. This song associates each day of the week with a different weather condition. This is an effective teaching strategy because kids can associate the days with something visual. Of course, it does not rain every Monday, but for the purposes of learning the vocabulary, that does not matter.

This video has the words for the Spanish days of the week on the screen and also images that make the weather vocabulary clear.  The lyrics and a translation follow the video.

Song for learning the Spanish days of the week and weather expressions – Lyrics and translation

Los lunes llueve mucho.
Los martes hace sol.
Los miercoles, nublado está.
Los jueves, ¡qué calor!
Los viernes hace viento,
las hojas caen al son.
Los sábados al parque voy.
Es domingo ¡Qué ilusión!

Los días de la semana
son siete nada más.
Y ahora tú los vas a recordar:
lunes, martes, miercoles, jueves, viernes, sabado, domingo.

Mondays it rains a lot.
Tuesdays it is sunny.
Wednesdays it is cloudy
Thursdays, so hot!
Fridays, it is windy,
The leaves fall to the sound.
Saturdays, I go to the park.
Sundays, how exciting! (or, Isn’t it wonderful? ¡Qué ilusión! is a common expression to express happiness.)

The days of the week,
there are only seven.
And now you are going to remember them:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

Unfortuantely, the songs from Shalambá are not yet available to buy in the US. You can listen to all of Andrés Meseguer’s songs on his website, and one of the CDs, La banda de Ary Tikky, is available on iTunes.

You may also be interested in these posts:

Spanish months, seasons, days of the week, weather – Free printable materials for class

Printable healthy eating charts teach days of the week in Spanish

This is wonderful Spanish song to teach or review colors. The song is called Todas las cosas tienen su color and it is by Siempre así y los Caños. The beginning of the song relates colors to objects, reinforcing the color word and the words for the different items. The second part of the song is a list of things, but the song does not mention their color. This list lends itself to lots of different activities. Kids can color pictures they are given, classify the objects by color or draw their own pictures.

This video has great pictures and also has the lyrics on the screen. I have included the lyrics below, too. This is another video of the Spanish song about colors with pictures than children have drawn.

You can download Todas las cosas tienen su color from Amazon.

Spanish song lyrics

Blanca la nieve, blanca la sal,
Azul el cielo, azul el mar,
Verde los campos, amarillo el sol,
Todas las cosas tienen su color.

Gris la nube cuando va a llover,
Naranja el cielo al atardecer,
Roja la amapola, negro el carbón,
Todas las cosas tienen su color.

Una pera, una manzana, un melocotón,
un canario, una sardina, una vaca, un león,
una radio, una nevera, un televisor,
Todas las cosas tienen su color.

Un arbusto, una planta, una hierba, una flor,
una bici, una moto, un coche, un camión,
una flauta, una guitarra, un acordeón,
Todas las cosas tienen su color.

You may also be interested in Online activity teaches Spanish pronunciation and colores 1

Caballito blanco (Little White Horse) is one of the first songs my children learned in Spanish. We happen to have a white horse, so my kids loved it. Children all over the Spanish-speaking world sing this traditional song. I have also seen Caballito blanco identified as a jump rope rhyme, but my family learned the song and that is how I have used it in teaching Spanish to children.

There are several versions of Caballito blanco. The longest version has three distinct parts. The first asks the white horse to take the singer home, the second is about three sheep, and the third part tells Juana to get up and light a candle to investigate a noise. Often, children learn only the first two, and many recordings are done with just those two parts. I use a version with just the first two parts for teaching.

I like to sing this song with children learning Spanish for several reasons. First, it has very concrete, common vocabulary. It also has several verb forms that children learn right away: tengo (I have), tienes (you have), da (gives). Finally, the clear rhyme scheme reinforces the correct prononciation of the Spanish vowels.

You will find the lyrics for all three parts below. I have included common variations in parenthesis and a translation.

Caballito blanco – Spanish song – listen online

You can listen to several different versions of this song online.

Spanish song – Caballito Blanco. This is the longest version and it has the words on the screen.
Spanish song - Caballito Blanco. This is another version with all three parts.
Spanish song – Caballito Blanco. This video uses the first two parts of the song. I like the photographs of horses and sheep! The video supports the words to the song well.

Caballito blanco – Spanish song lyrics

Caballito blanco,
llévame de aquí, (sácame de aquí,)
llévame a mi pueblo
donde yo nací.

Tengo, tengo, tengo,
tú no tienes nada,
tengo tres ovejas
en una cabaña. (en una manada.)

Una me da leche,
otra me da lana,
y otra, mantequilla
para la semana.

Levántate Juana
y prende la vela (a prender la vela)
para ver quien anda
por la cabecera.
Son los angelitos
que andan de carrera
despertando al niño
para ir a la escuela.

Caballito blanco – Spanish song translation

Little white horse,
Take me away.
Take me to the town,
Where I was born.

I have, I have, I have,
You have nothing.
I have three sheep,
In a cabin. (herd)

One gives me milk,
Another gives me wool,
And another, butter,
for the week.

Get up Juana
and light the candle (to light the candle)
to see who is walking
on the headboard.

It is the little angels,
hurrying along,
waking the child
to go to school.

Caballito blanco – Spanish song downloads from Amazon

There are many versions of this song available to download on Amazon and iTunes. If I am using a song with children learning Spanish, I look for a version that is clear and not too fast.

Here are a few versions of Caballito blanco that work well with Spanish language learners:

Spanish song Caballito blanco – José Luis Orozco. This is the slowest and clearest version of this song that you will find. It is wonderful for beginning learners and little children. I love the sound of the horses hooves!

Spanish song Caballito blanco – Jorge Lan. This is from the CD Rondas infantiles 3. It is a little faster than the version by José Luis Orozco and it has a slightly different tune that the most traditional version.

Spanish song Caballito blanco – This is a version from the CD Canciones infantiles y cuentos. Again, it is a little faster. It has the traditional tune.

You may also be interested in this traditional song for children: Spanish songs for children – Debajo de un botón
 
 
 
 

Babyradio is a new internet radio station from Spain (Cadiz) for children 0-6. It broadcasts Spanish songs, stories and games. Babyradio debuted in September, and they are still adding to their programming and their site.

This is a very engaging language resource for Spanish-speaking families. It might also be useful for teachers in immersion programs or other settings where their students have a high level of Spanish. There is a lot of repetition, so children will learn the songs and games. The language is too difficult for beginner learners, but teachers may get ideas for Spanish songs, stories and games.

Click here to listen to Spanish songs, games and stories from Babyradio.

Unfortunately, the difference in time between the Americas and Spain makes it hard to us take full advantage of Babyradio’s programming. Because they are seven hours ahead of us (or six, eight, or nine hours, depending on where you live), at 3:00 here in Wisconsin, they have started their buenas noches programming. This is music without words, adapted from grandes clásicos such as Bach and Pucinni. They also play this music during naptime, 15:00-17:00 hora de España, which unfortunately falls during our morning. As you can see, you have to plan a little bit to take advantage of the Spanish language. For me, after 10:00 am there are five hours of programing that are great for kids. You can also listen if you are up very late, or very early. This is not much help if your kids are in school, but if you have little ones at home, or can listen on the weekend, I think you will enjoy Babyradio.

Specifically, you will hear traditional Spanish songs like Debajo de un botón and El patio de mi casa. There are games, too. For example, in one game children guess the sound they hear (a horse, a doorbell, a telephone) and in another they try to copy a rhythm that they hear. There are also many stories. Some are classics like Los tres cerditos (The Three Pigs) and others are original. Some of the stories are told in verse, with lots of rhyme and rhythm. With all of these – songs, games, stories – there is lots of language play, something that I really enjoy about Babyradio!

There is an app for iPhone, so if you have one, you can listen to Babyradio there too. Unfortunately, the app does not adjust to the hour on the phone. I am hoping that will change with the next version!

You may also be interested in:
Butiá – Fabulous website for children’s music in Spanish

I want to thank Spanish Playground reader Kelli for sharing this great resource! These video Spanish lessons are offered free online on Instant Replay, part of the South Carolina Educational Portal that offers on-demand, curriculum-based streaming video from South Carolina ETV (Educational Television) and the S.C. Department of Education/ITV. These lessons are an introduction to Spanish for young learners. They were designed for elementary schools that do not have a language teacher. There are six series, each with 10 video lessons:

1. First Step Español
2. First Step Español Again
3. Next Step Español
4. Next Step Español Again
5. Another Step Español
6. Another Step Español Again

Each video lesson is about 15 minutes long. The “again” series are follow-up lessons that use the same themes as the original lessons. The focus of the videos is exposure to the spoken language, so almost all of the lesson is in Spanish.

Use this link to reach the list of series – Spanish video. Click on the series to reach the ten video lessons.

There are lesson plans available as pdfs for the First Step Español and Next Step Español series. These lessons were developed to be used by classroom teachers who have little or no knowledge of the language. The plans have vocabulary, cultural information, follow-up activities and supplemental activities.
You can access the lesson plans at these links:
First Step Español
Next Step Español

A link to the pdf is also available under the video, but in the very first lesson (Lesson 1 of First Step Español) the German lesson plan is attached by mistake. You can reach the lesson plan for that lesson using the link above.

You may also be interested in:
Free Spanish Videos to use with kids

This lovely Spanish song, Hola buen día, día is wonderful for children learning the language. The song is a poem by Douglas Wright, a well-known author and illustrator from Argentina. Douglas is also a musician and performer. He has set the poem to music and shares the song on his blog El Jardín de Douglas.

I wrote an article about using the poem Hola buen día, día with Spanish language learners in November. Douglas Wright illustrates his work, and the poem and the illustration are available on his blog. The article I wrote includes ideas for teaching the poem using the illustration. You can find that post here: Spanish poem for children.

The Spanish song Hola buen día, día makes the poem even more accessible to language learners. The rhythm helps children memorize the song. Singing is also excellent pronunciation practice, as children absorb and imitate native-speaker Spanish. As you will hear, the song is done as an echo. It is perfect for sharing with children!

Listen to the Spanish song Hola buen día, día.

These are the lyrics of the song. You can also find the poem and the illustration on El Jardín de Douglas using this link: Spanish poem with illustration  A translation follows these lyrics.

“Hola, buen día, día”,
digo con alegría;
digo “buen día, cielo”
digo “buen día, sol”;
esta vida es mi vida,
la vida de este día;
este día es mi día:
este día soy yo.

Hi, good day, day
I say happily;
I say “Good day, sky”
I say “Good day, sun”
This life is my life,
My life today.
This day is my day:
This day I am I. (or as we often say “I am me”)

The poem, illustration and song of Hola buen día, día are a wonderful combination of materials for children learning Spanish. They allow kids to work with the language in different ways and provide for the repetition they need to really learn Spanish. I so appreciate that Douglas Wright generously makes his work available on his blog!

You may also be interested in this post on another Spanish poem by Douglas Wright.

The traditional Spanish game, Debajo del puente (Under the Bridge), has several versions. It is a hand-clapping game and is also used as a jump-rope rhyme. The hand-clapping game ends with the kids freezing in place and trying not to laugh or move. As the words indicate, the first one who moves gets a pinch. Kids love this game, but be sure they know that the pinch should not be hard!

Rhymes like this are wonderful for pronunciation and also for absorbing the structures of Spanish. Because children memorize rhymes, they can produce quantities of Spanish with correct sounds and grammar. This helps them learn the rhythm and the deep structure of the Spanish language.

Of course, it is important that children understand what the rhyme means. One simple way to do this is by drawing a picture of a snake under a bridge brushing his teeth. You can also teach the rhyme with gestures. Use your hands to make a bridge, a slithering snake, and brush your teeth. Nod your head yes for verdad que sí and shake your head no for verdad que no.

This is one common version of the Spanish game Debajo del puente. Any simple hand-clapping pattern will do, such as: clap, right to right, clap, left to left, clap, both hands. You can hear this Spanish game by clicking on the audio link.

The translation is word-for word, with no attempt to keep the rhythm or rhyme. I include it here for adults learning Spanish with their children.

Audio of Spanish game - Debajo del puente (hand-clapping)

Debajo del puente / Under the  bridge
había una serpiente, / there was a snake
lavándose los dientes / brushing his teeth
con agua caliente. / with hot water.

¿Verdad que sí?/ Isn’t that right?
Tilín, tilín, / Tilín, tilín
¿Verdad que no? / Isn’t that wrong?
Tolón tolón, / Tolón, tolón
Si te mueves o te ríes, / If you move or you laugh,
te daré un pellizcón. / I will give you a pinch.

This is another version of this Spanish hand-clapping game.

Debajo de un puente,
había una serpiente
Lavándose los dientes
con agua caliente
Si dice que sí,
chi qui, chi qui chi,
Si dice que no,
do bo, do bo do
Si te ríes o te mueves,
te daré un pellizcón.

The words are slightly different when the rhyme is used as a jump rope rhyme. This is one common version and a translation. If the child jumping rope answers no, she keeps jumping. If she answers yes, she runs out.

Audio of Spanish game - Debajo de un puente (jump-rope game)

Debajo de un puente / Under a bridge
había una serpiente / there was a snake
con ojos de cristal / with glass eyes
para ir al hospital. / to go to the hospital
¿Quiere usted salir? / Do you want to go?

The last line can also be:
¿Quieres salir de aquí, sí o no? / Do you want to leave here, yes or no?

I’m in Lima, Peru, enjoying time with my family, so Spanish Playground is going to be quieter than usual for the next couple of weeks.  Here is a post I did last year on the Spanish song for Christmas, or villancico, Noche de paz. It is a great carol for kids learning Spanish.

Language and culture are inseparable. The Catholic church has a strong presence in Spanish-speaking countries, and many traditions center around religious holidays. Through Christmas traditions and songs, children learning Spanish learn language, history, and the values and views that influence Spanish-speaking societies. If your family enjoys Christmas music, carols are an excellent way of exposing children to Spanish.

Noche de paz is the carol known as Silent Night in English. The original carol is in German, and there are several translations and variations in Spanish, just as there are in English. Some versions use more standard Spanish vocabulary and syntax, and those are a good choice for Spanish language learners. The versions below are all sung done by popular artists. The first is by a group from Spain, La Oreja de Van Gogh. The second is by the Mexican singer Luis Miguel. Both of these versions use common Spanish words.

The final video is one of the more traditional versions of the carol sung by Laura Pausini. She is an Italian artist who is also sings in Spanish and is very popular in the Spanish-speaking world.

The words and a translation follow the videos. The translations are not literary translations. They are word-for-word translations, for meaning only, and I include them here for those learning Spanish.

Noche de paz, noche de amor / Night of peace, night of love
Clara estrella brilla ya / Clear star shining now
Y los ángeles cantando están / and the angles are singing
«Gloria a Dios, gloria al rey celestial» / “Glory to God, Glory to the celestial king”
Duerme el niño Jesús / The baby Jesus is sleeping
Duerme el niño Jesús / The baby Jesus is sleeping

Noche de paz, noche de amor / Night of peace, night of love
Todo duerme alrededor. / Everything is sleeping all around
Sólo velan en la oscuridad / Only keeping watch in the darkness
Los pastores que en el campo están / are the shepards in the fields
Y la estrella en Belén / and the star in Bethlehem
Y la estrella en Belén / and the star in Bethlehem

Noche de paz, noche de amor / Night of peace, night of love
Nueva luz celestial. / New celestial light
Floreció la feliz Navidad /Christmas joy arrived
Es palabra y mensaje de paz / It is a promise and message of peace
Duerme el niño Jesús / The baby Jesus is sleeping
Duerme el niño Jesús / The baby Jesus is sleeping

Noche de paz, noche de amor, / Night of peace, night of love
todo duerme alrededor. / everything is sleeping all around.
Todo el mundo celebra con fe / The whole world celebrates with faith
a ese niño nacido en Belén, / the child born in Bethlehem
con canciones del corazón. / with heartfelt songs.
Hoy ha nacido el amor. / Today love is born.

Noche de paz, noche de amor, / Night of peace, night of love
todo duerme alrededor, / everything is sleeping all around
y los ángeles quieren cantar, / and the angles want to sing
para no despertar al Señor. / so as not to awaken the Lord.
Todo es paz y oscuridad. / All is peace and darkness.
Hoy ha nacido el amor. / Today love is born.

Noche de paz, noche de amor, / Night of peace, night of love
todo duerme alrededor, / Everything is sleeping all around
y los ángeles quieren cantar, / and the angles want to sing
para no despertar al Señor. / so as not to awaken the Lord.
Todo es paz y oscuridad. / All is peace and darkness.
Hoy ha nacido el amor. / Today love is born.

Noche de paz, noche de amor, / Night of peace, night of love
todo duerme alrededor. / Everything is sleeping all around.
Todo el mundo celebra con fe / The whole world celebrates with faith
a ese niño nacido en Belén / the child born in Bethlehem
con canciones del corazón. / with heartfelt songs.
Hoy ha vencido el amor. / Today love has won.

Noche de paz, noche de amor, / Night of peace, night of love
Todo duerme en derredor. / Everything is sleeping all around
Entre los astros que esparcen su luz / Among the stars that scatter their light
Bella, anunciando al niñito Jesús. / Beautiful, anouncing the baby Jesus,
Brilla la estrella de paz, / Shines the star of peace,
Brilla la estrella de paz. / Shines the star of peace.

Noche de paz, noche de amor / Night of peace, night of love
Todo duerme en derredor. / Everything is sleeping all around
Sólo velan en la oscuridad / Only keeping watch in the darkness
Los pastores que en el campo están / are the shepards in the fields
Y la estrella de Belén / and the star of Bethlehem
Y la estrella de Belén / and the star of Bethlehem

These two award-winning Spanish audio CDs by Beth Manners are designed to introduce children ages 2-7 to Spanish. Playtime Spanish for Kids and Fun Spanish for Kids teach basic Spanish vocabulary and phrases. They also introduce correct Spanish pronunciation, giving children the chance to hear native speakers, absorb the sounds of Spanish and practice these sounds. You can hear samples of both these CDs and learn about Beth Manners’ other language learning products on her website Fun French and Spanish.

Playtime Spanish for Kids is a Spanish audio CD that introduces children to topics like greetings, numbers, animals, the days of the week, and colors. It also has a substantial cultural component, with imaginary trips to Spain and Mexico.

The first six tracks on this CD model and teach greetings, introductions, and responses to “How are you?”. With songs, actions, the game Simon Says, and a story, the CD presents the vocabulary and structures for these situations and also provides the repetition and reinforcement that children need to learn language.

Most of the cultural component on this CD is in English. It is a brief introduction to two countries where Spanish is spoken. Kids hear a little information about Spain – the old buildings of Barcelona, the beautiful beaches and meals. Related to meals, they hear and repeat tengo hambre (I’m hungry), and the words el desayuno (breakfast), el almuerzo (lunch) and la cena (dinner). They are also introduced to the typical Spanish foods gazpacho and paella. On an imaginary trip to Mexico, kids hear mariachi music and dance the Mexican hat dance. These cultural elements make children aware of Spanish-speaking countries in a very general, age-appropriate way.

This Spanish audio CD also introduces kids to animals, the days of the week and colors. There is a substantial amount of vocabulary and it is presented much more quickly than the initial lessons about greetings. The meaning is clear because the Spanish words are presented with the English. Also, sound effects reinforce the animal vocabulary, and all of the words are used in songs. Still, children should not expect to be able to remember the meaning of these words or be able to repeat them right away. This CD is meant to be listened to many times, and over time children will become familiar with these Spanish words.

Fun Spanish for Kids is another Spanish audio CD that introduces children to lots of vocabulary including food, colors, weather and common verbs. These words are presented in translation; kids hear the words in English and Spanish. Like Playtime Spanish for Kids, this Spanish audio is meant to be listened to many times. Lists of Spanish words go by quickly, and beginning Spanish learners will not remember them at first. With time, kids will become familiar with the vocabulary.

This Spanish audio, Fun Spanish for Kids, also introduces kids to the basics of verb conjugation. With a stuffed animal, children do a series of actions. First, they do it themselves saying, for example, Yo me siento (I sit down). Then, children have their animal friend do it and say, Tú te sientas. (You sit down). Next, they both do it and say Nosotros nos sentamos (We sit down.). Combining the language with actions, helps children process Spanish at a deeper level.

Throughout the CD children are encouraged to repeat the Spanish they hear. The children on the CD speak clearly and model correct Spanish pronunciation, so that kids can absorb the sounds of the language.

Both of these Spanish audio CDs introduce children to a large amount of Spanish vocabulary and the sounds of the language. The words are presented in conjunction with English, so the meaning is clear. With time and repetition, children will become familiar with the Spanish on Playtime Spanish for Kids and Fun Spanish for Kids and have a substantial head-start on learning the language.

Read about other language learning products from Beth Manners:
Spanish in a Basket
Magic Spanish for Kids

Disclosure: The company sent me a copy of the CDs to write this article. All of the ideas and opinions are my own.

The new Whistlefritz DVD is a wonderful language learning experience and so much fun! La fiesta de Fritzi, Fritzi’s party, introduces children ages 2-7 to Spanish. The DVD combines live action with animation to immerse children in the language. I will mention a few of the features I love on this DVD. You can read more about why the Whistlefritz approach to language learning so effective in this article about their DVD Las estaciones.

On the Whistlefritz website you can find all their Spanish CDs and Spanish DVDs for kids.  They have offered a 25% discount on La fiesta de Fritzi to Spanish Playground readers until Dec. 21. Just use the code “FritziParty.”

The producers of La Fiesta de Fritzi are experts on making high-quality Spanish language materials. This DVD has masterful pacing and wonderful content. These are just a few of the features that make it work:

- Amazing clear, standard Spanish. This might be the clearest Spanish ever spoken. No doubt the context and the repetition help children understand, but the Spanish itself is also incredibly clear. It is slower than most speech, yet has a perfectly natural rhythm. You and your child will be able to repeat every sound on this DVD.

- Length. The DVD is 30 minutes long and leaves children (and adults) wanting more. Kids will not be bored. On the contrary, this is a DVD they will watch over and over.

- Carefully selected content. There is a ton of Spanish on this DVD, and it is all representative and related. La fiesta de Fritzi exposes kids to basic structures and vocabulary including colors, household words, toys, and words for a table setting. It also provides natural, appropriate exposure to other structures like the future tense.

- Repetition. It is impossible to stress how important it is for children to hear the same phrases again and again in a context that makes the meaning clear. La fiesta de Fritzi is carefully structured to provide lots of repetition, both within individual scenes and throughout the DVD as a whole. Parents and teachers can make the most of this by reinforcing the key sentences in daily routines. ¿Qué más necesitamos? (What else do we need?), for example, is a sentence that is repeated very effectively on the DVD. We can say this every time we set the table for dinner! Likewise, the structure of the sentence Hay juguetes en el piso (There are toys on the floor.) is used repeatedly in the video and can easily be applied to many situations every day.

- Language in a supporting role. Often, the best language-learning experiences happen when children’s attention is not on the language itself, but shifted slightly. For example, on this DVD there is a wonderful animated scene in which a fox gathers different colored balloons. The antics of the fox and the balloons are very funny and completely engaging. Each time a new balloon is added, all the color words are repeated, but the repetition of the words is not the focus of the scene or of children’s attention. This kind of carefully structured implicit learning is very effective.

- María. María is the friend and teacher in this DVD. Her wonderfully expressive voice makes Spanish easy to understand. I am also so impressed by her use of gestures! The first time she makes a gesture, for comer (to eat) for example, it is clear and obvious. As she continues to use the word, the gesture is more subtle. Children will not even notice that she is using certain gestures, but they greatly help kids’ understanding and learning of the language.

- Jorge Anaya. In addition to singing all of the fun songs on La fiesta de Fritzi, this wonderful musician makes an appearance to perform Las mañanitas as a birthday serenade. The song is an excellent cultural element to include and this version is lovely. My only disappointment was that he did not sing all the verses (it is a very, very long song), and instead stopped with an appropriate number of lines for children learning Spanish.

- Everybody is so happy!  La Fiesta de Fritzi just makes you feel good about the day. The smiles and laughs are contagious. Watching, I was reminded that speaking Spanish really is one of the most fun things anyone can do!

Disclosure: The company sent me a copy of the DVD to write this article. All of the ideas and opinions are my own.