¡Hola, Crayola! ¡Adios, carita de arroz! There are lots of Spanish rhymes like this, and kids like learning them because they are fun to say. They are some of the first spontaneous interactions in Spanish that I hear between students. Many of these Spanish rhymes are used to greet someone and are based on the word hola. Children say them with enthusiasm and affection. Other rhyming phrases are based on common expressions like bien dicho [...]
This is a Spanish Valentine game based on completing a two line rhyme with a silly word. I do it with picture cards, to be sure that students know what the rhymes means when they complete it. A link to the PDF of the cards is at the end of this post. There are three short rhymes to complete in different ways, but you can use just one or two. These are the rhymes: Porque [...]
These two sets of printable Spanish cards have pictures of words that rhyme. There are thirty pairs, sixty words in all. The cards can be used in lots of different ways. I made them without text for a group of preschoolers and added text for a mixed age group. You can download and print both sets using the links below. Rhyming is an important pre-literacy skill and an ability that should be developed in children [...]
Manzanita del Perú and En un café are traditional counting-out rhymes to start games. For both, kids usually count to ten, but sometimes they stop at three, since tres and diez rhyme. I have also seen Manzanita del Perú used as a jump rope rhyme. It has a great rhythm for jumping! Spanish rhymes like these are a good way for beginning learners to produce the language. Chanting a rhyme, kids will use vocabulary and [...]
This slideshare presentation has nine short Spanish poems about winter. They were compiled by a teacher in Alicante, Spain. One of the poems is a traditional song that I wrote about here: Spanish song – Winter. Unfortunately, I do not know the authors or sources of the other poems. You will find a Spanish transcript below the slide presentation. If you recognize any of the other poems, I would love to know if they are [...]
Este dedito compró un huevito (this little finger, or toe, bought an egg) is a Spanish rhyme that you say as you play with a child’s fingers or toes. It is a traditional rhyme and one of the most common games to play with little children. It is perfect for preschoolers and older kids too because it has lots of rhythm and great verbs. Older kids can do it as a finger play. This rhyme [...]
Hand clapping games are great Spanish language activities for children. These two games are each based on just one word, so they are simple to learn. One is Chocolate and the other is Mariposa (butterfly). They are both excellent for practicing correct Spanish pronunciation. The games break the word into syllables and put it together again. Both rhymes reinforce the short, clear vowel sounds of Spanish. The words to Chocolate are: Choco, choco, la, la [...]
Children naturally play with language as they learn, experimenting with Spanish rhyme and rhythm. In English, they say “See ya later, alligator” and “After a while, crocodile”. They also make up rhymes and sayings with their friends. The expressions are often nonsense. Children say them for the sound of the language. There are lots of Spanish rhymes like this, and children enjoy learning them because they are fun to say. These are some of the [...]
Spanish rhymes, like eeny-meeny-miny-mo in English, are an easy way to add Spanish to your home or classroom. These are choosing rhymes, or counting-0ut rhymes, and are used to start games. They are fun for children to say, and teach them Spanish pronunciation and rhythm. There are many different rhymes like these and many variations of each one. De tin marín, is the most common of these Spanish rhymes in Latin America, and my children [...]
Spanish rhymes are fun to say and teach lots of language. They can teach basic vocabulary, numbers and letters. There are lots of Spanish rhymes to teach the vowels, and this is one if my favorites. Tomorrow I am flying to Peru visit my daughter for a couple of weeks. As you can see, this rhyme is relevant! While I’m in Peru I plan to spend time looking at books, games, and educational materials. Also, [...]