Kokone Mínimo is a website from Mexico designed to introduce children to basic vocabulary and concepts in their native Spanish language. Kokone means children in Náhuatl, one of the original languages of Mexico. Kokone Mínimo is a great site for Spanish language learners because it focuses on common objects and verbs and the language is presented with clear images, audio and written words. Parts of the body, vowels, shapes, colors, opposites – these are just a few of the concepts that children can learn in Spanish with the activities on this site.
The character that appears in the activities is a baby opossum called Tlacuache bebé. The word for opossum in Mexican Spanish is tlacuache. The activities are very simple, so they are a great way to introduce or review Spanish vocabulary. For most of them, to hear the audio, you click on the symbol of an ear on the right. Often there is also a pair of eyes that you click to animate the pictures.
The main menu is a set icons. When you mouse over them, you see the topic at the top of the table in Spanish. Click this link to go to the main menu of Kokone Mínimo. These are the titles and icons with a little information about the activities and the Spanish vocabulary they use.
Asociaciones de parejas / Pair association (umbrella icon)
This section has two parts with images and audio of related words.
Asociaciones de parejas 1: gallina – gallinero, manzana – frutal, marinero – barco, bombero-camión
Asociaciones de parejas 2: abañil – edificio, naranja – jugo, noche – cama, lluvia – paraguas
Primeras asociaciones / First associations (car icon)
This section has two parts with images and audio of related words.
Primeras asociaciones 1: ruedan – autobús, moto, coche, bicicleta; vuelan – avión, cohete, mariposa, pájaro, helicóptero; caminan – pinguino, pato, pollito, tortuga
Primeras asociaciones 2: navegan – galeón, velero, submarino, barco; animales pequeños – ratón, escarabajo, caballito de mar, oruga; tienen muchas patas – hormiga, cangrejo, saltamontes, pulpo
Tlacuache se baña / Tlacuache takes a bath (duck icon)
In this scene, you click on objects in a bathroom scene to see the words and hear them pronounced: toalla, cepillo de dientes, pasta de dientes, tina, jabón, patito, peine.
Los colores / Colors (colors icon)
This section is divided into primary and secondary colors. In the secondary color activity, two colors combine to make a secondary color and an object of that color appears. In both sections, click on the ear to hear the colors pronounced.
Partes de la cara / Parts of the face (Tlacuache’s head icon)
There is a face with words around it. When you click on the words, they are pronounced and an arrow goes to that part of the face: ceja, oreja, nariz, boca, cuello, ojo, pelo.
Tlacuache se va a dormir / Tlacuache goes to bed (moon icon)
In this bedroom scene, you click on objects to see the words and hear them pronounced: cama, buró, cobija, almohada, lámpara, interruptor.
¡A comer! / Time to eat (dish and spoon icon)
In this picture of Tlacuache in a highchair, you click on objects to see the word and hear them pronounced: taza, plátano, manzana, plato, silla, babero, cuchara. When you click on the eyes on the right, the picture changes to show several Tlacuaches eating.
Las figuras geométricas / Shapes (shapes icon)
The activity shows shapes which animate into an objects when you click the eyes. The audio pronounces the name of the shape: círculo, cuadrado, triángulo, rectángulo, rombo, óvalo.
Tlacuache te viste / Tlacuache dresses you (clothes icon)
There is a figure of a little boy with the clothes around the figure. Click the clothes and they go on the boy as the word is pronounced and the written word appears: playera, pantalón, tenis, gorra, anteojos.
Las partes del cuerpo / Parts of the body (Tlacuache icon)
There is a figure of a boy with the words around the figure. Click on a word to hear it pronounced. An arrow goes to the body part: pelo, ombligo, pierna, pie, mano, brazo, cara.
Tlacuache juega / Tlacuache plays (toys icon)
Click on the toy to see the word and hear it pronounced: teléfono, osito, carriola, muñeca, tren, barco, pelota, coche, cubos.
Tlacuache sale de viaje / Tlacuache goes on a trip (boat icon)
Click on the vehicles to see them animate and hear them pronounced: avión, barco, coche, tren.
Las vocales / The vowels (letters icon)
This activity teaches the vowels sounds. For each vowel, there are several words with pictures and the words are pronounced.
Animales / Animals (dog icon)
Click on the animal to see the word and hear it pronounced: cerdo, perro, gallina, gato, vaca, perico.
Opuestos / Opposites (sun-moon icon)
This activity is divided into two parts.
Opuestos 1: lejos – cerca, largo – corto, abajo – arriba, día – noche. Click on the eyes to see the words animated. Click on the ear to hear the words pronounced.
Opuestos 2: pocos – muchos, alto – bajo, dentro – fuera. This set has the animation and word on the screen, but there is no audio.
A jugar / Playtime (six dots icon)
This is a set of simple games including playing instruments, doing puzzles and coloring. None of these games are language based. They will be too simple for all but the youngest children.
Las frutas / Fruits (strawberry icon)
Clcik on a fruit in the bowl to see the word and hear it pronounced: plátano, uvas, limón, naranja, fresa, manzana, pera.
Los números / Numbers (number icon)
Use the arrows to move though the numbers 1-10 with pictures and pronunciation.
Diccionario / Dictionary (open book icon)
This is a picture dictionary with wonderful images and sound for each picture. Click on the picture to hear the word pronounced.
The dictionary is divided into these categories:
Animales / Animals
Objetos de la casa / Household objects
Objetos de la escuela / Classroom objects
Objetos del parque / Objects in the park
Juguetes / Toys
Frutas y verduras / Fruits and vegetables
Medios de transporte / Transportation
Tlacua super estrella / Tlacua Super Star (Tlacuache and star icon)
These are short animations, with no audio. They are not language based, but they are excellent for reinforcing the vocabulary from the activities and the basic verbs in the titles.
For example, Tlacuache se baña (Tlacuache takes a bath) uses the bathroom scene from the earlier activity, so that you can use se baña and talk about what you see using the vocabulary. Tlacuache duerme (Tlacuache sleeps) uses the scene from Tlacuache se va a dormir, so you can talk about what you see in the bedroom. The same is true for Tlacuache come (Tlacuache eats). Only Tlacuache y la mariposa (Tlacuache and the butterfly) does not have a setting that includes vocabulary from the other activities.
There is a menu bar at the bottom of the screen with the words Juega, Conoce, and Diviértete. These words take you to activities that are in the main menu.
Juega take you to the set of games in A jugar. These games are not language based.
Conoce goes to Asociaciones de parejas.
Diviértete takes you to the animations in Tlacua super estrella.
