5 Great Spanish YouTube Channels for Kids

YouTube is a fabulous source of authentic language for young Spanish learners. Of course, the videos need to be selected with care. Kids also need support to create an effective, positive learning experience. Below are a 5 Spanish YouTube channels with videos that can be used successfully with language learners.

You have to choose the videos kids watch from these Spanish YouTube channels. Some of them are too difficult to use easily with Spanish learners. The goal is to expose kids to authentic language, but at the same time keep learning fun and not overwhelm them.

I look for:

• Short videos, usually less than 3 minutes long (and often only a minute or so). It is much easier to repeat and support the content if you are working with something short. It is also easier for Spanish learners to pay attention to authentic language for short periods of time.
• One central idea. If there is one idea, the video is more likely to have focused,  predictable vocabulary. It will be much easier to understand.
• Images that support the language. I try to avoid images that are distracting or that do not add to the meaning.
• Some familiar vocabulary to orient kids. Kids can hang on to even a few familiar key words.
• Clear audio. The Spanish in these videos is sometimes fast, but it is clear. Avoid too much background music or noise that makes it hard to hear the words.

Habla Jorge

Even selecting videos carefully, you may find that the channels featured below overwhelm your language learners. If that is the case, try the Habla Jorge series instead. These videos meet all the criteria I mentioned above.

A native speaker from Peru, Jorge talks uses a YouTuber style to talk about common objects using high-frequency vocabulary. The videos are fun and funny! Watch the Habla Jorge videos Kids Learn Spanish Los Limones and Kids Learn Spanish Los Calcetines if the videos below are too challenging for your learners at this point.

Spanish YouTube Channels for Kids

1. Semillitas TV  This Spanish YouTube channel has videos of activities, songs, crafts, and even coloring. There are series like ¿Qué puedes encontrar en el closet?, Figuras en las nubes, Aprende las profesiones and Pinta con Semillita that work well with Spanish learners. The speech is fast, but clear, and the videos are very focused.

2. Leoncito Alado – This Spanish YouTube channel has clear, slow songs for little children.

3. A Tiempo Preescolar is a division of the Chilean TV Studio A Tiempo. They have lots of cartoons and songs you can use with kids. In particular, I like Serie de animación La Tortuga Taruga, and Serie Uno, dos, tres a jugar.

4. Cantoalegre has different types of videos on their Spanish YouTube channel. Some are of performances, but the ones I like best for kids learning Spanish are fun music videos with the lyrics on the screen.  Cantoalegre has additional videos on Vimeo.

5. Once niños – This channel has programs from Canal Once, a Mexican educational television network owned by Instituto Politecnico Nacional. Once niños has several playlists that work with children learning Spanish at a variety of ages. Take a look at Monstrurario where kids create a monster by describing different parts. There is also a playlist called Los cuentos más pequeños del mundo. The stories are only about 1:25 long, but are fairly dense linguistically so they are not for very beginners. The playlist called Una vez soñé has videos where kids describe their dreams. The videos have the kids talking and images have been added.