In this post: Learn how to talk about hobbies in Spanish with vocabulary, books, and more! Plus, we’ll share about our unit on hobbies in the new Level 2.
Having something for your child to work hard at and pour their heart and soul into can be so fulfilling, whether it’s art, music, dance, sports, or anything else that makes them tick.
Hobbies also help teach our kids to develop skills as well as discipline, responsibility, team work, and so much more.
For this reason, if you really want to be able to connect with others while speaking Spanish, you’ll need to know how to talk about your hobbies and interests with them. This is one way that you can truly relate to others on a deeper level.
Ready to learn all about hobbies in Spanish? We have some helpful vocabulary, lessons, and books that you won’t want to miss!
Table of Contents
How do you say “hobbies” in Spanish?
The Spanish word for “hobbies” is los pasatiempos. This literally translates into “pastimes.”
You can talk about hobbies in Spanish a few different ways. For example:
| Spanish | English | Example |
| Mi pasatiempo favorito es… | My favorite hobby is… | Mi pasatiempo favorito es pintar. (My favorite hobby is painting.) |
| Me gusta… | I like… | Me gusta leer. (I like to read.) |
| Me encanta… | I love… | Me encanta bailar. (I love to dance.) |
Hobbies List in Spanish
Now that you know how to talk about your hobbies in Spanish, take a look through this Spanish hobbies list so you can start practicing!
¿Cuál es tu pasatiempo favorito? What’s your favorite hobby?
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
| andar en patineta | ahn-dahr ehn pah-tee-neh-tah | to skateboard |
| bailar | bay-lahr | to dance |
| cantar | kahn-tahr | to sing |
| esquiar | ehs-kyahr | to ski |
| hacer gimnasia | ah-sehr heem-nah-syah | to do gymnastics |
| jugar al fútbol | hoo-gahr ahl foot-bohl | to play soccer |
| jugar videojuegos | hoo-gahr bee-deh-oh-hweh-gohs | to play videogames |
| leer | leh-ehr | to read |
| montar a caballo | mohn-tahr ah kah-bah-yoh | to do horseback riding |
| pintar | peen-tahr | to paint |
| practicar karate | prahk-tee-kahr kah-rah-teh | to do karate |
| practicar natación | prahk-tee-kahr nah-tah-syohn | to swim |
| practicar surf | prahk-tee-kahr soorf | to surf |
| tejer | teh-hehr | to knit |
| tocar la guitarra | toh-kahr lah gee-tah-rrah | to play the guitar |
| tomar fotos | toh-mahr foh-tohs | photography |
Refer back to this list of Spanish words for activities that you love anytime, so you can talk all about your pasatiempos in Spanish!
Spanish Lessons about Hobbies
Want more practice talking about hobbies in Spanish? In our Llamitas Spanish Level 2 curriculum, Unit 2 is all about los pasatiempos.
In this unit, students will learn to speak about their interests and favorite activities in Spanish while also covering grammar concepts such as:
- Adverbs of frequency
- Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns
- Suffixes
- CVCV words (review)
At Llamitas Spanish, we believe in learning language in context through thematic lessons. That’s why students will learn all of this through stories and activities, including our living book Cuentos cortos infantiles, a collection of culturally authentic short stories.
In this unit, they’ll also learn the songs “Arroz con leche” (Rice Pudding), “Bate bate chocolate” (Beat Beat Chocolate), and “Caballito blanco” (Little White Horse).
As with all of the lessons included in our Llamitas Spanish curricula series, the lessons in this unit are interactive, fun, and rooted in Hispanic culture.
Related post: Elementary Homeschool Spanish Curriculum
Bilingual Story: Los pasatiempos de Marcos
Our bilingual story, “Los pasatiempos de Marcos,” is just one of the stories in our Cuentos cortos infantiles anthology.
In this story, students will discover traditional hobbies through a seven year old boy named Marcos from Mexico City. They’ll learn about the traditional dance El Jarabe Tapatío, the Mexican version of bingo called Lotería, la guitarra, and much more!
Learning about Marcos’ activities through this story ties together the grammar and language concepts of our unit on hobbies, with colorful illustrations plus native speaker audio for some additional authentic Spanish language input.
Related post: Dual Language Homeschool Education
Spanish Books about Hobbies
Reading Spanish books together is such a wonderful way to support your child’s language learning outside of the classroom.
At Llamitas Spanish, we want you to be successful at teaching your child Spanish, which is why we love to share the best learning resources with you.
Here are our favorite Spanish books about hobbies for you to check out:
Sembrando historias: Pura Belpré: bibliotecaria y narradora de cuentos
Sale
Sembrando historias: Pura Belpré: bibliotecaria y narradora de cuentos:…
- Hardcover Book
- Denise, Anika Aldamuy (Author)
- Spanish (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 01/15/2019 (Publication Date) – HarperCollins Espanol (Publisher)
Children who love reading will enjoy this book about Pura Belpré, New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian. Not only did she bring folktales from Puerto Rico to the US, but she also championed bilingual literature as an educator, storyteller, puppeteer, and writer.
Dive into our Feppy book bundle that pairs with the Level 2 Llamitas Spanish curriculum! El postre de las tres leches is a great pairing for the hobbies unit and baking enthusiasts!
Sale
A Paintbrush for Paco
- Hardcover Book
- Kyle, Tracey (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 07/03/2018 (Publication Date) – little bee books (Publisher)
Little artists and daydreamers will relate to Paco, who has a hard time concentrating at school until he discovers the art room, which is full of beautiful colors! This book is mostly in English with Spanish sprinkled throughout.
Sale
La Guitarrista
- Hardcover Book
- Diaz, Lucky (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 05/02/2023 (Publication Date) – HarperCollins (Publisher)
This bilingual picture book is sure to inspire music lovers to follow their dreams! It’s about a young girl who finds a broken guitar in the trash and works hard to reach her goal of becoming a rockstar. The back-and-forth English and Spanish feels very natural and is a refreshing take on presenting bilingual text.
Sale
Papá pinta mucho / Dad Draws and Paints a Lot (Spanish Edition)
- Hardcover Book
- Taboada, Bea (Author)
- Spanish (Publication Language)
- 24 Pages – 06/20/2023 (Publication Date) – B de Blok (Publisher)
Entirely in Spanish, this sweet picture book celebrates dads and creativity. The narrator of this story is a child whose dad, well, draws and paints a lot! He drew a lot as a child and still does as an adult—at work (as an architect) and on his child’s mac and cheese (with ketchup). It’s a great reminder of the unique ways we can show our love.
Ready to teach your kids about ‘los pasatiempos’? Head on over to our Llamitas Spanish curriculum level 2 now! Or, if you’re complete beginners, start with our level 1 curriculum to build all the foundations you need to dive into level 2.
Lydia is a freelance parenting and education writer. She previously taught English as a second language and enjoys sharing her love of language learning with her children.