In this post: A round-up of some of the most authentic Spanish nursery rhymes to teach your kids.

Looking for authentic Spanish nursery rhymes with lyrics? Spanish nursery rhymes are a popular language learning tool and bonding experience for bilingual families with young kids.

In this post, you’ll find 10 traditional Spanish nursery rhymes that are perfect for babies, toddlers, and elementary-aged kids—plus tips for using them to build early Spanish literacy.

Nursery Rhymes in Spanish

What Are Nursery Rhymes Called in Spanish?

The Spanish translation for nursery rhymes is rimas tradicionales. But you may also hear the terms canciones de cuna (lullabies) and canciones infantiles (children’s songs).

Rimas tradicionales en español refers to more authentic, Spanish nursery rhymes that are rich in culture and traditions.

Related Post: Musical Spanish Books for Babies and Toddlers

Benefits of Spanish Nursery Rhymes for Kids

Singing Spanish songs and nursery rhymes in the early years helps to set the stage for language development as your child grows.

There are many reasons why nursery rhymes are important for language learning. The repetition, rhyming, and rhythmic speech of nursery rhymes have benefits including:

  • Language development
  • Improved memory
  • Cultural appreciation
  • Phonics foundations

In fact, researchers from the University of Cambridge discovered that babies actually learn the foundations of language through rhythm. This means that it really is never too early to start singing to your child and reading Spanish nursery rhymes together!

Free Authentic Spanish Nursery Rhymes for Kids

Prefer to watch and sing along? You can access free nursery rhymes in Spanish on our YouTube Channel!

Our Canciones ilustradas series of nursery rhymes is a beautiful collection of traditional Spanish songs and nursery rhymes. With gentle, soothing music and storybook-style artwork, these videos are perfect for babies, toddlers, and older kids alike!

These were created to align with lessons across our Llamitas Spanish curriculum levels. But they can be viewed for free anytime to incorporate more Spanish into your day!

10 Authentic Spanish Nursery Rhymes

Here is a round-up of our top 10 rimas tradicionales.

1. Los pollitos dicen

“Los Pollitos Dicen” is a popular lullaby that Latina moms have been singing to their newborns for generations. The song is so deeply connected to Latin culture that many moms refer to their babies as “pollitos.”

Find it in: Llamitas Spanish Level 1 Curriculum, unit 2: La granja

Los pollitos dicen
pío, pío, pío
cuando tienen hambre
cuando tienen frío.

La gallina busca
el maíz y el trigo
les da la comida
y les presta abrigo.

Bajo sus dos alas
acurrucaditos
hasta el otro día
duermen los pollitos.

Skills practiced:

  • Vocabulary (animals, feelings)
  • Actions
  • Expressing needs

2. Los elefantes

This traditional nursery rhyme in Spanish is great for motor skills. Get your child to hold a scarf on one end, while you take the other. Then pop a stuffed animal in the middle (ideally an elephant, but any will do). Sing the song and bounce the toy up and down in the scarf, trying not to let it fall out.

Your child will also practice counting to 10!

Find it in: Llamitas Spanish Level 1 Curriculum, unit 5: El safari.

Un elefante se balanceaba
sobre la tela de una araña
como veía que resistía
fue a llamar a otro elefante.

Dos elefantes se balanceaban
sobre la tela de una araña
como veían que resistía
fueron a llamar a otro elefante.

Tres elefantes ….

Skills practiced:

  • Counting
  • Vocabulary (animals)
  • Pronunciation

3. Sol, solecito

This is such a happy song about the sun! It is also a great way to teach your kids the days of the week in Spanish.

Find it in Level 3 Llamitas Spanish Curriculum: unit 3~ El clima.

Sol solecito
caliéntame un poquito.
por hoy, por mañana,
por toda la semana.

4. La lechuza (Traditional Spanish Bedtime Song)

This classic lullaby is very short but catchy. It’s about how the barn owl says ‘shhhh’ and is sung as a lullaby by Latina moms to lull their baby to sleep.

Find it in: Llamitas Spanish Level 1 Curriculum, unit 3: El bosque.

La lechuza, la lechuza
hace shhh, hace shhh
todos calladitos como la lechuza
hacen shhh, hacen shhh.

Skills practiced:

  • “ch” and silent ‘h’ sounds
  • Pronunciation

5. Caballito blanco

An adorable Spanish nursery rhyme that helps practice verb forms: tengo (I have), tienes (you have), da (gives).

Find it in: Llamitas Spanish Level 2 Curriculum, unit 2: Los pasatiempos.

Caballito blanco

Llévame de aquí

Llévame a mi pueblo

Donde yo nací

Tengo, tengo, tengo

Tú no tienes nada

Tengo tres ovejas

En una cabaña

Una me da leche

Otra me da lana

Y otra mantequilla

Toda la semana.

Skills practiced:

  • Verbs (tengo, tienes, da)
  • Vocabulary

6. Aserrín, aserrán

This traditional Spanish nursery rhyme mentions the Feast of San Juan, celebrated on June 24 for the birth of John the Baptist. It is a great song to bounce your child on your knee, swaying them back and forth.

Find it in: Llamitas Spanish Level 1 Curriculum, unit 11: Los servidores públicos.

Aserrín, aserrán
los maderos de San Juan.

Piden pan
no les dan

Piden queso
y les dan un hueso

Piden vino, si les dan
se marean y se van.

Skills practiced:

  • Vocabulary (food)
  • Actions
  • Pronunciation

7. Arroz con leche (classic Spanish singing game for kids)

This traditional nursery rhyme is sung all over the Spanish speaking world. It is often sung during a children’s game where they stand in a circle with one child in the middle. The other children walk around holding hands and singing the song.

During the verse “Con éste (or ésta) sí”, the child points to another child. Then proceeds to point to another child for “Con éste (or ésta) no”. Then points back to the first one again for the verse “Con esta señorita (or este señorito) me caso yo”. These two children hold hands and dance in the circle.

Find it in: Llamitas Spanish Level 2 Curriculum, unit 2: Los pasatiempos.

Arroz con leche
me quiero casar
con una señorita
de la capital.

Que sepa coser
que sepa bailar
que sepa abrir la puerta
para ir a jugar.

Con ésta sí
con ésta no
con esta señorita
me caso yo.

Yo soy la viudita
del barrio del rey
me quiero casar
y no sé con quien.

Con ésta sí
con ésta no
con esta señorita
me caso yo.

Skills practiced:

  • Actions
  • Vocabulary

Related Post: Spanish Poetry Books for Kids

8. El barquito (Spanish counting rhyme)

This repetitive nursery rhyme is a great way to practice counting 1-7 quickly!

Find it in: Llamitas Spanish Level 1 Curriculum, unit 1: El océano.

Había una vez un barco chiquitico.
Había una vez un barco chiquitico.
Había una vez un barco chiquitico
que no sabía, que no sabía, que no sabía navegar.

Pasaron una, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete semanas.
Pasaron una, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete semanas.
Pasaron una, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete semanas
y el barquito, y el barquito, y el barquito, no podía navegar.

Y si la historia no te parece larga.
Y si la historia no te parece larga.
Y si la historia no te parece larga
volveremos, volveremos, volveremos a empezar.

Skills practiced:

  • Counting
  • Rhythm

9. Caracol, caracol (Spanish nature rhyme)

This nursery rhyme is perfect for singing out in the garden after the rain. Go searching for snails and point out their ‘cuernos’ ~ tentacles.

Find it in: Llamitas Spanish Level 1 Curriculum, unit 4: El jardín.

Caracol, -col, -col
saca tus cuernos al sol
saca uno, saca dos
caracol, -col, -col.

Si saca la cabeza y los cuernitos
cuando hay sol
seguro que es un bicho
que se llama caracol.

Caracol, -col, -col
saca tus cuernos al sol
saca uno, saca dos
caracol, -col, -col.

Skills practiced:

  • Vocabulary (nature)
  • Rhythm and rhyming

10. Cucú, cucú, cantaba la rana (fun, repetitive spanish song for kids)

This repetitive nursery rhyme is very catchy! You’ll find yourself singing ‘cucú cucú’ around the house.

Find it in: Llamitas Spanish Level 2 Curriculum, unit 5: Los animales que hibernan.

Cucú cucú cantaba la rana

Cucú cucú debajo del agua.

Cucú cucú pasó un caballero.

Cucú cucú con capa y sombrero.

Cucú cucú pasó una señora.

Cucú cucú con traje de cola.

Cucú cucú pasó un marinero.

Cucú cucú vendiendo romero.

Cucú cucú le pidió un ramito.

Cucú cucú no le quiso dar.

Cucú cucú se echó a llorar.

Cucú cucú la la la la la la.

Cucú cucú la la la la la.

Skills practiced:

  • Vocabulary
  • Rhythm and rhyming
  • Pronunciation

Related post: Bedtime Routines in Spanish

Learning Spanish with Nursery Rhymes

Nursery rhymes offer the perfect opportunity to practice phonics and early memory work through repetition and recitation. All of these are foundational skills to develop in early years education.

Our Llamitas Spanish curriculum is a done-for-you, Spanish language arts program, that includes phonics work, literacy and ‘cantos’ (recitations) in a series of thematic units for preschool and elementary grades.

Our recitations are short enough for the child to be able to memorize. The native speaker audio also supports non-native speakers, so you can hear the pronunciation and practice together.

If you’re looking for an open-and-go Spanish curriculum that will grow with your child, Llamitas Spanish will support you every step of the way!