Music makes Spanish stick. Here are the catchiest tunes to boost vocabulary and make learning joyful!
If there’s one thing that lights up my preschooler’s face faster than chocolate chip cookies, it’s music. Especially music they can sing along to, dance to, and repeat (over and over) until it becomes part of their daily soundtrack. And if that music also teaches them Spanish? That’s a parenting win!
Whether you’re just starting your child’s Spanish journey or you’re already enrolled in a program like ours at Homeschool Spanish Academy, music is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reinforce vocabulary and build fluency.
In fact, by the end of this post, you’ll have access to a free downloadable guide: Top 12 Spanish Songs for Preschoolers + Activity Guide, packed with YouTube links, bilingual lyrics, movement ideas, and vocabulary highlights.
But first, let’s explore why songs are so powerful and which ones you can start using today!
Why Songs Are a Secret Weapon for Language Learning?
There’s science behind all that singing.
According to a recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology, music helps young children retain foreign vocabulary more effectively than traditional spoken repetition. Why? Because melodies and rhythms act as memory anchors. When kids sing along, they’re not just reciting words, they’re encoding them into long-term memory.
Music also stimulates multiple parts of the brain at once: language, auditory processing, motor skills, and even emotional engagement.
For preschoolers, who learn best through play and movement, songs become the ideal way to practice Spanish daily, especially in between lessons or when screen time needs a break.
7 Catchy Spanish Songs Preschoolers Can Learn From
Here are seven Spanish songs that are perfect for ages 3 to 5. These songs are repetitive, easy to follow, and packed with everyday vocabulary your child will hear in a live Spanish class. All of them are featured—plus five more—in the free PDF at the end of this post.
This lullaby-style song teaches phrases like tienen hambre (they are hungry) and tienen frío (they are cold) while introducing farm animal vocabulary.
Bonus: it’s soothing enough for quiet time or nap prep.
A friendly greeting song perfect for practicing hola, ¿cómo estás?, muy bien, and other polite expressions.
Ideal for the start of your homeschool day or class warm-ups.
This is an instant favorite for animal-loving kids. It teaches words like vaca (cow), blanca (white), and manchitas negras (little black spots), all with a super catchy chorus.
This counting song gets kids using numbers in Spanish as they imagine elephants balancing on a spider web.
Great for movement and play-based learning.
This is the Spanish version of “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” It’s perfect for teaching body parts and getting kids moving while they sing.
This silly fruit-themed dance song introduces fruits like manzana, plátano, and naranja. Pair it with snack time for a fun vocabulary boost.
A familiar tune that teaches counting and the verb saltar (to jump). Kids love acting this one out, and it’s great for repetition.
You don’t need to be fluent to sing these songs with your child. Most are available on YouTube with simple visuals, and many have English translations to help you follow along. The key is consistency. Playing them during car rides, at snack time, or during a dance break makes Spanish feel like a natural part of your child’s world.
How to Use Music to Support Spanish Learning at Home
You might be surprised how quickly your preschooler starts singing in Spanish, sometimes before they even fully understand what they’re saying. That’s okay. Learning through music helps kids build phonemic awareness (the sounds of a language) before they master grammar or full comprehension. It’s exactly how they learned their first language.
Here are a few ways to make the most of Spanish music at home:
- Create a mini Spanish playlist on your phone or smart speaker.
- Pick a “Spanish song of the day” and use it as a theme—sing it, act it out, or draw pictures based on the words.
- Incorporate songs into your routine: use greeting songs in the morning, clean-up songs during chores, or lullabies at bedtime.
- Repeat, repeat, repeat; repetition is key to retention at this age.
If your child is already enrolled in a Spanish class, songs can help reinforce what they’re learning between sessions. If not, they’re an excellent way to build interest and readiness for future lessons.
You can learn more about how we use music and play-based activities in our preschool Spanish classes by clicking here to book a free trial class.
Get Your Free Song Guide
Ready to fill your home with music and Spanish vocabulary? Download our free PDF: Top 12 Spanish Songs for Preschoolers + Activity Guide.
You’ll get:
- YouTube links to preschool-friendly Spanish songs
- Bilingual lyrics for each tune
- Simple movement and dance ideas
- Vocabulary focus areas to reinforce learning
Click here to download the free guide
Final Thought
When your child starts humming “La Vaca Lola” while playing or shouts “¡Hola!” during breakfast, you’ll know it’s working! Music makes language learning feel effortless, and that joyful connection is what keeps it going.
With the right songs, a little repetition, and some playfulness, you’re well on your way to raising a happy, confident Spanish speaker.
Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these
“It’s great being able to interact with native speaking people and having a conversation with them not just doing all the work on paper. It’s also an amazing opportunity to speak with native Spanish-speaking people without having to travel to a native Spanish-speaking country.”
– Melanie
“Getting to know wonderful teachers who care about me and my growth in language and education. Evelyn Gomez and Erick Cacao are two of the most extraordinary people I have ever met, and talking with them in Spanish at the beginning of classes is always so fulfilling and greatly contributes to my happiness, joy, and wellbeing.”
– Abby
“I love that my children have the opportunity to speak with a live person. They get to practice Spanish in a 1-1 setting while improve their speaking, writing and reading skills during their lessons. HSA is a great way to learn Spanish for all ages! My children are 6, 9 and 11. My oldest two (9 and 11) have been taking classes with HSA for almost 2 years now. They love seeing their teacher each week. They understand the importance of learning several languages. I’ve seen them grow and learn with HSA. I’m excited to see how they will improve the more classes they take. I highly recommend them. You can’t bet learning and speaking with a live teacher. I’ve tried other programs. It’s just not as motivating.”
– Karie Ann, Parent of 3
Want more free Spanish resources and Learning Strategies for your kids? Check these out!
- From Zero to Fluent? What Realistic Progress Looks Like in 1 Year of Spanish
- Why Teens Get Bored with Spanish (And How to Keep Them Engaged at the Intermediate Level)
- From Fluent to Native-Like: 5 Ways to Refine Your Child’s Spanish Accent and Intonation
- How to Turn Spanish Fluency into a Superpower for College Admissions
- Help Your Child Learn Spanish Naturally with These Friendship Songs
- Top 7 Mistakes Parents Make with Spanish Fluency Games for Kids (And What to Do Instead)
- How to Finally Roll Your R’s – And Why It’s Not a Big Deal If You Can’t
- The 25 Most Useful Spanish Phrases You Need to Lear Today
The post Spanish Songs Your Preschooler Will Love (and Learn From!) appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.
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