Believe it or not, Spanish videos for kids—including cartoons—make incredibly effective Spanish lessons.
It’s the perfect solution if you want Spanish entertainment, but aren’t quite able to understand telenovelas or Spanish movies yet.
And you don’t have to be a total newbie to enjoy them. I’ll show you how even advanced learners can learn from them.
In this post, you’ll find my favorite Spanish videos for kids on YouTube (and more platforms), and you might be surprised how helpful these colorful videos can be when learning Spanish!
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“Aprende los colores con formas” (Learn the colors with shapes) is the perfect way for absolute beginners to start their adventure with Spanish.
The video has been specifically created for little kids, so there are very few words that get repeated a ton of times.
“Aprende los colores con formas” comes from the BabyFirst Español YouTube channel, which has many other videos for kids.
The videos normally range from 20 to 30 minutes, and each of them tackles a specific topic. Learn about numbers, farm animals, colors, shapes, Christmas, Easter and many other basic Spanish vocabulary words that every beginner should know.
You can visit the official website as well! There, you can get your hands on some free apps, activities and free printables, among other awesome stuff.
This sweet video titled “Las Frutas” (Fruits) features Palabrín, the king of words, who’ll help beginners learn the names of different fruits in Spanish.
Each fruit is preceded by a description and followed by a short comment. Pay special attention to the descriptions, because they’re valuable examples of how you can describe objects (or fruits, in this case) with short, simple sentences.
Many of the words Palabrín uses are adjectives, which will be super useful when you start creating your first Spanish sentences.
I love learning about space and the universe. I can’t be the only one.
That’s why I was so happy to find the video “El Sistema Solar” (The Solar System).
Created by the European Space Agency, the video features Paxi, a green alien that will take you on a trip around our Solar System and tell you, in Spanish, everything you need to know about our planet (la Tierra — the Earth), the Sun (el Sol) and the rest of the planets (los planetas).
This video uses very simple vocabulary because it was created with little children in mind, so it’ll be perfect for beginner learners who are interested in astronomy.
If you want to learn the names of animals in Spanish, along with some basic descriptions of each, “Los animales para niños” (The animals for kids) includes many new words you can add to your word bank.
A sweet girl who always happens to run late and arrives everywhere at night will try to find wild, farm and aquatic animals with her flashlight.
You’ll see the silhouette of different types of animals before she points the flashlight at them, so you can use that time to guess the animal and maybe even name it in Spanish if you already know the word.
The descriptions are simple, but they include the most characteristic features of each animal.
For example, she says: “El burro rebuzna,” which means “the donkey brays.”
This YouTube channel has a giant library of more Spanish videos for kids. You can find this one and many more like it in their playlist “Aprende con los vídeos educativos de Pocoyó y Smile and Learn.”
“Smarta y Spotty salvan una flor” (Smarta and Spotty save a flower) is another superb beginner option.
I personally use it with my three-year-old learners (yes, three years old!) and they thoroughly enjoy it.
Smarta is a little girl who tries to solve everyday problems with the help of her dog Spotty. If you have a look at the video, you’ll see the obvious similarities between this video and any “Dora the Explorer” video.
Smarta has a dog instead of a monkey, and she gets help from a smartphone instead of a magic map. Other than that, the dynamic in the video is very similar, with Smarta and Spotty running here and there and solving problems that will help them find the solution to a bigger problem.
This video is an episode in the channel’s full series called “Smarta y su bolso mágico.” It currently has 38 videos!
“Caillou y el ordenador” (Caillou and the computer) is a three-minute video that kids (or you!) can use to learn basic computer words like el ratón (the mouse) or imprimir (to print).
Caillou speaks Castilian Spanish in this video, that’s why he and his family use the word ordenador.
If they were from Latin America, they’d use the word computadora (or computador, if they were from Chile or Colombia).
If you’re using this video to teach Spanish to your kid or little pupils, you can explain to them that there are plenty of words that are practically identical in English and Spanish.
If you’re not a kid but want to learn more about these words, you can check out this post on Spanish cognates.
You can find 64 more Caillou episodes in Spanish on the channel’s playlist here.
“El erizo y el globo” (“The hedgehog and the balloon”) is a short children’s story that can be used as an audio or video fairytale.
There’s no need to switch the subtitles on because the text is shown on-screen. For this reason, this video can also be used as reading practice for pre-intermediate learners of Spanish, as well as shadowing practice.
The story shows different animals who can’t inflate a balloon. Kids will enjoy watching the hedgehog look for help and talk to other animals, while also learning a little bit about each of them.
If you’re an upper-intermediate or advanced student, you can watch the video and then try to tell someone the story or write down a short summary in Spanish.
If you don’t live under a rock, you’ve surely heard the song “Baby Shark” at least once and sung it in your mind a thousand times.
“Bebé tiburón” is the Spanish version, and I must warn you: If you listen to it just once, you’ll be humming it for days!
The song is very simple and repetitive, which makes it perfect for complete beginners and little kids. You’ll memorize it in a couple of minutes, learning some family members in Spanish along the way.
“Pocoyó” follows the adventures of its namesake—a young boy discovering the world around him along with his friends Pato, Elly and Pajaroto.
Pocoyó interacts with the narrator (José María del Río in the Spanish version, Adal Ramones in the Latin American version and Stephen Fry in the English version) as he discovers new things in the world.
It’s a great way to learn new vocabulary at the same time as Pocoyó, and the cartoon is sweet and easy to watch. The 3D animation is also simple and appealing.
The video above lasts for almost two hours and it includes a ton of short episodes on different topics. The compilation was created to celebrate Earth Hour, and it includes several stories about animals and nature, among others.
If you love Pocoyó, you can see even more of him by watching his film or by playing his video games.
Pocoyó videos are also available on FluentU. Click here to watch my favorite one, and turn Pocoyó into a complete Spanish lesson!
The story of Diego—a dinosaur with two horns living in a group of dinosaurs with three horns—will teach young and not-so-young learners that being different isn’t bad.
“Diego, un dinosaurio diferente” (Diego, a different dinosaur) is a great video not only to learn about being unique and how each of us is special in our own way, but also to practice the Spanish imperfecto if you’re an intermediate learner.
Additionally, the video can be used as yet another introduction to Spanish cognates, and even as the basis for a Spanish shadowing mini-lesson.
You can find 65 similar videos in the channel’s playlist called “Tus cuentos, tu espacio.”
This fun video will have beginner learners glued to their seats for over 25 minutes at a time. And I’m sure many of you will want to watch it time and time again.
Aimed at kids raised in a bilingual environment, this superb video teaches many useful expressions that can be used in everyday situations.
From greetings and farewells to parts of the body and rooms in the house, all the phrases included in this video are first said in English and then in Spanish.
There’s a pause after each expression, allowing learners to listen and repeat, improving their English and Spanish pronunciation without even realizing it.
“Español para bebés y niños” (Spanish for babies and toddlers) is perfect to be used as an introduction to the sound of Castillian Spanish.
This is the kind of video two- and three-year-olds love to watch time and time again for hours without getting bored.
The vocabulary included in the clip is obviously not very demanding. There are colors, animals, toys, numbers and a couple of adjectives (small, average, big and huge).
Each word is said in isolation (words aren’t used in a sentence, just given individually), but the fun drawings and the moving eggs will clearly tell the learner what the word means.
If you’re watching this video with your baby, repeat the word several times after it’s presented in the video. Use each word to teach them additional words in Spanish.
“Atiempopreescolar” isn’t a horrible long word, it’s actually three: A tiempo preescolar, which can be translated as “Preschool on Time.”
Join Chocolo the dog and his animal friends in hundreds of short adventures that’ll teach you vowels, numbers, the five senses and the colors in Spanish.
Each short video teaches one specific topic with the help of a song. These songs will definitely get stuck in your head—which means you won’t forget the information contained within it anytime soon!
There are also videos that tackle other everyday topics like taking a bath and how people are different, just to name a couple.
Peppa Pig is one of the most popular cartoons in the world.
In “Hora de prepararse” (Time to get ready), Peppa and her brother are getting ready to go play outside. The video depicts them cleaning their hands, brushing their teeth and choosing the appropriate clothes and shoes.
Learners will quickly learn the lyrics of this song because it repeats each activity several times while showing Peppa and her brother performing it.
But this video is much more than just a two-minute song.
The majority of action verbs are in the imperative form (used for commands), so anyone wanting to practice the Spanish imperativo can sing along with Peppa and learn a thing or two. (Yes, even adults!)
In “Zoobabu,” everything revolves around animals. Animal lovers (and lovers of all things cute) will enjoy learning with it!
I’m in love with these cartoons. Each chapter contains several riddles, and a little girl has to solve them.
Her mission, of course, is to guess the animal in each two-minute episode.
At the beginning of each riddle, you can see a mysterious animal, or rather a white screen with a white, two-eyed box.
The box talks and interacts with the little girl and tries to describe an animal to her, transforming itself into that animal progressively, until she solves the riddle.
The amazing thing about Zoobabu isn’t just the clever idea behind its riddles, but also the fact that each of them only takes around two minutes.
Learn the names of animals with this charming show and pick up on how to ask and answer questions.
I’ve added this song here for two main reasons:
First, “Frozen” is an awesome movie and I’m not embarrassed to admit it despite being 38.
Second, who doesn’t like to sing along with Elsa while she decides to “let it go” and accept her destiny?
You may think a whole Disney song in Spanish is too much for beginners to learn, that they won’t be able to memorize it.
Well, my students are four years old and they’ve managed to learn the English version in two sessions of 45 minutes, so I’m sure you won’t have any problem with it at all.
Plus, the lyrics are shown on-screen, so this song is great to practice your listening and reading skills.
The main channel—DisneuMusicLAVEVO—publishes countless other Disney music videos in Spanish, so check it out to find more.
Cánticos is another word for canciones (songs), and that’s exactly what this video offers.
Beginner learners will love this 30-minute video full of songs and nursery rhymes that have been compiled in both English and Spanish.
Each English song is followed by its Spanish version, which makes this fun video perfect for kids that are being raised bilingual and adults alike.
You’ll be able to learn both versions and sing and understand while you also strengthen your language foundations.
You can even keep using the video when you learn how to read, because all the lyrics are shown on-screen.
To explore the other 27 songs in Season 1, check out the full playlist here.
I know the alphabet is normally one of the first things we learn, but this amazing video was created for Spanish-speaking kids, which may make it somewhat difficult for little kids who have absolutely no idea of Spanish.
However, “El abecedario de la A a la Z” (The alphabet from A to Z) is a treasure even for learners who are just starting their adventure with Spanish.
The video is an information piñata that keeps on giving more and more knowledge candy every time you watch it.
For starters, it teaches you how to write the letters of the Spanish alphabet, both upper- and lower-case.
You’ll also learn what the letter is called in Spanish and then be given words that start or contain that letter.
This kills two birds with one stone, since you won’t just learn how to write the letters but also your first words in Spanish.
Additionally, each letter sings a karaoke song (with lyrics on-screen) that includes a ton of words that also start with or contain said letter.
To maximize this video and learn plenty of Spanish words, create your own flashcards or write sample sentences.
“Daniel Tigre” (called “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” in its English version) tells the story of Daniel, a sweet little preschool tiger.
These cartoons were carefully designed with preschoolers in mind. They’re meant to teach kids about social interaction, social strategies and the emotions a four-year-old can experience.
This means you can learn intermediate Spanish the way Spanish-speaking kids actually learn it.
Daniel also learns (and teaches the viewers along the way) everyday routines like washing his hands, helping to care for his little sister and eating.
The social component of the cartoon is obvious when you have a look at the list of episodes: “Making mistakes and learning from them,” “I love you, mummy,” “Being sick,” “Friends help each other,” etc.
All in all, it’s the perfect cartoon series for learners who want to learn everyday Spanish with realistic (but simple) dialogues and practical applications.
FluentU’s Spanish YouTube channel is another great place to learn Spanish with cartoons.
We’re adding more videos by the day—our main goal is to show you how you can learn Spanish with any video by breaking it down.
You can start with any cartoon clip, then go step by step to understand all its vocabulary, phrases and grammar.
In this particular video, we’ve used the super entertaining trailer for “The Spongebob Movie” to create a unique Spanish lesson. There’s tons of colorful Spanish vocabulary here that you might have missed in your textbooks.
By the end of our video, you should be able to understand the whole trailer!
“El niño que lo sabe todo” is an Argentinian cartoon character and an adorable superhero.
He’s “The Boy Who Knows it All” (or perhaps better translated into superhero format as “Know-it-all Boy”) who swoops in to save the day with well-informed answers to all the difficult questions asked by his friend, Zamba.
Zamba has a lot of great questions about democracy, human rights and topics like voting and the history of Latin America. The issues are explained through an appealing, colorful and thorough series of cartoons.
There’s a focus on Argentinian history, and an episode about a trip to the Argentinian government house, the Casa Rosada, was nominated for the 2014 Emmy Kids Awards.
You can watch the series on the Mundo Zamba YouTube channel, and there are even a few “Zamba” clips over at FluentU!
Though this series is primarily about delivering history and politics lessons (with a generally progressive-leaning political stance), it’s also easy to understand thanks to the accompanying visuals and clearly stated questions from Zamba.
The characters are also rather endearing and you’ll soon decide on your favorite one.
“The Vain Little Mouse” is a popular folk tale about a mouse who has various suitors that come to her house (a pig, a dog and a cat are just some of the characters who ask her to marry them).
She always asks them: “¿Y por las noches, que me dirás?” (What will you say to me at night?) and is mostly displeased with their answers, which come in the form of various animal noises.
This is a sweet story with a happy ending and, clocking in at under seven minutes long, it’s very easy to watch.
It’s also very repetitive in terms of the things the mouse says, so it’s a good one to watch and repeat, especially with children. You could even try acting out the story once you’re done.
You can also watch other short versions of fairytales in Spanish, such as “El Patito Feo” (The Ugly Duckling) and “El Gato en Botas” (Puss in Boots).
If you type in “cuentos infantiles” (children’s stories) into YouTube, you’ll get a whole list of other short videos of fairytales.
If you enjoy geography, you’ll probably like “Las banderas de América para niños” (American flags for kids).
From well-known flags like the United States one to lesser-known ones, like the flag of Santa Lucía, beginner learners of Spanish will be able to learn the names of the countries of the whole American continent and see what their flags look like.
You’ll definitely be surprised to know the names of countries you didn’t even know existed!
But kids and beginners aren’t the only ones who can use this 10-minute video to learn Spanish.
Each flag is described in detail before revealing the name of the country it belongs to.
Thus, intermediate and advanced students can use these descriptions to practice listening comprehension. For instance, they can just listen to the audio without watching the video and try to draw different flags from the descriptions they hear.
“En la selva y en el desierto” (in the jungle and in the desert) is a very engaging video I recommend for preschoolers who are being raised bilingual, as well as beginners.
The video has been created as part of a series for preschoolers to learn at home, so even though the language is relatively simple and the explanations are easy to grasp for a native Spanish kid, non-bilingual children and beginners might find the video challenging here and there.
Learners will be able to learn about the jungle and the desert, what they look like and what kinds of animals live there.
The video also includes questions like “Which of these animals lives in the jungle?” and “Which of these animals doesn’t have legs?”
These questions will help you engage with the content, which is always super fun.
“Cantoalegre TV” is a YouTube channel made specifically for native Spanish kids. However, the language it contains and its presentation make it pretty accessible.
Most videos come with Spanish subtitles so you can follow along with the audio. The channel includes karaoke, music videos and a lot of cuentos (fairytales).
If you’re learning with children, check out the series called Música en Casa (Music at Home), created for kids who are home from school.
The videos are very professionally made, and they include choreography and karaoke songs with the lyrics on-screen.
No kids? Dance anyway! No one’s watching.
Here are two language varieties of a super sweet cartoon so you can have access to both major Spanish dialects!
Simón is a little rabbit who lives with his brother and parents.
This show wasn’t created to teach Spanish, so you should already have a basic knowledge of the language if you want to understand what’s happening.
This cartoon series focuses on universal concepts like love, respect, friends, family, etc. It’s the perfect cartoon for learners who have the basics down and want to start discussing more abstract ideas.
“La Revolución Industrial” (The Industrial Revolution) is one of those amazing videos that have been created for native Spanish kids but native Spanish adults end up watching anyway.
It’s part of this channel’s series called Historia para niños de primaria (History for elementary school children).
Since this video isn’t the type of content a non-Spanish native would easily understand, it’s best recommended for bilingual kids who are interested in learning about history, trains and technology, or for adult learners who have some knowledge of Spanish already.
All the vocabulary that can be learned from this short video is related to the field of industry and the revolution that changed our lives forever.
Because of that, it’s the perfect short clip for kids and adults to watch and learn from together.
Does “Sesame Street” make you nostalgic of your childhood? If so, you can go on a nostalgia trip… in Spanish!
“Sésamo” has hundreds of videos that range from around 30 seconds to two minutes in length. You’ll never get bored since there are many different topics and themes being discussed in these clips.
What I love the most about “Sésamo” is the fact that they’ve grouped their videos into categories.
For example, if you feel like learning through songs, you can choose the “Canta #Conmigo” (Sing #With Me) playlist.
If you want to dance along, you have the “Haz Yoga #Conmigo” (Do Yoga #With Me) or the “A bailar” (Let’s dance) playlists.
There are a lot of different categories, which means there are lots of different things you can learn.
The vocabulary used in “Pirámides y momias del antiguo Egipto” (Ancient Egypt pyramids and mummies) isn’t super beginner-friendly (it’s from a collection of videos created for Spanish-speaking kids), but any beginner interested in Egypt and all the mystery surrounding it is going to love it.
If you or your kid are just starting to learn Spanish, you probably won’t understand a lot of words despite the cute drawings and animations included in the video.
Like the previous video about the Industrial Revolution, this video is also part of Happy Learning Español’s “Historia para niños de primaria” series.
However, if you’re raising a bilingual kid, this is one of those clips they’ll be willing to watch time and time again and will learn by heart in no time.
The “Wild Kratts” is that kind of cartoon show that not only kids enjoy, but also adults, especially if they’re interested in nature.
Chris and Martin Kratt are two brothers who love exploring nature. They teach about wild animals, animal behavior, animal habitats and endangered species, all with a pinch of humor and a ton of adventure.
If I had to describe this cartoon series, I’d say it’s educational without seeming educational.
In addition to learning nature-related words in Spanish, you’ll also learn a lot of facts about animals and wildlife, animal adaptation and habitat conservation.
We saw earlier that FluentU and FluentU’s Spanish YouTube channel are two superb tools to learn Spanish in a fun and engaging way.
This video is another example of how you can take a short movie trailer and transform it into a Spanish lesson in just a few minutes.
Trying to watch the whole 90 minutes of “Finding Nemo” in Spanish, you’ll come across advanced vocabulary that you might not be ready for.
If you break fun cartoons down into bite-sized clips and mini-lessons like in this video, you’ll have a much better chance of genuinely learning Spanish from them.
“Los Pitufos” are none other than “The Smurfs”!
The Smurfs are little blue gnomes who love learning, caring for each other and helping each other.
Generally speaking, this cartoon focuses on being together and the importance of family and friendship. It’s a show ideal for high intermediate to advanced learners.
This is a “normal” cartoon, not an educational one. So you should have a solid base in Spanish if you expect to understand the show.
If you’re wondering how you get from the name “Smurfs” to “Los Pitufos” in Spanish, I had no idea myself until I did my research for this post.
It turns out the word pitufo comes from Catalan folklore. Have a look at En Patufet (which is just the proper noun Patufet with the noun particle en) and tell me he doesn’t look like a Smurf!
“Dora la Exploradora” is the Spanish version of the beloved “Dora the Explorer” and is a fun cartoon aimed at pre-school kids.
Dora, who is seven years old, goes on adventures with her friend Botas (or, Boots) the monkey, with each episode featuring a different mission or journey.
This interactive show has space for viewers to shout their opinions at the screen or sing along with Dora. In the English version, Dora teaches her viewers Spanish and in the Spanish version, she teaches them English.
You could start with the English version, especially if you’re watching with children, but the Spanish one is much more useful if you’re really serious about learning español.
The songs are perfect for repetition to aid learning, and there are eight whole seasons available if you really get into the program.
You can watch many of her adventures by searching for “Dora la Exploradora” on YouTube.
“Up!” is the kind of animated movie that everybody loves to watch regardless of their age.
The animations are beautiful. The story is emotional and incredibly relatable.
Now, this movie’s Spanish level might seem a bit more demanding than the other videos on the list, but go ahead and dive in. The video’s breakdown of vocabulary and grammar helps to transform it into comprehensible content for any Spanish learner.
The well-known series “The Simpsons” is shown all over the world in various languages.
The Spanish or Latin American versions of the series, “Los Simpson,” are fun viewing with added language practice.
You can watch episodes you already know in Spanish or choose one you haven’t watched and try to see if you can understand the jokes.
You may have to adjust your ears, however, as it can be strange at first to hear Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa with different voices. But once you get used to it, you might find it hard to switch back to the English version.
Perhaps you’ll even prefer “Homero” to Homer!
Try comparing the Castilian Spanish and Latin American Spanish versions for an extra challenge.
The full series is now available in Spanish on Disney+! If you love the idea of watching this show, check out my full post on learning Spanish with “Los Simpson.”
Why Learn Spanish with Kids’ Videos and Cartoons?
There are plenty of reasons to learn Spanish with cartoons and other videos for kids—no matter how old you are! They’re…
- Easy to understand. Kids’ shows and videos use simple Spanish that’s just perfect for those learning the language.
- Easy on the brain. They’re ideal for total escapism and don’t require much brainpower to follow, making them the ultimate way to combine relaxation with Spanish practice after a hard day of work or study.
- Fun for everyone! If you do have children, nieces, nephews or young neighbors who are also learning Spanish, watching these shows can be a lovely way to bond together and encourage kids to enjoy learning a language.
- Short and sweet. Kids’ videos are typically so short that they require less commitment than watching a film or beginning a new TV show.
- Designed for learners. The repetitive nature of kids’ shows makes them ideal for repeating new vocabulary and language over and over. This means you’re more likely to remember it later and so are your kids. You could even try singing the songs or acting out parts of the show later on.
- They’re more than just shows! Shows aimed at children also often have accompanying educational material online, so the obsession with the show doesn’t have to stop once the video is finished.
How to Learn Spanish with Videos and Cartoons for Kids
If you’re serious about learning Spanish, watching videos is far more effective as a learning strategy if you actively watch, listen and record new vocabulary.
To do this, you’ll need to:
- Watch the shows more than once, especially if you don’t understand some parts.
- Be sure to rewind sections to catch everything that’s being said.
- Pause the show regularly. You can use this time to write down new vocabulary or to repeat what’s being said back at the TV.
- Try to learn songs by heart. Repetition is key. You could write down the lyrics if you’re having trouble.
Most of all, enjoy the experience and try to relax. This will most likely make learning easier and you might even find that you’ve picked up new vocabulary and language without even consciously noticing.
A great place to enjoy the experience of learning Spanish with authentic video content is FluentU.
FluentU lets you learn Spanish with entertaining videos, like cartoons and movie clips.
FluentU adds subtitles to each video. When you spot a word or phrase you don’t know, you can click on it to instantly see a definition, example sentence, pronunciation and the option to add it to a flashcard deck.
Is YouTube Kids Available in Spanish?
In case you didn’t know, there’s a YouTube version specifically created for kids.
And yes, you can get it in Spanish! All you need to do is change your phone’s language to Spanish and then download the app.
But…there’s a catch.
I’ve tried the Spanish, English and Polish versions, and the only way the various language versions differ from each other is in the language of the interface.
This is great if you’re trying to get immersive and know enough Spanish to be able to navigate the app in the language, but if you’re just looking for children’s videos to learn from in Spanish, you can just download the English version.
I recommend that you search for the word “Español” (Spanish) once inside the app. You’ll get hundreds of shows in Spanish for kids, all depending on the age range you’ve chosen.
I also love the four options you get over the results. These are Videos, Music, Learning and Exploring. You can choose what you want to watch and learn depending on your mood.
Now that you have a great selection of Spanish videos for kids, you can boot them up and learn Spanish with these entertaining cartoons.
Sit back, relax and enjoy being a kid for a day.
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