Cuéntalos conmigo

Brinca la tablita

Cinco lobitos

Cinco ratoncitos

Dos manitas, diez deditos

La gallina popujada

Los esqueletos

Pon gallinita pon

Uno, dos y tres

Yo tengo una casita

Last updated: 10/13/2015 3:16 PM

The songs below are part of ‘‘La pajara pinta’ The Spanish collection

compiled, adapted, translated and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

To listen to music from these songs click on O

To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:

© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved

You are free to copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the following conditions:

· you must give the original author credit

· you may not use this work for commercial purposes

· for any re-use or distribution, you must make clear to others the licence terms of this work

· any of these can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder

Your fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.

The Spanish Collection

It is said that children who are exposed to just 50 words of a second language before to age six begin to develop an "ear" for the sounds of that language.

It is hoped that where possible these songs will be sung in their home language. An English version is provided so children can enjoy the tunes before they have mastered Spanish. Literal translations do not always make sense to the English ear so these have been translated freely (very freely in some cases!) to complement the music and capture the spirit of each song.

You will find more Spanish songs in the collection ‘Away We Go’.

Spanish pronunciation

Spoken Spanish in both Spain and Latin America is quite distinctive from spoken English. For that reason a few lyrics are accompanied by the sounds of the Spanish language. The more distinctive sounds of letters in the words of the songs are provided to aid pronunciation in the guide below. The letters not listed are pronounced approximately as in English.

a sounds like ah (father) as in madre

i sounds like ee (feet) as in mi

e sounds like e (met) at the beginning or within a word as in leche

e sounds like ay at the end of a word as in leche

o sounds like oa (boat) as in no

u sounds like oo (boot) as in una

c sounds like th before the letters i and e as in cinco

cc sounds like ks (accident) as in accidente

j and g sounds like ch (loch) as in juego and girafa

g sounds like h (hallo) before the letters i and e as in gente

ll sounds like y (yard) as in llamas

ñ sounds like ni (onions) as in señorita

qu sounds like k as in ¿qué?

rr sounds like a Scottish r as in arroz

v sounds like b as in vaca

z sounds like th (thin) as in arroz

h is always silent unless the word is of foreign origin

u is silent after g and q as in ¿qué?

In Spain ‘d’ is spoken with a lisp, this is not so in Latin America.

There are many sites on line that provide help with pronunciation

Spanish punctuation

Written Spanish in both Spain and Latin America is also distinctive from written English; fewer capitals are used at the beginning of each line of verse, exclamation and question marks are used both at the beginning and end of sentences. However, for familiarity I have usually conformed to the English model when writing Spanish verse.

Brinca la tablita O

This game can be played in any setting; jumping up and down stairs, over lines on the pavement, along wooden poles or ropes or as a skipping game. In the game below jump up and down with two feet then hop with right and left foot. Play energetically singing and moving faster each time it is played.

Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCgfBfGWFsU

Watch another game at: http://www.schooltube.com/video/b77ea567e27f0b7d72b0/

Brinca la tablita ya yo la brinque, Brincala tu ahora que yo me canse. Dos y dos son cuatro, cuatro y dos son seis, Seis y dos son ocho y ocho, dieciseis.

Jump the wooden hurdle, but I have jumped it Jump it once again then you can go to bed. Two and two are four and four and two are six, Six and two are eight, eight and eight, sixteen.

Cinco lobitos O

Young babies and toddlers enjoy imitating these hand movements in time to the music.

Watch at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0QGWeOfdc0&feature=related

Directions:

Spread five fingers and turn hand twisting wrist from side to side.

Cinco lobitos tiene la loba, Blancos y negros detrás de la escoba. Cinco tenía y a cinco criaba, Y a todos los cinco leche les daba.

Five little wolf cubs had the wolf mother, Behind the broom, black and white under cover. Five cubs had she and the cubs quickly flourished, For all of the five with milk were well nourished.

Cinco ratoncitos O

Another classic cat and mouse game.

Watch at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t275YgOwqI&feature=related

Directions

Children stand in a large circle simulating the mouse hole. Five mice are chosen to wait inside the circle miming twitching ears and noses and another child to be the cat crouching outside the ring.

First verse: those in the circle skip round. the mice.

Second verse: the mice creep out of the mouse hole and cat attempts to catch them. The children in the circle use their fingers to count to four, then join hands again. Each mouse tries to get back in the mouse hole but are thwarted by those in the circle. When touched by cat they must stop where caught as cat pursues the others.

In the next game one of the escapees becomes the new cat, the others join the circle and five more mice are chosen.

Cinco ratoncitos, de colita gris, Mueven las orejas, mueven la naríz. Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, corren al rincón, Porque sale el gato, a comer ratón.

In a hole lived five mice, With their tails of grey, Twitched their ears and noses, Crept outside to play. One, two, three and four mice, Ran into their house, Leaving hungry tom cat, Chasing one last mouse.

Dos manitas, diez deditos O

‘Two little hands with ten tall fingers’ Use your hands and fingers to count to ten.

Watch in Spanish at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghzmrqx09-w

Dos manitas, diez deditos, Dos manitas, diez deditos, Dos manitas, diez deditos, Cuéntalos conmigo: Uno, dos, tres deditos, Cuatro, cinco, seis deditos, Siete, ocho, diez deditos, Y uno más son diez. Two little hands with ten tall fingers, Two little hands with ten tall fingers, Two little hands with ten tall fingers, Count them along with me: One, two, three, tall straight fingers, Four, five, six, tall straight fingers, Seven, eight, nine, tall straight fingers, And one finger more makes ten.

Curl and open hands twice, wave fingers from side to side. Repeat sequence three times. Clap Fingers pop up one at a time as each number name is called.

La gallina popujada O

Enjoy counting in Spanish as you sing this charming Mexican song.

Listen to a simpler version of this song at:

http://www.amazon.com/La-Gallina-Popujada/dp/B005GHZJ9Y

Directions:

Squat down like a chicken and flap elbows. Use fingers to count numbers of eggs. Mime placing biscuits in a tin, then eat them.

La gallina popujada, Puso un huevo en la cebada, Puso uno, puso dos, Puso tres, puso cuatro, Puso cinco, puso seis, Puso siete, puso ocho. Guárdate bizcocho, Para mañana a las ocho.

Little red hen, watch her pushing, As she lays eggs down in the barley. She lays one egg, she lays two, She lays three eggs, she lays four eggs, She lays five eggs, she lays six, She lays seven, she lays eight eggs. Save the ginger biscuits, Eat them tomorrow at tea time.

Los esqueletos O

When the clock strikes one the skeletons come out to play and indulge in all sorts of wonderful antics before it is time to return to the underworld.

A spooky song that helps children learn how to tell the time in English or Spanish.

Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYyRibaMQoA

Directions.

Act out the words of the song. Make skeleton type movements to ¡Chumba, la cachumba, la cachumbambá!

Cuando el reloj marca la una, Los esqueletos salen de la tomba. ¡Chumba, la cachumba, la cachumbabá! x2 One moonlit night when the clock struck one, Skeletons rose up from their graves to have fun. Chumba, la cachumba, la cachumbabá! x2 Cuando el reloj marca las dos, Los esqueletos cantan una voz. ¡Chumba, la cachumba etc. 2. ...sang a song so very tuneful... Cuando el reloj marca las tres, Los esqueletos se vuelven al revés. 3. ... flipped a somersault so neatly... Cuando el reloj marca las cuatro, Los esqueletos bailen el tango. 4. ... danced a tango on the seashore... Cuando el reloj marca las cinco, Los esqueletos pegan un brinco 5. ...jumped right up and down the church drive… Cuando el reloj marca las seis, Los esqueletos saludan el rey. 6. ...bowed and taught the king and queen tricks...

Cuando el reloj marca las siete, Los esqueletos se lanzan en cohete. 7 ...sent a rocket up to heaven... Cuando el reloj marca las ocho, Los esqueletos comen bizcocho 8 ...altogether ate a cream cake... Cuando el reloj marca las nueve, Los esqueletos todos se mueven. 9. ...shook their bodies in the moonshine... Cuando el reloj marca las diez, Los esqueletos andan al revés 10. ...walked backward right into a pig pen... Cuando el reloj marca las once, Los esqueletos tocan los bronces 11. ...played statues down in darkest Devon... Cuando el reloj marca las doce, Los esqueletos vuelven a la tumba 12. ...yawned and back into their graves fell... ¡Chumba, la cachumba

Pon gallinita pon O

‘Lay, little red hen, lay’ Once the movements below have been mastered clap the same pattern with a partner. It is also a game played with babies on the palm of their hands using just a finger.

Thump clenched fist on palm of hand for each ‘pon’ and slap palm for each ‘gallinita’.

Watch at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNEoRAm-nFk

Lay, little red hen, lay, Lay, little red hen, one egg, Lay, little red hen, lay, Lay, little red hen two. Pom, pom! Pon, gallinita, pon, Pon, gallinita un huevo, Pon, gallinita, pon, Pon, gallinita dos. Pom, pom!

Thump, slap, thump. Thump, slap, one finger in the air. Thump, slap, thump. Thump, slap, two fingers up, thump, thump.

Uno, dos y tres O

Learn to count to ten with this simple song based on a Mexican folk tune.

Directions:

Make two or three circles holding hands. One child stands in the centre of each circle. Those in the circle move around this child who after the second verse points to each in the circle counting to ten. On ten that child turns to face outwards.

Repeat the song until all children have turned about. The circle then moves faster and faster until it breaks and the game ends.

Uno, dos y tres, Cuatro, cinco, seis, Siete, ocho, nueve, Cuento hasta diez. La, la, la, la… etc.

One and two and three, Four and five and six, Seven, eight and nine, Yes, I can count to ten. La, la, la, la… etc.

Yo tengo una casita O

This preschool classic from Argentina helps children become more coordinated, first with making small movements then moving on to larger ones. Repeat the song three or four times starting with tiny gestures. Each time the song is sung make the movements more exaggerated and raise the voice to match.

Watch at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBcsP8WaqsE&feature=related

Directions:

First use finger, then hands, then arms, then whole body to:

1. Make walls and the roof.

2. Make spirals in the air.

3. Knock on the door three times and enter.

4. Shine one shoe and then the other.

Yo tengo una casita que es así y así. Y por la chimenea sale el humo así, así. Y cuando quiero entrar yo golpeo así, así ! Me lustro los zapatos así, así, así!

I have a little cottage; it’s like this, like this. The smoke goes up the chimney just, like this and this and this. Before I enter hear me knocking; one and two and three! Then see me shine my two shoes, they’re polished just by me!

Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home page