In this post: Teach your kids about ‘el jardín’ (the garden) in Spanish! Vocabulary, songs, printables, books and more inside!
Spring is here! What better time is there to teach your kids about el jardín (the garden)? We can all appreciate that it’s getting warmer, flowers are blooming and there are beautiful colors all around.
At Llamitas Spanish®, we adopt a thematic approach to teaching due to the multiple benefits and we can’t wait for you to get into today’s theme.
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If you’re up for the challenge and not afraid to get your hands dirty, use the resources in today’s post to conduct a few practical sessions that will bring the topic to life and help with learning.
We recently posted on the life cycle of a plant and the farm so this blog will also be a great lesson to expand on related concepts and tie everything together.
Table of Contents
Garden Vocabulary in Spanish
Depending on the size and type of garden, there’s a lot of vocabulary you can learn. Your kids may already be familiar with some of the following words based on previous lessons. See how many new words you can identify and feel free to add a few of your own.
Spanish | English |
rama | branch |
flor | flower |
césped o pasto | grass or pasture |
hoja | leaf |
gnomo | gnome |
sol | sun |
Now here’s a list of some animals you may encounter while out planting in your garden or simply taking a relaxing stroll.
Spanish | English |
araña | spider |
mariposa | butterfly |
libélula | dragonfly |
saltamontes | grasshopper |
mariquita | ladybug |
lagartija | lizard |
hormiga | ant |
pájaro | bird |
oruga | caterpillar |
caracol | snail |
El jardín: Worksheets and Printables
Our level 1 curriculum includes a unit on the garden and was expertly designed with you and your kids in mind.
We provide everything you need so you can focus your attention on teaching the lessons and having fun.You’ll just need to get items such as scissors, glue and colored pencils which you may already have at home.
Then you can dive right into the matching exercises, tracing, songs, games, counting and other activities. Take your time exploring our 24 lessons in this unit to help your kids learn garden words, counting in 10s, the letters Nn, Ññ and Ff, 3 songs all complete with native speaker audio and lots more.
The great part is you won’t have to stop with this unit. Visit our shop to get our Level 1 Curriculum for continued learning.
Spanish Books about the Garden
- Lala una lagartija diferente by Susana Illera Martínez
This award-winning book about a lizard named Lala will remind your kids to celebrate their differences and everything that makes them unique. Rediscover the values of diversity, respect, and family support.
- Señorita Mariposita by Ben Gundersheimer (Mister G)
This is a captivating bilingual story about the extraordinary journey that monarch butterflies take each year from Canada to Mexico.
- ¿Dónde vives, caracol? by Petr Horácek
This short but interactive board book is great for beginners! Discover where different animals live and finally move the spinner at the end of the book to see the snail poking his head in and out of his shell!
- La oruga muy impaciente by Ross Burach
This HILARIOUS story is about a caterpillar who is not fully aware of the steps involved in turning into a butterfly. You will laugh your way through this story as he follows the lead of his friend, and finally transforms into a butterfly, despite his impatience in the process!
- La oruga muy hambrienta by Eric Carle
Grab the Spanish version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a popular and delightful classic. This board book is one that young readers are guaranteed to enjoy.
- Lola planta un jardín by Anna McQuinn
Join in the excitement as Lola gets all the information she needs to cultivate a garden full of flowers and find out the creative way she passes time while waiting for them to grow.
- La araña muy ocupada by Eric Carle
Enjoy this touch-and-feel story of a hardworking spider. This is another one of our favorites by Eric Carle now available in Spanish.
- La semillita by Eric Carle
Learn the life cycle of a flower with this lovely picture book by uncovering the magic that unfolds as a tiny seed becomes a giant flower.
- Con alas de Mariposa by Pilar López Ávila
This is the heartwarming story of a grandmother and granddaughter who both enjoy the beauty of nature and share a wonderful bond that lasts even beyond the death of the grandmother.
Also, consider adding some spring-themed Spanish books to your kids’ reading list. Choose from our general recommendations, those focused on animals or a few about plants.
Spanish Songs about Bugs and Birds
We use songs as an essential part of learning here at Mama Llama Linguist. That’s why we include them in our curriculum with bilingual lyrics. The songs in our unit for this theme include Itsy Bitsy Araña, Caracol-col-col, and Mariposita.
If you usually start your Spanish lessons with a particular cue or greeting song, switch it up and go for one of the following spring-themed songs for the next few lessons.
This one’s a classic! Sing along to the adventures of this brave spider who tries to overcome the challenge of the ever-changing weather.
Caracol – col- col is so catchy and will have you singing for days. Learn these short lines with ease.
Perhaps the most unconventional recipe you’d ever find for chocolate, sing along with the words on the screen as this beautiful butterfly mixes her unique concoction in the kitchen.
The upbeat songs by 123 Andrés always get us off our seats and dancing while learning. This one’s great for expanding vocabulary and practicing counting.
This song about a bird waiting for its loved one is cute and catchy. Some of the words may be for more advanced learners but you can follow along easily with the closed captions turned on.
Learn the sound made by a frog and spend a day at the pond along with the other animals.
Count to 10 and sing along as these ants march along the trail in their numbers. ¡Hurra! ¡Hurra!
This song about some ants and a grasshopper reminds us all of the value of hard work and kindness. Listen to the end to hear how the ants were able to help the grasshopper out of a difficult situation.
The repetition in this song makes it snappy and easy to learn but also great for practicing pronunciation. You’d love this one by El Reino Infantil!
Spanish Curriculum for the Early Years
Consistency is key when it comes to learning a language! If you’re ready to take your Spanish lessons to the next level and help your kids become bilingual, we’ve got just the thing.
Our level 1 curriculum will help you to facilitate lessons at home and expand your kids’ learning with a structured open-and-go program.
After covering the 12 thematic units in our curriculum, your child will have a solid foundation in early academics, a higher level of fluency in Spanish, stronger cognitive skills and more.
If you’re ready to get started, get it in our curriculum shop!
Kimberly Inglis
Kimberly is a freelance writer from Trinidad and Tobago who was always fascinated by language and holds a B.A in Spanish with a minor in Linguistics. She considers herself to be a multipotentialite due to her many interests and a few of her favorite things include coffee, pasta and scented candles.