When the pandemic shut down my son’s school, we started watching more Spanish shows. At first, we wondered how we were going to keep up his Spanish learning without the daily Spanish instruction from his bilingual program. Despite my one semester of college Spanish, my B.A. in French meant my attempts at simple Spanish conversations were a bust, my mind still sprinkled with le français. Since neither my husband nor I speak much Spanish and my son seemed apprehensive about his own language abilities, we considered letting it go, picking it up at a later time, if he showed interest.
A study conducted by MIT, however, indicates the best time to learn a new language with native-speaker proficiency is by the age of 10. Children under 10 can more easily absorb information and excel in the new language.
We have worked hard to create a well-rounded learning program incorporating some online learning platforms, an online Spanish class from Outschool, and of course, my son’s favorite: Spanish shows. Here are some of our current favorite Spanish shows for kids:
Spanish Shows on Netflix (and beyond)
To listen to these shows in Spanish, be sure to select the Spanish options on Netflix.
Pocoyo is a cute and highly engaging show which uses fairly simple language. The episodes are short and not too overwhelming, language-wise.
Cleo & Cuquin – This show is about a little girl and her brother solving problems and trying out various careers. It’s also fairly simple, language-wise.
Yohoo Al Rescate – This show is perfect for babies around age 2 and centers around animated animals going on adventures.
Kazoops! – According to ABC, “Kazoops! follows the adventures of Monty, an inquisitive six-year-old with a vivid imagination, and the family pet pig Jimmy Jones, his loyal best friend.”
Masha and The Bear – This is an award-winning popular one. According to IMDB, A retired circus bear settles into the woods and prepares for a quiet new life surrounded by peace and tranquility until he is introduced to an adventurous little girl named Masha.” It’s a Russian cartoon but it has the Spanish language option available.
Los Octonautas (The Octonauts) – According to YouTube, “Los Octonautas are a dynamic eight-member team of quirky and courageous adventure heroes who dive into action whenever there is trouble under the sea.” I think there used to be a Spanish option on Netflix but it doesn’t seem to be available now. Since my son loves this one SO much, we found episodes on YouTube.
Sam, El Bambero (Fireman Sam) is one of my son’s favorites in English (and now Spanish!). Thank goodness we discovered the Spanish version!
El Autobus Magico (The Magic School Bus) – There is a lot more language in this video and the Spanish is spoken pretty fast but it holds my son’s attention since he also watches this show in English. Mixing this show with a few simpler Spanish language shows keeps the learning and the interest balanced.
Mi Amigo, Alexis is not an animated show but rather a movie starring real-life Chilean soccer player, Alexis Sanchez. “When a young soccer fan and his idol forge an unexpected friendship, the connection teaches them both lessons about life and their love of the game.”
Coco – In Disney/Pixar’s vibrant tale of family, fun, and adventure, an aspiring young musician named Miguel embarks on an extraordinary journey to the magical land of his ancestors. There, the charming trickster Hector becomes an unexpected friend who helps Miguel uncover the mysteries behind his family’s stories and traditions. Keep in mind, this is a rather long movie and the language moves fast as it was created for native speakers. Also, my son did not want to watch it because the “skeleton’s are scary” so it may or may not work for you.
Spanish Playground is not a show and it’s not on Netflix but it’s a learning channel with short conversational videos, games, and other lesson plans.
What shows have you found in Spanish that your kids enjoy watching? Do you have a favorite? Comment below and let’s share resources!
Want more Spanish learning ideas? Check the foreign language section of our relaxed homeschooling curriculum.