Spanish Greetings and Introductions: Spanish For Kids

Spanish Greetings and Introductions

¡Bienvenidos! Welcome to the first lesson in our Teach Kids Spanish Starter Kit, Spanish Greetings and Introductions.

I’m Elisabeth from Spanish Mama. In this “Learn Spanish for Kids” series, your family can learn the basics of speaking Spanish and using it in daily life.

Today is all about greeting others and meeting new people.

Greetings are a big deal in Hispanic culture. From a young age, kids learn to greet others with a quick kiss on the cheek or shaking hands. So learning greetings in Spanish and introductions in Spanish is important.

Key verb for lesson 1: “estar,” – “to be.”

In Spanish, there are two verb for “to be.”

We use “estar” to talk about feelings or location (pronouns are optional in Spanish).

The most important forms for for Lesson 1 are:

yo estoy (I am)
tú estás (you are)
él/ella/usted está (he/she/you formal/it is)

Greetings in Spanish

Lesson 1 Goals:

I can greet others in Spanish.
I can introduce myself.
I can ask and indicate where someone or something is.

Remember that printables are included for every lesson! You can access the posters, practice sheets, and vocabulary/game cards in the Family Toolkit eBook which you can PRINT HERE. 

See the whole Learn Spanish for Kids series to follow every lesson!

Essential Spanish Vocabulary for Lesson 1:

Basic Spanish Greetings

hola (hello)
adiós (good-bye)

buenos días (good morning)
buenas tardes (good afternoon)
buenas noches (good evening/night)

¿Cómo estás? (How are you feeling?)
Estoy… (I am feeling…)

… muy bien, gracias. (very well, thanks)
… mal (not well)

Basic Spanish Introductions

¿Cómo te llamas? (What’s your name?)
Me llamo… (I’m called…)
Mucho gusto. (Nice to meet you.)

Asking Where Something/Someone Is

¿Dónde está…? (Where is he/she/it?)
Está… (He/she/it is…)

el hombre (the man)
la mujer (the woman)
el niño (the child/boy)
la niña (the child/girl)

aquí (here)
allí (there)

If you need some help with pronunciation, you can look up any of these phrases at SpanishDict which you can find here.

Teaching Spanish Greetings & Introductions

This Spanish greetings lesson can be spread out over several weeks. I will share activities and ideas for teaching each section of new words, and you can adjust the timing as needed.

As you set up the lessons, remember that you can print vocabulary cards or posters to introduce the new words for each section.

Basic Spanish Greetings

Watch some songs and videos that demonstrate greetings. I like this classic version from José Luis Orozco, so the whole family can learn pronunciation together.

After listening a few times, try acting out the greetings or practicing with puppets.

Remember that children need to hear phrases many times to acquire them. As you begin your Spanish lessons, beginning with greetings is a good routine to establish.

There are different ways to ask, “¿Cómo estás?” Eventually, you can add on the phrases on the emojis bonus poster in the Ebook.

You can also say, “¿Estás bien o mal?” If working with a group, ask about the others.

While the vocabulary cards teach how to ask another person directly, “¿Cómo estás?”, you as the parent can use “Cómo está?” (How is s/he?) as well.

As you read the stories, look at pictures, or talk about other people, ask this.

The full answers are “Está bien” or “Está mal.” As you begin, ask yes/no and either/or questions too.

Basic Spanish Introductions

Here is a short script as a sample introduction:

• ¡Hola!
• ¡Hola!
• ¿Cómo te llamas?
• Me llamo Paco. 
• Mucho gusto, Paco.
• ¿Cómo te llamas?
• Me llamo Sonia.
• Mucho gusto, Sonia.

More scripts are included in the Ebook. You can act them out as a family or try with puppets. With older kids, you can have them create cartoons with dialogues.

When everyone is very familiar with the new phrases, cut apart the dialogue and try to arrange them back to the correct order.

Younger kids can draw a picture of themselves, write their names, and how they feel.

Again, while the vocabulary cards teach how to ask another person directly, “¿Cómo te llamas?”, you as the parent can use “Cómo se llama?” (What’s his/her/its name?) as well.

The full answers are “Se llama…” When working with beginners, it’s helpful to offer choices: “¿Se llama Jon o Sara?”

“¿Se llama Jon?

 Asking Where Something/Someone Is

Show the picture from the Ebook with four people in it. Talk about where everybody is. You can practice this with family members “¿Dónde está…?”

Because you are just starting out, it’s okay if your kids reply by pointing at first. The most important thing is that they understand you!

Spanish Lesson Review

Watch the short story that uses all the phrases from this lesson.

You can extend the story above by pausing and asking questions. You don’t need to be a native Spanish speaker to do this! Here are some simple questions to ask your kids:

¿Es niño o (or) niña? (Is it a boy or girl?)

¿Está bien o mal?  (Is s/he feeling well or not well?)

¿Cómo se llama? (What’s his/her name?)

¿Dónde está Paco? ¿Dónde is Rosa?  (Where is Paco/Rosa?)

The Ebook includes a mini-book to read together. Your kids can illustrate each scene and keep the book throughout this course, to review and start your homemade Spanish family library.

You can also print out the vocabulary cards from the and play Memory/Concentration or Go Fish to pair the Spanish and English words.

Spanish Greetings & Introductions

Remember to use your new words and vocabulary in your daily family life. Use these greetings in Spanish with each other, say good-bye, and ask where things are in Spanish, for the next few weeks. If you meet someone new, practice your introductions in Spanish too. Have fun learning together!

We hope you enjoyed the first Spanish for Kids lesson all about Spanish greetings and introductions. Make sure you check out the whole Learn Spanish for Kids series on the Bilingual Kidspot!