For teachers

Lesson plan: «Arroz con leche»

Children play the «Arroz con leche» circle game, keep the beat as they point on «con esta sí, con esta no» (“this one yes, this one no”) and make up new verses about what a good friend is like.

Ages: Ages 4–7
Time: 35 minutes
Areas: Language and communication · Music and creative expression · Getting along and feelings

Opening

Ask who has tried «arroz con leche» (“rice pudding”) and how it’s made at home: cold or warm? With cinnamon? Welcome every answer.
Ask: «¿Qué hace una buena amiga o un buen amigo?» (“What does a good friend do?”). Write or draw their ideas on the board: you’ll use them in the song later.
Watch the video once, together, to hear the whole song. Then turn the screen off.

Main activity

Hold hands in a circle, arms out straight, around one child in the middle. A child who’d rather watch first can keep the beat on the tambourine from outside and join when ready.
Sing slowly, without the video, as you walk around. On «que sepa coser, que sepa bordar» (“who knows how to sew, who knows how to embroider”), mime sewing; on «abrir la puerta» (“open the door”), open a pretend door.
On «con esta sí, con esta no», the circle stops and claps while the child in the middle points at one friend after another, to the beat. On «con esta señorita me caso yo» (“I’ll marry this young lady”), they pick someone who hasn’t had a turn and swap places.
Use the tambourine to change the speed: one slow round and one faster round. The child in the middle points at the same speed.
Make up verses with the ideas from the start: sing «Arroz con leche, yo quiero encontrar una amiga o un amigo…» (“Rice pudding, I want to find a friend…”) and, to the tune of «que sepa coser», each child adds one: «que sepa jugar» (“who knows how to play”), «que sepa compartir» (“share”).

Closing

Sit down in the circle and sing the new verse together with all of the group’s ideas.
Talk about it: “Which of our verses did you like best? Who did you play with today?”
Draw a friend playing with you. Ask each child to dictate their verse, «que sepa…», and write it underneath; children who already write can do it themselves.

Materials

A tambourine or a drum
A board or a large sheet of paper for the group’s ideas
Paper and crayons

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What to observe

Points to the beat on «con esta sí, con esta no».
Suggests, in their own words, something a good friend does.
Does the sewing and door-opening actions at the right moment.
Listens to the others’ ideas and sings them with the group.

Adaptations

With 3-year-olds, play just the circle game and the actions, and suggest verses they can act out: «que sepa saltar» (“jump”), «que sepa aplaudir» (“clap”).
For children who don’t speak yet or who use AAC, use the song’s pictogram sheet and offer drawings of actions so they can choose their verse by pointing.
For children who need to move less, they can be in the middle from their chair and choose by pointing or with their eyes; the circle walks around them.
If the group speaks other languages, ask how to say “friend” at home and use it in one of the new verses.

For families

Ask families to make up an «Arroz con leche» verse at home about one of their child’s friends.

If you teach Spanish as a new language

Teach the key words with gestures (TPR): «arroz» (rice), «leche» (milk), «coser» (to sew), «abrir la puerta» (to open the door), «jugar» (to play).
Model one line at a time and let students echo it. Start with «con esta sí, con esta no»: it’s short, rhythmic and easy to point along to.
Ask simple questions in Spanish as you build the new verses: «¿Qué sabe hacer tu amigo?» (“What can your friend do?”) — students answer with one verb: «jugar», «cantar», «saltar».

ACTFL World-Readiness Standards: Communication (interpretive and interpersonal), Cultures (a traditional game is a cultural practice; the song, a cultural product) and Comparisons (Spanish sounds and words next to your students’ languages).

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