Cinco de Mayo, The Day Of The Dead, is a big holiday that celebrates the victory of Mexico over the French back in 1779. Now, everybody participates in it through immersing themselves in Mexican culture, whether it be in the form of decorations, music, or food.
While activities for adults on this day generally mainly include dancing and restaurant crawls, Cinco de Mayo activities for children can be more fun and engaging. Take the opportunity to involve kids with the cultural significance of the day with these ideas curated for both individual and group activities.
Top Cinco de Mayo Activities For Kids
1. Creating Papel Picado:
Papel picado, or perforated or cut paper, is a decorative banner that is known for its complex and beautiful designs. A staple of Mexican celebrations, cutting out colorful paper for different designs of banners is a popular choice among Cinco de Mayo activities for children. It’s a traditional Mexican art form that can be created with as little as materials. Think just tissue paper and a pair of scissors!
2. Making Maracas
Kids do not get a chance to make instruments every day at home. That’s why crafting maracas can be considered among the most fun Cinco de Mayo crafts. Shaking these small tumblers is super fun and creates a celebratory sound.
Like papel picado, you can find different ways to make it, whether by using popular plastic eggs or even a bottle. Just secure your objects after filling them up with small materials such as beads and gems. Now, it’s time to shake the maracas and rejoice in the celebration of Cinco de Mayo.
3. Include Coloring Pages in the Cinco de Mayo Worksheet:
These are common but crowd-favorite Cinco de Mayo activities for preschoolers, as they keep the kids entertained without worrying about them with decorative or stationery items; only colors and markers. For this festival, you can include symbols like the Mexican flag and sombreros. Apart from traditional coloring pages, you can also focus on adding some fun fact-based worksheets as well.
Some other things that a Cinco de Mayo worksheet can include:Crosswords (Answer To The Above Crossword) Spot the Differences ,Word Searches.
4. Making Mexican-themed Stickers:
Sticker making on your own has caught the eye of many because of its convenience and the fact that we can control our outcome. Some stickers can be as easy as applying a piece of cellophane tape over a printed or drawn image and then cutting it out from its outline! Objects related to Mexico, such as the country’s flag, intricate patterns, and popular symbols, can be illustrated and then stuck to notebooks, cards, etc., in these Cinco de Mayo crafts.
5. Rock Painting
Rock painting is often seen as a mindful activity that is a favorite among kids because it provides a different surface to let them put their creativity out apart from using the traditional form like on paper.
They can display their artistic flair, keeping in mind themes of Cinco de Mayo, with the use of paint markers and even glitter. (This activity can also be turned into a Cinco de Mayo activity for groups as everyone paints their heart out and contributes the rock in a rock garden.)
Group Cinco de Mayo Activities for Kids
1. Playing Classic Mexican Bingo—Loteria
A game fit for adults and kids, Loteria is a traditional Mexican game that originated back in the 18th century! The main goal is the same as in traditional bingo, where the first to cross out their card wins. Instead of numbers, people get a card with colorful 16-piece images.
Back then, it was played with beans to cross out the called-out names of the images, but now most of us, of course, use a pen for convenience.
2. Scavenger Hunt
How about turning a classic kid’s creative plaything, scavenger hunt, to tune it to as a Cinco De Mayo activity for middle schoolers? An adult can create a list of Mexico-related clues and hide objects in your backyard or an institution like a school to suit the theme for a fun and even educational preschool activity.
3. Collaborating on a Giant Piñata
When you are making a list of Cinco de Mayo for kids, the chances of finding the use of the piñata (a game of breaking into a papier-mâché object to reveal objects that Mexicans believed revealed “goodness”) are high. Do something different; instead of simply busting a piñata, get kids together and have them create one!
This can be done by joining cardboard and decorating it with crepe paper and markers. Add small items like candies, stickers, chocolates, and the likes, inside that children will like to collect as they break into it. After the crafting is done, get the kids or students together to burst it open while being blindfolded.
4. The Sombrero Ring Toss
We all have seen the typical ring toss where you throw a ring into a pole to score points. But, in these Cinco de Mayo activities for preschoolers, we see something different where tradition meets innovation.
Instead of throwing rings, we can throw the sombrero hat to catch on the poles! Another way to utilize the popular Mexican hat in the same game is by using big rings to throw into the pointed ends of the sombrero! The kids who land the most rings win!
Conclusion
Cinco de Mayo or the Day of the Dead is a fun activity that, even if it doesn’t sound the sweetest, can bring a smile to children’s faces. In this list, we garnered both individual and group activities that fuse fun and learning. Don’t forget to put your own touch on the game and update them according to your personal and kids’ preferences.
