Cinco De Mayo Activities for Children
How to Teach Children about the Mexican Cultural Holiday.
Apr 27, 2009
The Battle of Puebla is more widely celebrated than Mexico's independence day, which falls on September 16th. It is so popular that people tend to think it is independence day. The day is celebrated throughout the country, with the biggest celebration in Puebla, and unofficially in places with high Mexican populations such as the United States.
Mexican Cinco de Mayo Flag Cut and Paste
Cut strips of red and green construction paper. If the children are old enough, allow them to cut the strips of paper themselves, and to cut strips for any younger siblings. Print out the eagle emblem from the middle of the flag, and also have the kids cut that out. Also print out a sample flag so the children have a template for what the flag really looks like. Then have them model that, or they can create their own Mexican flag.
While the children are cutting and pasting, explain the different meanings of the colors and the emblem.
- Green – Stands for hope and the independence movement against the Spanish
- White – Represents the purity of the Catholic faith
- Red – Symbolizes unity between the Spanish and Mexicans in the quest for independence.
- Eagle Emblem – Remembers the Aztec heritage. Aztec legends state that the gods advised the people to establish their city where they saw an eagle perched on a prickly pear, devouring a snake. This place is now the Zocalo, or main plaza, of Mexico City.
If the kids like painting better than cutting and pasting, or if it is easier to deal with than scissors, have them paint a flag instead. Start with a white piece of paper, section off the colors, and cut out the eagle emblems for them. Spice up any flag with glitter, confetti, or eagle and cactus stickers.
Teaching Mexican Geography to Older Children
What better time to teach children about a nation than on a national holiday. Create your own country map, or print out a few and white-out the names. Give a brief lesson of where the Mexican states are, and see if the children can remember where the states are. Remember to reward for their efforts, as some children might not find this fun. It will be exciting to see how the children will pronounce the names, as some are very difficult like Sinaloa, and others are quite amusing, like Chihuahua. Collect simple facts about each state.
Cinco de Mayo Meal
At the end of a long day, or hour, of activities, get to work on dinner. Children can participate in this process as well. Translate the flag activity into a meal by rolling enchiladas, and then use both red and green sauce to cover them, instead of using just one sauce over the entire batch. You can also bake the two batches separately, and on each plate put half of one red enchilada next to half of a green enchilada, and put a dollop of sour cream between the two.
Use this day to teach children about Mexico. Other countries' national holidays are a great excuse to throw in some fun lessons and a cultural meal.
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