Easy Ideas for Celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Your Homeschool
Inside: Cinco de Mayo activities for kids and a free Cinco de Mayo Pattern Maze worksheet.
Growing up in a predominately Hispanic town, Cinco de Mayo was a big celebration. It was a day of festivities and fun for kids and adults alike. As my own children are part Hispanic, we use it as an opportunity to share with them some of their cultural heritage.
Anytime we celebrate holidays in our homeschool, I like to use it as an opportunity to educate my kids about the reason why it’s celebrated. It’s a great way to tie in learning with some fun.
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The History of Cinco de Mayo for Kids
Cinco de Mayo, which is Spanish for May 5th, is a story of underdogs. It is not a celebration of Mexico’s independence, as many believe. But actually the celebration of Mexico’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla. Mexico was not thought to win. They had fewer soldiers and their men were not as well equipped as the French army. And yet, the Mexican people rallied together and were victorious. This victory boosted their morale.
This YouTube video gives a good explanation of Cinco de Mayo for kids:
There is also this read-aloud book about Cinco de Mayo that is great for elementary-aged kids:
Homemade Tortillas for a Fun Fiesta
Food is a great way to celebrate and learn about another culture. And we all know most homeschool kids are little hobbits. Where would they be without elevensies?
Now, this is not a food blog, so I’m not going to have awesome step-by-step pictures. My apologies in advance.
When celebrating Cinco de Mayo, we always have Mexican food. Our hometown had THE BEST Mexican food and I miss it often. If you ever have the chance to eat at Guayos on the Trail or Guayos in Miami (AZ not FL) then I highly recommend it.
One of my kid’s favorite foods to make is homemade tortillas. They taste so much better than store-bought and they are easy and fun for kids to make. Our recipe is very similar to this one by the Pioneer Woman. The key is to use lard. Honestly, they will not taste the same if you use vegetable oil. You can, but it does affect the flavor.
The best thing about homemade tortillas is you can easily include your kids in making them. They love mixing the dough, forming it into balls, and rolling them out. Homemade tortillas are one of the first recipes my kids learn to make solo.
And there’s nothing quite like a warm tortilla slathered in butter.
If you want your tortillas to be uniform, you can use a tortilla press. The kids like using ours just as much as rolling them out.
We also love turning our homemade flour tortillas into chips. Just cut your cooked tortillas into smaller shapes and place them in hot oil for a few seconds. Remove with a metal slotted spoon or metal tongs. (Because of the hot oil, an adult should do this.) Then let dry on paper towels to soak up the remaining oil. Eat with homemade pico de gallo or your favorite salsa.
5 No-Stress Cinco de Mayo Activities for Kids
Here are some fun activities to include in your Cinco de Mayo festivities:
1. Mexican Candy Sampler–Grab different varieties of Mexican candy for kids to try. Have them create a bar graph showing which candy was the favorite in your family. Or which one was the most disliked.
2. Mariachi Dance Party–Open your favorite music streaming service and search for mariachi music. Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán is a famous mariachi band if you want to search for a specific one. Turn on the music and dance while it plays. You can also watch a video of one of their songs, such as El Son de la Negra below, and try to mimic the dancing.
3. Piñatas! Everyone loves a piñata. Pick one up for the day or make your own. My kids like to make their own miniature piñatas. These are easy to make and require material we usually have on hand. If not, it’s just a quick trip to the dollar store.
4. Make Papel Picado. Papel picado is a traditional Mexican craft. It is made by cutting intricate designs into colored papers. Think of it as similar to making paper snowflakes, but with a Mexican flair.
5. Play Hot Sombrero. This game is similar to hot potato, but with a sombrero. If you don’t have a sombrero, any brimmed hat will work. To begin, players sit or stand in a circle. One person will start by holding the sombrero. When the music starts, the player puts the sombrero on their head before quickly passing it to the next players. Each player will put the sombrero on their head before passing it on. The person holding/wearing the sombrero when the music stops is out. The game continues until only one person is left.
Free Cinco de Mayo Kid’s Printable
To finish off your Cinco de Mayo activities in your homeschool, you can use this fun Cinco de Mayo printable. Kids can help the little boy find his guitar by following the pattern through the maze.
Have a fun fiesta in your homeschool using these Cinco de Mayo activities with your kids!
