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Celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year with some live music! The kids will love crafting these simple instruments, opening up discussion about the holiday and its origins. It is a common misconception that Cinco de Mayo is celebrated as Mexico’s independence day. In Mexican culture, May 5 actually marks the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over the French forces of Napoleon III in 1862, at the Battle of Puebla. In fact, the residents of the state of Puebla are really the ones who celebrate the holiday the most – even more than the rest of Mexico. They party with traditional Mexican food, dancers, and mariachi music. These wonderful sounds of celebration inspired us to make some homemade instruments. According to the Brain and Creativity Institute at University of Southern California, music experiences in childhood can actually accelerate brain development, particularly in language and reading skills. Down the road, learning a musical instrumental at an early age can actually improve mathematical learning and increase SAT scores. Sounds good to us, so let’s get musical! Here’s what you’ll need to make you own little Cinco de Mayo band.

The family perro wearing a sombrero? Must be Cinco de Mayo!

This year, you can let May 5^th be just another spring day, or you can make Cinco de Mayo a day of fun and learning for your niños! Together you can explore Mexican culture, learn a little history, sing, dance, try some tasty South-of-the-Border treats, and even impress your kids with your high school Spanish. Sound good? Vamonos! Let’s go!

A little history

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. A small Mexican army of 2,000 poorly-equipped soldiers defeated an army of 6,000 French invaders, who were backed by Napolean III. This unlikely victory became a great source of national pride. Over the years, Cinco de Mayo has become less about that specific battle, and more of a celebration of Mexican culture in general.

Música with maracas

Music makes a fun introduction to any culture or country, and that’s especially true for Mexico. This cute animated clip pairs the traditional Mexican Hat Dance tune with new, kid-friendly lyrics.

In the video, they sing about shaking maracas, which you can easily make for your kids. Just take plastic eggs left over from Easter, pour in some dried beans, rice, or popcorn kernels. Glue the two halves of each egg together and start shaking! To make an optional handle, place 2 plastic spoons around each egg. Wrap colorful washi tape around the backs of the 2 spoons with the egg inside, then keep wrapping all the way down to secure. Your kids will be all set to keep time with the song!

Mariachi and más

Ready for a song that’s a bit more auténtico? Most Cinco de Mayo festivals feature strolling street musicians known as mariachi bands. Kids can learn all about their instruments in this charming animated clip.

Want more music? Play the Mexican Children (Children’s) Radio station on Pandoraand enjoy sweet, folksy songs in Spanish, sung by adults and kids.

Say it in Spanish

Tired of reminding your kids to say “please” and “thank you”? You might have better luck getting them to say “por favor” and “gracias,” if only because of the novelty! A nap is so boring, but a “siesta” might sound tempting. It’s easy to Google Spanish phrases online to share with your kids. Then they can brighten everyone’s day with a cheerful “buenos dias,” and introduce themselves with a “me llamo _____” (my name is____). Or teach your preschooler 3 or 4 nouns in Spanish today, ideally tangible things you can point to, like perro (dog), gato (cat), sombrero (hat), zapatos (shoes), sol (sun), or luna (moon).

By the numbers

Thanks to TV shows like Sesame Street, many preschoolers can count to 10 in Spanish, rapidly rattling off, “uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez!” But how well can your kids use these números? Challenge your family to use only Spanish numbers on Cinco de Mayo. You can start the day with a refresher, counting together on your fingers. Then ask questions like “How many pancakes do you want?” and “How many years old are you?” You can also grab a pair of dice, roll them, and see who can shout out the sum first. (Once is 11 and doce is 12.) Your kids will be drilling language and math while they’re having fun! You can even play Uno and have each player say the number of the card they are playing in Spanish for a fun twist.

Delicioso desserts

You may already be thinking of making Cinco de Mayo a taco night. But what’s for dessert? We have 3 festive ideas. Your kids may be surprised to learn that chocolate originally comes from Mexico, where it was enjoyed as a drink for many thousands of years. You can make a kid-friendly version of Mexican hot chocolate by adding a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to your favorite hot chocolate. It’s delicious served with these super easy, baked churros. See how they’re made on YouTube. 

(Try dipping the churros in the hot chocolate for a double dose of cinnamon bliss!) Or go for something light and cool with tri-color gelatin parfaits in honor of the Mexican flag. Your kids can help layer lime green gelatin into a tall glass, add a generous dollop of white whipped cream, then top with any flavor of red gelatin.

Libros, libros, libros!

Head to your local biblioteca to check out some of the vibrant and creative books for kids about different aspects of Mexican culture. New in 2017 is Lucia the Luchadora, by Cynthia Leonor Garza, about a girl who learns she comes from a line of traditional masked wrestlers. What Can You Do with a Paleta, by Carmen Tafolla, was inspired by the frozen treats sold in the barrio from little carts with tinkling bells. As kids will find out by reading the text in both English and Spanish, you can eat a paleta, draw with it, share it, and much more! Charming illustrations make Cinco de Mouse-O a delight for kids of all ages. Written by Judy Cox in English, with some Spanish words, the book follows a mouse as he explores a Cinco de Mayo celebration. The tiny hero is determined to get a piece of candy from the piñata, which keeps the story moving forward.

Make a mini piñata

Finally, you and your kids can create your own mini piñata from everyday items like cereal boxes and sticky notes. Our piñata is designed with a trap door, so no baby burros will be harmed when releasing the treats inside!

Try a few of the ideas here and soon Cinco de Mayo will become a fun family tradition and fantástico learning opportunity. 

Learning is Where We Play:

• Creativity: Tie-dyeing allows children to express creativity through color and pattern choices. They can experiment with combinations and see how they turn out, encouraging them to think outside the box and develop their artistic skills.
• Fine Motor Skills: This activity involves handling small objects, such as bottles and droppers, which can help children develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
• Science Exploration: Tie-dyeing also teaches children about science concepts like color mixing and pigment strength. They can observe how primary colors combine to create secondary and tertiary colors and experiment with different dye ratios to water to create varying degrees of color intensity.
• Sense of Achievement: Completing a project, such as tie-dyeing a beach towel, can give children a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work. They can use their monogrammed towels as a tangible reminder of their creativity and hard work.
• Bonding Experience: This activity can also be an excellent opportunity for parents and children to bond over a shared creative project, working together to create a unique and personalized item that they can enjoy using for years to come.

Voilà! Monogrammed beach towels created by your color-wheel-savvy children. Enjoy the summer!

Using a printable envelope savings system is a fun and engaging way to teach kids about money and saving. By setting goals, tracking progress, and budgeting, kids can learn valuable life skills that will serve them well in the future.

Another fun and effective way to use a printable envelope savings system for kids is to incorporate printable money and eventually have them switch it out for real money once they reach their savings goal.

To start, you can print out a set of printable play money, which can be found online for free. Use this play money to help your child visualize their savings and expenses. For example, if they want to buy a toy that costs $20, you can give them five $4 bills to represent their savings. Then, you can work with them to create a budget and decide how much they need to save each week or month from reaching their goal.

As your child adds more play money to their envelope, they'll see progress toward their savings goal. This can be a fun and motivating way for them to learn about the value of saving money.

Once your child reaches their savings goal, you can have a celebration and then help them switch out their play money for real money. This can be an excellent opportunity to teach them the importance of managing real money, such as depositing it into a savings account or spending it wisely.

Using a printable envelope savings system with printable money can be a fun and engaging way to teach kids about money and saving. By setting goals, tracking progress, and eventually using real money, kids can learn valuable life skills that will serve them well.

Easter egg hunts are a beloved tradition but can be messy and time-consuming. Learning Resources Snap-n-Learn Toys are the perfect solution if you're looking for a fun alternative. This blog post will explore how these toys can be used as Easter egg alternatives and why they're a great addition to any child's toy collection.

Snap-n-Learn Toys are colorful, interactive toys designed to help young children learn essential skills such as counting, sorting, and matching. They come in various shapes and sizes and are made of durable plastic that can withstand the wear and tear of little hands.

Instead of filling plastic eggs with candy and trinkets, you can use Snap-n-Learn Toys as the eggs! These toys are not only fun to play with, but they also allow your child to learn and develop essential skills. For example, you can use the Snap-n-Learn toys to create a scavenger hunt, each containing a clue to the following location.

Snap-n-Learn Toys are a fun and educational Easter egg alternative and provide numerous benefits for your child's development. These toys can help your child develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills. They also encourage creativity and imagination, as your child can use the toys to create their own stories and scenarios.

Learning Resources Snap-n-Learn Toys are a perfect Easter egg alternative that is fun and educational. They allow your child to learn and develop essential skills while promoting creativity and imagination. Using these toys as Easter egg alternatives, you can create a memorable holiday tradition that your child will love.