Sunday is the 5th of May, which is the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo, which is a big party day for adults all over the world. We’d like to include the kids in that, too. With Cinco de Mayo quickly approaching, it’s time to plan the perfect party. Can’t find a babysitter? No worries. We have party ideas that your children will love. The best part is not only will they enjoy what we have planned, but so will the parents. From arts and crafts to dinner, we have you covered.
Children love creating arts and crafts projects. To get into the mood, have guests put together maracas. All you’ll need is two large paper cups, a paintbrush, dried pinto beans, a hot glue gun, and red, white, and green paint. Start out by taking the paint and decorating the outside of the paper cups. This is your time to put your own flair on the project. Then once the paint has dried, fill one cup halfway with pinto beans. Place hot glue to the rim of the cup, to bind the second cup to it. Once the glue dries, you have yourself a maraca. Make sure to supervise children on this craft, since hot glue guns will be just that.
Another must have for any Cinco de Mayo party is a taco bar–because kids love tacos, right? Some ingredients you’ll need are refried and black beans, shredded cheese, carne asada, black olives, sour cream, guacamole, grilled peppers, shredded lettuce, salsa, and flour tortillas. Preheat the meat, beans, and vegetables ahead of time and put each item in its own bowl. That’s it, your work is done. The rest is up to each person to make their taco. If there’s an ingredient you don’t like, skip it. Children will enjoy that they’re in charge of putting together their own meal, while adults will like the tastiness of it all. Yum!
It wouldn’t be a Cinco de Mayo party without a piñata. Grab a store-bought one and fill it with candy. Line up children and have them take turns hitting the piñata with a baseball bat. Once it cracks open, the kids can scramble for the candy (We like to keep an extra bag handy in case some kids outscramble other kids.) You always see this going on in the backyard, but anywhere with a lot of open space will do.
While Cinco de Mayo is filled with fun and games, it’s also important to remember the reason why we even celebrate this holiday to begin with. On Cinco de Mayo, we honor Mexican culture. Use this day to teach children Spanish basics. Play some Latin music or pull out flashcards. Have kids learn how to count to 10 and state primary colors in Spanish. As long as you make it fun, kids will love taking an educational approach on Cinco de Mayo.
Planning a party that the whole family will love is stressful. With activities like these though, you won’t have to worry. They’re simple enough that all ages can participate, but also entertaining so that everyone will want to partake in the fun, and have a Cinco de Mayo for all ages to remember.
