Día de los muertos
Day of the Dead: A colorful and joy-filled festival, celebrated in many Latin American countries on Nov 1-2, to honor and remember loved ones who have passed away.
Try one of these age-appropriate ways to explore this colorful festival with your aventurero/a!
Ask: how is it similar or different to to the Halloween traditions in our culture?*
Bake some aromatic Day of the Dead bread (pan de muerto) to enjoy with hot chocolate or try some atole, a special drink often enjoyed at this festival.
Make some colorful wall hangings (or papel picado ) using this easy template (either print on colored paper or print and color yourself!) or try the authentic (more challenging) way with scissors!
Have fun coloring calaveras (skulls) using coloring by number
Get your ofrenda kit today and make your own paper marigolds - the flower of the festival! Des Moines Arts Center has taken their annual Día de muertos celebration online and into the community this year! They are distributing free craft kids for kids aged 5-12! A limited amount are also available curbside at any of the Des Moines Public Libraries, too!
Older kids may enjoy making a shoebox altar or an altar in a jar for a loved one whom they remember
See how Guatemalans celebrate this festival with incredible hand-made kites!
Watch a video that explains what kind of things families gather and do to honor and remember their loved ones (please preview video to ensure it is age-appropriate for your child) or enjoy the movie Coco (PG), if age-appropriate
Read or watch a read-aloud of two of my favorite childrens’ storybooks about Día de los muertos, by Bob Barner or by Roseanne Greenfield Thong! Both available to rent at dmpl.org!
Important: You know your child best! If you feel that your child is not ready to see the joy behind the skeletons, skulls and the cemetery, then save this for when he/she is older! Or, just focus on crafts and books that you feel are age and stage appropriate to your child. Enjoy to their level!
*Olivia says: “At Halloween we carve Jack o’Lanterns and sometimes it is spooky. But I think that Día de muertos is a happy festival! It’s not scary or sad”. :-)