We flew to Guatemala and discovered…

…a colorful market stall where we found some teeny, tiny worry dolls! These muñecas looked just like a little familia of all different shapes and sizes, beautifully wrapped in traditional Mayan clothing. ¡Qué lindas! How cute!

…the tropical, diverse selva (the rainforest) to spy the national bird, el Quetzal, and listened to some traditional marimba music!

Here are more fun activities to explore Guatemala with your aventurero/a!

• Color the flag of Guatemala or other national symbols

• Travel there on Google Earth! Guatemala is the largest country in Central America, south of the US and Mexico.

• What’s the weather like today? ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? It’s MUCH warmer in Guatemala due to it being further south, closer to the equator – ¡hace calor!

• Catch a glimpse of the the Quetzal or learn where it lives and how it is endangered.

• Find out about the Guatemalan worry dolls (las muñecas quitapenas). These traditional hand-made dolls, beautifully dressed in Mayan fabric, come with many legends. A large portion of the Guatemalan people are of indigenous heritage – their culture is rich in tradition and color!

• Make your own dolls to put under your pillow and help you sleep your worries away! Here’s a simplified version for younger kids with less fine motor skills, and here’s one for older kids.

• Read about some fussy rainforest animals in the book: ¡No more, por favor!, by Susan Middleton Elya.

• Watch a children’s song: Amo a Guatemala (I love Guatemala) that shows some scenery of the country, children and families and the blue and white flag with the Quetzal bird

• Take a ride on one of the colorful Guatemalan buses, or camionetas

• Try speaking a few words of one of the 21 languages of Guatemala, K'iche'