Mexican Flowers

Give each child 3-5 different colored squares of tissue paper and have them place them one on top of another. Show the children how to fold them in a fan folded shape and then wrap a twist tie around the middle of the fan folded paper. Have each child carefully open his flower by pulling the different colors of paper upwards or downwards to separate each layer.

Paper-mache Mexican dragon hats

Click Here for Instructions and details on making your very own dragon hat.

Ojo de Dios (God's Eye)

Ojo de Dios means "eye of God" in Spanish. The Mexican Indians made them for good luck pieces. Cross 2 ice-cream sticks. Use coloured wool to tie them in a knot around the sticks where they cross. Weave the wool over one stick, then around & under, then over the stick toward the next stick. Do this on eachstick. Continue around the square doing the same thing for all the rows. You can change colors whenever you'd like to. Start a new color by tying it to the wool.

HUARACHES (Mexican sandles)

Outline both of the child's shoes onto paper or cardboard. Cut 4 strips (20cm x 4cm) using the same paper or cardboard. Cut out the shoe outline. Let the child glue the 2 straps to each outline shoe shape & you will have huaraches! (shoe covers)

Mexican Lanterns

Give each child a piece of construction paper and allow them to decorate it any way they wish. Next, have the children fold the paper in half lengthwise. They should then cut 1'' cuts beginning at the fold but leave one 1'' border around the edges except the fold. Have the children then unfold and roll each long edge of the paper in a circle and staple. Use the hole punch to make two holes in the top, and then tie a piece of string to the hole as a hanger.

Mexican Serapes

To get in the spirit of your Mexican celebration, let the children make serapes (Mexican blankets) to wear over their shoulders. We can use butchers paper or any other large piece of paper (approximately 40cm wide) and is long enough to hang over the front & back of the child. The child can then design, paint, colour, or paste with scrap materials the serape & then they can cut fringe on the bottom edges. You could also make these out of old white sheets.

Maracas

Use two small paper plates that have been decorated. Fill with beans, seeds, beads, pebbles etc. Staple the 2 plates together. Alternatively you can use an empty plastic bottle (softdrink, cordial etc), fill with beans, seeds, beads, pebbles etc and screw the lid back on, after you decorate the bottle it can be shaken to make lots of noise.

good-bye friends

please

thank you

you're welcome

good morning

hello

good-bye

good night

Adios amigos

Por favor

Muchas gracias

De nada

Buenos dias

Hola

Adios

Buenas noches

(ah-de-OHS ah-me-gos)

(poor fah-VOHR)

(MOO-chas GRAH-see-aahs)

(day NAH-dah)

(BWAY-nos DEE-aha)

(OH-la)

(ah-de-OHS)

(BWAY-nahs No-chays)