Want to make Cinco de Mayo unforgettable for your students? You’re in the right place! This post is packed with engaging Cinco de Mayo activities for kids that spark curiosity, creativity, and cultural appreciation. From colorful crafts and sensory science to music, movement, and Mexican-inspired snacks, we’ve pulled together a variety of hands-on ideas that blend fun with foundational learning. These activities are perfect for preschoolers and early elementary students—and they’re easy for teachers to prep too! Let’s dive in now!
What is Cinco de Mayo?
Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “Fifth of May”) commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Though not Mexico’s Independence Day, it symbolizes resilience and pride. In the U.S., it’s widely celebrated to honor Mexican heritage with food, music, parades, and cultural lessons—making it a great theme for early childhood classrooms.
15 Cinco de Mayo Activities for Kids
Let’s explore exciting and educational activities across three key categories: Art, STEM, and Other Fun Ideas. Each section is filled with hands-on, teacher-approved options that bring the holiday to life in your classroom.
Art Cinco de Mayo Activities
Get crafty and colorful with these classroom-friendly Cinco de Mayo art projects that boost fine motor skills and creativity.
1. DIY Papel Picado Banners
Papel picado is a traditional Mexican decoration made by cutting intricate patterns into colored paper. Kids will love creating their own festive banners to hang around the classroom.
Materials: Colored tissue paper, scissors, string, glue
How to Do It:
- Fold tissue paper in half or quarters
- Draw shapes or designs and carefully cut them out
- Unfold and glue to a string to make a banner
2. Maracas Craft with Plastic Eggs
Let your classroom shake to the beat of learning! This maraca-making activity brings the vibrant rhythms of Mexico into your space while developing fine motor skills and creative expression. Kids love making noise—and this project gives them the green light to do just that in a purposeful, culturally rich way.
Materials: Plastic eggs, rice or beans, plastic spoons, tape, markers
How to Do It:
- Fill eggs with rice or beans
- Sandwich between two plastic spoons and tape together
- Let kids decorate their maracas with stickers or markers
3. Sombrero Sun Catchers
Capture the sunshine and cultural sparkle of Cinco de Mayo with this beautiful sombrero sun catcher craft. As kids create their mini masterpieces, they explore symmetry, color mixing, and Mexican symbols—all while boosting their hand-eye coordination.
Materials: Paper plates, tissue paper, glue, plastic wrap or contact paper
How to Do It:
- Cut out the center of a paper plate
- Glue plastic wrap over the opening
- Decorate with colorful tissue paper to mimic stained glass
Name-image-3: cinco-sombrero-craft
4. Mexican Flag Collage
Teach students the symbolism behind the Mexican flag in a hands-on, visual way. This collage activity allows kids to practice color recognition and sequencing while gaining respect for different cultures.
Materials: Red, green, and white paper, glue, printed eagle emblem (optional)
How to Do It:
- Cut paper into small squares
- Arrange them by color to form stripes
- Add the eagle emblem in the center
5. Fiesta Flower Crowns
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with blossoms on their heads! This colorful flower crown craft encourages creativity and cultural appreciation, while also strengthening scissor skills and coordination. It’s a festive way to explore traditional Mexican dress and parade-ready fun.
Materials: Tissue paper, scissors, pipe cleaners, headbands
How to Do It:
- Fold and cut tissue paper into flower shapes
- Twist pipe cleaners around the center to form flowers
- Attach to headbands to make festive crowns
STEM Cinco de Mayo activities
Combine science, math, and exploration with a festive twist using these STEM-inspired activities.
6. Build a Taco Stand Challenge
Channel the spirit of street food vendors with this taco stand engineering challenge. Kids become architects as they dream up and build taco stands from everyday classroom supplies. It’s a fun way to strengthen problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and teamwork—while connecting to real-world culture.
Materials: Cardboard, popsicle sticks, glue, markers, toy food
How to Do It:
- Show pictures of real taco stands for inspiration
- Let kids brainstorm their design
- Build using available materials and test for sturdiness
7. Build a Pyramid with Blocks
Travel back in time to ancient Mexico! Using blocks to build pyramid structures like Chichén Itzá lets children explore history and architecture through play. As they stack, balance, and plan, they’re also developing math concepts like symmetry and 3D shapes.
Materials: Wooden blocks, images of pyramids.
How to Do It:
- Study pyramid structures.
- Build a stepped design using symmetry
8. Piñata Physics
Turn a favorite party tradition into a lesson in science! This activity lets preschoolers experiment with force, gravity, and motion using mini piñatas. It’s a playful way to build early STEM thinking through observation and prediction.
Materials: Mini piñatas, string, weights, paper, tape
How to Do It:
- Fill piñatas with small objects
- Predict how they’ll react when dropped or hit
- Measure outcomes (e.g., swing distance)
9. Walking Water Experiment
Blend science and color magic with the walking water experiment. This mesmerizing activity shows kids how water moves and mixes, echoing the vibrant hues of Cinco de Mayo. It’s a great opportunity to introduce vocabulary like “absorption” and “capillary action.”
Materials: Cups, food coloring, paper towels.
How to Do It:
- Fill cups with colored water and place paper towels between them.
- Observe colors “walk” and mix
10. Floating Fiesta Boats
Take the celebration to the water table! In this STEM boat-building challenge, kids explore buoyancy while designing festive foil boats. They’ll test, observe, and improve their creations—developing persistence and scientific thinking.
Materials: Foil, marbles, water bins
How to Do It:
- Shape foil into boats
- Place them in water and add marbles
- See how many each can hold before sinking
Other Cinco de Mayo Activities
Not into crafts or science? Try these additional games, snacks, and movement activities to bring Cinco de Mayo to life.
11. Mexican Hat Dance
Bring energy and tradition to your circle time with the classic Mexican Hat Dance. This activity supports gross motor development, rhythm, and cultural appreciation through movement and music. It’s joyful, inclusive, and super engaging.
Materials: Sombrero, music
How to Do It:
- Place a sombrero on the floor
- Kids dance around it to mariachi music
- Add movements like clapping and spinning
12. Fiesta Storytime
Bring the spirit of Cinco de Mayo to life with an engaging read-aloud session! Books are a fantastic way to introduce children to culture and history in an age-appropriate, fun format. This activity builds vocabulary, listening skills, and cultural understanding—all in one festive sitting.
Materials:
- A cozy reading space
- Age-appropriate books like:
- “Cinco de Mouse-O!” by Judy Cox
- “Marco’s Cinco de Mayo” by Lisa Bullard
- “Celebrating Cinco de Mayo: Fiesta Time!” by Sandi Hill
How to Do It:
- Pick a Cinco de Mayo-themed book that matches your students’ reading level.
- Set the scene with music and comfy seating to make it feel like a fiesta.
- Pause during the reading to ask simple questions and connect the story to real-life traditions.
- After reading, invite kids to draw or talk about their favorite part of the story.
13. Taste Test Fiesta
Expand kids’ palates and cultural awareness with a fun, safe food tasting activity. Children love exploring textures and flavors—and this fiesta introduces Mexican staples in a sensory-rich way. You can even sneak in some graphing to integrate math!
Materials: Tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa, small cups/spoons
How to Do It:
- Talk about each food item before tasting
- Let kids vote for their favorite
- Graph results for a math extension
14. Cinco de Mayo Coloring
Coloring isn’t just fun—it boosts fine motor skills, color recognition, and attention to detail. These festive Cinco de Mayo coloring pages also reinforce vocabulary and holiday imagery, making them great for early finishers or quiet centers.
Use this Cinco de Mayo Coloring worksheet for a fun literacy and fine motor boost.
Materials: Printable worksheets, crayons, or markers
How to Do It:
- Provide themed pages with images like pinata, maracas, sombreros, or tacos
- Kids color while practicing color names or vocabulary
15. Lotería (Mexican Bingo)
Download this Mexican Bingo worksheet to celebrate Cinco de Mayo for your kids!
Introduce kids to a beloved Mexican tradition with this picture-based version of bingo. Lotería helps with vocabulary building, listening comprehension, and attention span—all wrapped in a game they’ll beg to play again.
Materials: Printable Lotería – Mexican Bingo, tokens
How to Do It:
- Distribute cards with pictures
- Call out each item in Spanish or English
- Kids cover matching images to win
FAQs
1. What are the most popular activities on Cinco de Mayo?
Some of the most popular activities include:
- Making papel picado
- Playing Lotería
- Dancing to mariachi music
- Crafting maracas or piñatas
2. How do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo with kids?
Celebrating Cinco de Mayo with preschoolers is all about hands-on learning and joyful cultural discovery. Here are some engaging ways to celebrate:
- Make themed crafts – Try sombreros, flags, or colorful flower crowns to spark creativity.
- Introduce traditional music and dance – Kids can clap, spin, and move to festive tunes like the Mexican Hat Dance.
- Host a taste test – Offer small bites of kid-friendly Mexican foods like guacamole, salsa, or tortilla chips.
- Tell a simple version of the history – Use storytelling or bead bracelets to explain the Battle of Puebla in a preschool-friendly way.
- Play literacy and math games – Use Cinco-themed worksheets or Lotería to combine learning with culture.
Final thoughts
Cinco de Mayo activities for kids go far beyond just having fun—they open doors to meaningful learning and cultural connection. Whether you’re crafting maracas, playing Lotería, or building a tiny taco stand, every activity is a chance to explore new traditions while reinforcing skills in literacy, math, and fine motor development. So go ahead—try out a few of these classroom favorites this year and watch your students light up with joy, discovery, and a deeper understanding of the world around them.
