Ideas for Celebrating Cinco de Mayo in the Classroom

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo! On May 5th, fiestas break out all across the United States and parts of Mexico. But Cinco de Mayo is a largely misunderstood holiday in the U.S. Many people mistake it for a celebration of Mexico’s independence. (Which is actually in September.) This year, share the true history of Cinco de Mayo with your students. And take the opportunity to celebrate Mexican culture. Introduce students to the rich and colorful heritage of Mexico with these ideas for celebrating Cinco de Mayo in the classroom!

Take a Class Trip to Mexico!

Give your students a real treat with a class trip to Mexico! I love setting up my classroom like the inside of an airplane, and giving each student a plane ticket. Then we jet off to learn all about a new place! I display a PowerPoint all about the country we’re visiting including cultural highlights, unique foods, and more! Students love learning about new places in a fun and creative way!

And the work is done for you! This Trip to Mexico PowerPoint takes students on a journey to Mexico, where they learn about fun places to visit, the language, culture, geography, and more! While in your classroom-airplane configuration, you can take your students through colorful photos, engaging facts, and important history. This is a journey your students won’t forget!

Cinco de Mayo Writing Craftivity

Here’s the perfect activity to follow your class trip to Mexico. Encourage students to write about what they’ve learned in a fun Cinco de Mayo writing craftivity! Give students a choice from several writing prompts. Then provide brainstorm pages to help them organize their thoughts. Have multiple writing topper options for students to choose from. Finally, you can display their completed crafts on your bulletin board for a festive decoration!

For a fun and low-prep plan, I’ve bundled the Trip to Mexico PowerPoint and Activities pack together with this Cinco de Mayo Writing Craftivity. Save money (and time) by grabbing the bundle from my TpT shop!

More Cinco de Mayo Activities for the Classroom

Here are several more fun and easy ideas to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the classroom!

Make Papel Picado Decorations

Make party decorations with your students! Papel picado, which means cut paper in Spanish, is a popular decoration found at Mexican celebrations. Share the history and uses of papel picado with your students while you create your own. You’ll need colored tissue paper, scissors, markers, yarn, and tape. Similar to how you make snowflake cutouts, you fold the tissue paper several times. Then cut designs into the folded side, and hang the unique designs around your classroom! You could even provide these free printable papel picado patterns as an option for your students to use.

Picture Books

Dive deeper into the history of Cinco de Mayo and explore more about Mexican culture with a good book! Read aloud to your class, or provide new book options in your book-nook for students to read on their own. Here are some recommendations:

Cinco de Mayo: Yesterday and Today, by Maria Cristina Urrutia and Rebeca Orozco

Cinco de Mouse-o, by Judy Cox

Let me help/Quiero Ayudar, by Alma Flor Ada

Marco’s Cinco de Mayo, by Lisa Bullard

Make Piñatas

Who doesn’t love a good piñata?! Your students will LOVE making their own for your Cinco de Mayo celebration! Here’s a simple and fun way to make paper bag piñatas in your classroom. Each student decorates their own paper lunch bag with colorful tissue paper, streamers, and fringe. Fill the the bags with treats, staple them shut, and hang them in your classroom!

Make Music!

Make maracas and learn a traditional Mexican song with your class! These are easy and really cute homemade maracas your students will love. Once everyone has their own pair of maracas, enjoy making music together. You could play El Jarabe Tapatio (The Mexican Hat Dance), La Bamba, or another upbeat tune!

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the Classroom

Cinco de Mayo is the perfect opportunity to share appreciation for Mexican culture and heritage with your students. They’ll love the colorful and creative celebration you plan for them! And speaking of holidays, be sure to check out these FREE holiday classroom posters. They’re perfect decorations for a variety of holidays throughout the year!

I hope you and your students enjoy these fun ideas for celebrating Cinco de Mayo in the classroom this year! Please share your photos with me on Instagram @ashleymckenzietpt. I’d love to see your fiesta in action!