Although Cinco de Mayo is the official celebration of the Mexican army defeating the French on May 5th, 1862, most people spend the night at Chipotle or Taco Bell before heading to a bar to drink tequila and margaritas. Unfortunately, times have changed ever since our lives came to a halt, thanks to the current pandemic. But there’s no need to fret! There are still plenty of ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with these family-friendly activities you can do without leaving your home.
1. Order Some Piñatas
Get a bunch of colorful piñatas on Amazon, or buy them at a party store and set them up around the house. Make sure to fill them all up with everyone’s favorite candies and some fun party favors. Having a few extra piñatas will guarantee that everyone in the family has a chance to take a good whack at it before the treats start raining from above.
2. Make Some DIY Maracas with the Kiddos
Making maracas is easy and a lot of fun, too. Here’s how: Grab some plastic Easter eggs and add one teaspoon of popcorn kernels. Then snap the eggs closed. Now place the egg between two plastic or metal spoons and wrap some washi tape around the top of the spoons and the handles so that the egg doesn’t fall off. Once that’s done, put on some music and start shaking those maracas. If you’re looking for a visual guide, then try these two epic tutorials:
A few maraca tutorials:
3. Have a Cinco de Mayo Skype Party
Arrange to have a couple of neighbors, family members and friends hang out with the family for a Cinco de Mayo themed virtual party. But don’t worry! You don’t need to go overboard with the decorations. You can just add one or two themed decorations in the background and make some tacos, some homemade pico de gallo, or burritos to snack while you Skype with the fam. Once you’re all done talking and eating, burn some calories by dancing to some Mexican music. It might be through Skype or Zoom, but it’ll still be hilarious!
4. Play Cinco de Mayo Scrabble
Dust off that old Scrabble game from the basement and set it up on the table. Then lay out the rules of Cinco de Mayo Scrabble, which is just like regular Scrabble except that you can only use words related to the holiday. It’s also a great way to practice your Spanish if you’re learning the language too.
Think of words like:
- Mexico
- Piñata
- Taco
- Burrito
- Mariachi
- Salsa
- Sombrero
- Picante
- Alegre
- Fiesta
- Nachos
- Cabron
- Neta
- Jalapeño
5. Watch Disney’s Coco
Alright, so Disney’s animated film “Coco” is more about the Mexican holiday “Dia de los Muertos.” But this emotional film touches on a lot of Mexican cultural topics. So, grab some popcorn and sit down with the kids for some bonding time.
6. Make Some Papel Picado
Papel Picado or Mexican Paper Cutting is a Mexican decoration that’s made the same way people do snowflake cutouts for Christmas. All you have to do is fold tissue paper and make random cuts so that when they open up the paper, they’ll see a series of interesting shapes and patterns. All that’s needed to achieve this art is some tissue paper, white construction paper, a pair of scissors, and some string to hang the papel picado. Watch this lovely tutorial that gives the full rundown on how to make your own papel picado, Mexico-style.
Tutorial:
