Recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to history and culture, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15.
Visiting the official government website, https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/about/, you can find the history of the month, highlighted events and activities hosted all across the United States, and pictures and videos to help teach your children about Hispanic heritage.
Here are a few suggestions to help you and your family celebrate this month:
Movies to Watch
Disney’s Coco and The Book of Life offer a lovely introduction to an honored tradition called Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, where families remember their loved ones who have passed on.
Books to Read
Coloursofus.com offers a list of fantastic Hispanic Multicultural Children’s books including Floating on Mama’s Song: a lyrical tale about three generations of women, stunningly illustrated with Morales’ expressive artwork and I Love Saturday Y domingos: a light-hearted celebration of two different cultures.
Spanish Language Lessons
Learning a language is the perfect stepping stone to appreciating and becoming immersed in a culture. Free and convenient, Endless Spanish is an app (available for download on Apple App Store and Google Play) with bright graphics and fun characters that can help your child learn Spanish.
Games to Play
Play a few traditional Hispanic games with the whole family! Similar to Hide and Seek, Chiviri Cuarta is a game where the hiders must touch a “base” before the seeker. If the seeker finds a hider, the seeker must run to the base, touch it, and say “chiviri cuarta por (name of the hider)” and the hider loses the game. If the hider can escape being seen by the seeker, they must run to the “base” and yell out “chiviri cuarta por mi”! Check out the full directions and more games here.
Drama Kids International loves to celebrate the culture and heritage of every Drama Kid in our program! Share your celebration suggestions with the Drama Kids location in your area. Find a DK near you!