Hispanic Heritage Month is a great opportunity to teach your kids a little more about their Latino culture. That's why today we want to share with you some ideas for activities you can do with them to celebrate their heritage and teach them to be proud of their roots.
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Our culture is so rich and full of so many beautiful traditions, that it is definitely something that you might want to pass down to your little ones. The best way to do this is to show them and let them experience their roots for themselves, and there are simple and easy ways to do so that won't break the bank.
Use arts and crafts.
We've written about several cultural crafts you can do with your little ones to teach them how varied and interesting our culture is. The good thing is that they'll have fun while learning about different traditions. My children and I, for example, have plans to make a piñata.
Music is a huge part of our culture.
The best part of Latin music is how diverse it is. If you want to expose your children to different genres, all you have to do is go to YouTube and search for music videos so they can hear examples of Bachata, Spanish rock, and boleros, for example. Then, you can explain them where the music comes from.
Food is the best way to introduce them to their culture.
Nobody can deny that Latinos like to eat, so take advantage of this and prepare a typical dish from your country of origin or another Latin American country and ask your children to help you. Another option is to do a potluck party and ask each guest to bring a dish that represents their home country.
Festivals and community events will expose them to their heritage.
Since it's Hispanic Heritage Month, many communities have put together festivals to celebrate it. These usually include music performances, food, and children's programs. Festivals are a great way to expose your children to our Latino culture for those of us who don't really have the time to do any of the other activities we mention here.
Traditional clothing can help them get in tune with their roots.
A fun way to teach children about different Latin American customs is to take a look at each country's traditional clothing. You can do this online or with reference books at the library and, if you're good with your hands, you can even make one of these pieces of clothing for your children.
Search for activities they can do online.
Let's face it, our niños love being online, so why not take advantage of this by introducing them to some really cool sites that have tons of info, games, and activities about Hispanic Heritage Month. One of our favorites is Colorín Colorado.
