Día del Niño or Día de los Niños was first officially celebrated in Mexico on April 30, 1925 after then Mexican President Alvaro Obregón signed the League of Nations’ Declaration of Children’s Rights in 1924. By the time that the United Nations recommended that all countries should designate a day to celebrate children, Mexico had already officially been doing so for almost three decades. Unofficial celebrations go back even further.
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The day is dedicated to recognizing the importance of children in society and promoting their well-being. It is now celebrated in more than 40 countries. But, guess what? Not all countries celebrate it on the same day. The celebration is still not all that mainstream in the US, but since 1997, it has been gaining momentum, and we want to help with the momentum—so let’s talk more about the holiday and how you can celebrate the children in your life.
How is it celebrated in Mexico?
There are parades, toy drives, and all kinds of kid-friendly activities. If April 30 falls on a school day, kids still go to school, but they get to swap out regular lessons for games, crafts, music, and yummy foods.
When is it celebrated in various Latin American countries?
Here are some of the observance dates for countries in Latin America:
- Argentina: Third Sunday in August
- Bolivia: April 12
- Brazil: October 12
- Chile: Second Sunday in October
- Colombia: Last Saturday in April
- Costa Rica: September 9
- Cuba: Third Sunday in July
- Ecuador: June 1
- El Salvador: October 1
- Guatemala: October 1
- Honduras: September 10
- Mexico: April 30
- Nicaragua: June 1
- Paraguay: August 16
- Panama: Third Sunday in July
- Peru: Second Sunday in April
- Venezuela: Third Sunday in July
- Uruguay: First Sunday in August
What about the US?
In the US, National Children’s Day is celebrated each year on the second Sunday in June. But in 1997, literary advocate Pat Mora wanted to combine the celebration of children and literacy so she promoted the creation of Día de Los Niños/Día de Los Libros, which is commonly referred to as Día and is observed each year on April 30.
How can you celebrate the children in your life?
It goes without saying that we should be celebrating, respecting, and protecting the children in our lives every day, but there’s nothing wrong with celebrating them in an extra way on Día. But how?
You could read a book with them.
Literacy is so important. Spending time with children and encouraging their love of reading is a gift that will serve them for the rest of their lives. You could celebrate by gifting them a new book to celebrate the day. If they are too young to read on their own, read it to them.
Head to a local library.
Visit your local library and check out books. Check out your local public library’s website to see if there are any read-a-longs or special Día events that you can take part in as a family.
Encourage your child’s school to observe the holiday.
You could suggest a fun assembly or afterschool event that teaches kids about the history of the day while celebrating them. There could be treats or activities that are fun. Other parents could contribute by bringing in their child’s favorite food to share.
Let them pick what’s for dinner.
If you are celebrating on a school day, you could have the kids pick what’s for dinner. If you are celebrating on a weekend, you could have them pick the menu for the entire day. Of course, you’re not going to let them choose candy and only candy, but they can choose their favorite meals.
Have cake for dessert!
You could make a cake and decorate it together. Or you could surprise your child by bringing home a cake that says, “Feliz Día de Los Niños!” It is a celebration after all, and what’s more festive than cake?
Let your kid have a ‘Yes’ day!
It doesn’t have to be a whole day, it could be a few hours or an evening when the child or children in your life get to pick something within reason and you have to say yes to it. It has to be something that is doable in the allotted time as you can’t fly to Disneyland and back in a few hours. But you could watch a Disney movie.
Host a party for all the children in your life.
Invite your kids, their friends, their cousins, or even neighborhood kids and let them party for a while. Make them all feel like the guest of honor. You can set up games, have snacks, and hang a piñata for them to bust up. You can have other parents bring food to share.
Gifts are allowed.
It is becoming more common to give gifts on Día de Los Niños, but don’t think that means you have to spend a lot of money. The gift of your time and attention are the biggest, most important gifts you can give a child. Everything else is extra.
Let them take a break from chores.
If your kids have daily chores, give them the day off and treat them like royalty. Let them lounge and read or play a game while enjoying their favorite snacks and a good beverage while you do their chores for them.
Write them a note or card telling them how you feel about them.
Write each of the children a letter or a card telling them how much you love them and all the things you like about them. Read it out loud to them. We should never assume that our kids know how much we love them, how much we respect them, and how much we admire them. They need to hear it from us.
