I'm sending out my Cinco de Mayo greeting just a little bit early so you can gather items together for this special day, Tuesday, May 5. Although this day is celebrated each year by many people, it is a very misunderstood day. Many people think that May 5th is Mexico's Independence Day but that is not correct. September 16 is actually the day that Mexico celebrates their independence. The 5th of May happens to be the day that Mexico won a battle over the French forces of Napoleon III, who had come to collect war debts owed to France. Mexico had been invaded many times before, but the battle of Puebla was a victory that Mexico claimed on May 5, 1862. This win is what Mexico celebrates.
Here's some activities to do as a family.
Participate in one or try them all.
HAVE FUN!
1. Have a taco race. Use a paper plate or piece of paper to fold in half for the shell. Use your imagination and find small, silly items to place inside the plate that symbolize the ingredients. (Example: beanbag/meat, sour cream/napkin, playing card/lettuce, red checker/tomato, domino/cheese, and bandanna/sauce.) Place all items, in order, on a line in front of each person. Make sure you have enough items so that each person can assemble their own taco. In this race the taco must be assembled in order - meat, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sauce, so laying them out in order will help children identify the equipment that symbolizes the food that goes on the taco next. On the word go, everyone picks up the taco shell (folded paper plate) and puts the meat inside and runs down and around a marker placed a short distance away on the grass or driveway. Upon returning, the sour cream is added to the taco and each person runs down and around the marker again, repeat this process each time as the lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sauce are added to the shell. If something falls out of the shell while running, the person must stop, put the item back in the taco shell, and continue. See who makes it back first with an entire taco intact. Try different ways of moving like gallop, skip, march, side slide, or walk backwards.
2. Do the Mexican hat dance with members of your family. Click here for a link to the Mexican Hat Dance. Dancing around a sombrero placed on the floor is a fun option. Be prepared to say "Ole" at the end of the dance.
3. Break a pinata. Fill a pinata with treats or small toys, tie it to a branch and let it hang down a short distance. Blindfold a person and let him/her swing a stick or racquet and try to hit the pinata. Take turns with family members until the candy falls out. Make sure the event is supervised and onlookers are standing back at a safe distance. If you don't have a pinata, do the same thing with a plastic grocery bag. It will break easier but will still be fun.
4. Crack the cascarones. If you previously made the confetti filled eggs called Cascarones that I mentioned in my blog post of April 23, now is the time to gently crack them over the heads of family members and spread the confetti. Decide if you will do it one person at a time, all at once, or sneak up on someone. Be prepared to sweep up confetti. (A physical activity bonus!)
5. Try the 2 minute Macarena dance. Have fun with this dance that works on crossing the midline of the body.
6. Make real tacos. Enjoy a Mexican meal together to celebrate the day. Google sopapilla recipes for a tasty dessert. Some recipes are quite simple.
7. Send me photos or short videos of your Cinco de Mayo activities as soon as possible. I'd love to add them to one of my Friday "Spartans in Action" posts.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Last Friday I hope you had a chance to try the "Family Fun Field Day - One Minute Challenges."
If not, click here to open the score sheet and find links to short videos of each event. Then, give
them a try. They're silly and fun, but challenging. Send me a picture of one of the events.
