Cinco De Mayo: Learn and Celebrate in Style

May 5^th has a very special significance when it comes to celebrating the Hispanic heritage. It is a day of special celebration and it is called Cinco De Mayo. Many schools are realizing with the ever-growing awareness of other cultures within our communities, that celebrating and educating our children is truly the way to foster friendships and appreciation for other cultures.

There are many ways that we can celebrate Cinco de Mayo both in and out of the classroom. Implementing but a few of these ideas can take an ordinary day and turn it into a day of learning for another culture and quite frankly can make it a special day of fun as well.

Tips for creating a super Cinco De Mayo Celebration:

Decorate your classroom, home or learning environment with festive colors and decorations. Using items such as the Flag of Mexico, and discussing and learning about the major cities and areas in Mexico add to a better understanding of our friends from the south. Flags in all their glory with information about Mexico can be found on several sites, as well as sites which explain in easy to understand terms about the holiday and those who enjoy it's heritage. Though this holiday is not celebrated in Mexico and is primarily a holiday enjoyed in the US, it is an opportunity to share a heritage with students that they might not otherwise be as aware of. The history of Cinco De Mayo can be found on vivacincodemayo.com, which though a bit older in focus has information that can easily be adapted for nearly any age group.

In this day and age it is easy to use the Internet for learning fun in a different way. One site, which has an interesting interactive game about Cinco De Mayo, is apples4theteacher, a site that works hard at making learning fun. The word search found there is interesting for students of any age and is one that will gather a crowd when played.

Kaboose.com has a wide array of interesting facts, fun and activities for kids and would be an excellent source of extra worksheets for any classroom situation. And if you require more online fun, try this untimed Map of Mexico puzzle. It's actually fun for a wide range of ages.

Should your classroom wish to send Cinco De Mayo cards to others, 123greetings has some cute cards that are suitable for the younger set to send to pals.

Do you want to learn a few Spanish phrases or perhaps brush up on your handle on the language? Studyspanish.com has some great links that vary in difficulty and intention of user. Though there is a premium membership available, for the casual user the free student or free teacher memberships are quite good.

And for a great reference for a variety of Cinco De Mayo ideas, activities and facts, try geocities, which has a great page of links to additional information.
For example, here is an activity for older kids, a fill in the blank worksheet about the independence of Mexico. There are many others like this one which will add to the Cinco de Mayo celebration/

And in conclusion, what celebration would be complete without a flag of Mexico to color? The following sites have a nice selection of printouts to choose from which would allow for an interesting booklet to round out the day. Choosing those which best fit the age group you are engaging can make all the difference in the world when it comes to adding to the celebration of the day. Flags one, two, three, four, or five all are great examples and add to the celebration. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style this year and add your own personal touch. Your participation may just prove to be the frosting on the cake!

In short, Cinco De Mayo is a holiday that we celebrate to better understand the heritage of the Hispanic people, the country of Mexico and how we can learn from this heritage. It is a celebration and should be treated as such. Having fun is a great way to learn and with the above-mentioned tips, you can easily make this Cinco De Mayo a holiday to remember for a long time to come.