Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Activities

NewFolks may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Celebrate Dia de los Muertos with your kids and these amazing party ideas

Scott Harris
By

Dia de los Muertos — Spanish for “Day of the Dead” — is an annual festival that originated in Mexico. Now, however, it’s seeing a rise in popularity around the world, including among those not of Mexican heritage.

It might seem a little daunting at first, but Dia de los Muertos is a joyous occasion. Take the fun of Halloween and add a more poignant note, as families and friends come together to honor loved ones who have died. Each celebration is full of flowers, music, and feasting — and, of course, those ubiquitous sugar skulls.

Recommended Videos

Celebrating Dia de Los Muertos

Anyone can celebrate Dia de Los Muertos, which actually spans multiple days, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. Is your family looking to celebrate this year? It can be great fun — and a gentle way to teach children the importance of remembering those who came before them. Or perhaps your family, like many others, simply has a mild Coco obsession!

Related

No matter your reason for celebrating, here are some fun and easy ideas for an unforgettable Dia de Los Muertos fiesta.

Sugar skulls

The unofficial mascot of Dia de los Muertos, these brightly colored creations perfectly capture the solemn but festive tone of the occasion. Sugar skulls are easy to make and don’t require any cooking. All you need are sugar, meringue powder, water, and powdered sugar and mold to form the skull shape. Let the skulls set and then decorate to your heart’s desire.

Bake together

If you have a nose for carbs, you’ll feel right at home during Dia de los Muertos. Baked goods abound throughout the festival, and little hands can easily help bring them to life. This is an opportunity not only to spend time together but sharpen kitchen skills (including measurements) and learn more about the culture surrounding the holiday.

Some possibilities include:

  • Pan de muerto (“bread of the dead”). The traditional cross-shaped icing across the top of these sweetened breads might remind you of the hot cross buns many Christians associate with Easter. There are several variations, but most are flavored with orange and anise.
  • Day of the dead cake. The centerpiece of many a Dia de los Muertos feast, it’s typically decorated with skulls, but the sky’s the limit.
  • Candied pumpkin. This treat is also known as calabaza en tacha. Kids may raise an eyebrow at the name, but they’ll warm up once they discover it’s really just a vehicle for caramel.
  • Tamales: This Mexican staple knows no season, but it’s a mainstay of Dia de los Muertos. A form of corn meal called masa harina and other additions such as chicken or beef are baked in corn husks.
  • Cookies. Kids will have a blast decorating skull-shaped sugar cookies with their favorite color of icing.

Assemble your ofrenda

An ofrenda is a ceremonial altar that holds a special place in Dia de los Muertos celebrations. Family and friends gather at the ofrenda to offer gifts to the departed and welcome them into the home. This provides a great opportunity to teach kids about family and faith. Kids can let their creative sides run wild when building their ofrenda. Make it a group activity with each family member adding their own unique touch. Some popular components include:

  • Marigolds. These orange-and-gold “flowers of the dead” are everywhere during Dia de los Muertos celebrations. You can always purchase artificial marigolds if fresh ones aren’t available.

  • Papel picado. Decorative paper banners with holiday imagery. Buy them online or make your own.

  • Candles. Help set the mood with candles of all shapes and sizes. (Parents will want to supervise this one.)  Dia de los Muertos candles are available, but any candle will do.

  • Photos and personal items. Relive treasured memories with pictures, heirlooms, or anything else that comes to mind.

Day of the dead masks

Purchase Dia de los Muertos-themed face coverings or make your own. You can also buy blank Halloween-style masks and fix them up for the big celebration.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Scott Harris
Scott Harris
Contributor
Scott Harris is a freelance writer based near Washington, DC, with more than a decade of experience covering health…
Healthy extracurricular activities kids and teens should explore
Turn off the screen and sign up your kids for healthier activities
Kids playing games outside

It's all about Fortnite, Roblox, and YouTube when it comes to what kids do with their free time. But certain activities aren't the best for their minds and bodies, are they? We want our kids to have hobbies that challenge them and help them be smarter than we ever will be. That means getting them involved in healthier extracurricular activities than gaming or staring at a screen, and we can help with that.

Why kids need extracurricular activities
Can't kids just sit and play video games all evening? Tetris is known to improve memory and could help reduce anxiety, so it can't be all bad. While it would be fine to spend a little time gaming, kids need other adventures to stimulate different parts of their brains and get their bodies moving. Kids and teens need to find out what they like, so they have healthy hobbies as adults.
There's no right age to start
Whether your child is 7 or 17, they could sign up for an activity. There are classes for newborns, toddlers, and grade-school age, and we know there are endless activities for high schoolers. Whenever your child shows an interest in something, that's the right time to get them involved.
Kids don't need to do all the things
But it doesn't mean your child should be in nonstop activities all year, every year. You like vacations and time off, and so will your children. Like you get burned out from time to time, a child put into too many activities will, as well. Have open communication with your kids on how they like what they are in, if they want to do more, and if they want to do less.

Read more
Keep little ones entertained with the best ‘Would you rather?’ questions for kids
Get a laugh with these fun questions
Family laughing with their dad

No one knows who exactly started asking those fun "would you rather" questions, but it seems like they've been around for ages. Little kids love them and so do tweens, but they probably won't admit it between eye rolls. Teens, too, will usually get involved in the off-beat question-and-answer game.

The entertainment value isn't lost on adults either, especially when there's quite a bit of awkward silence going on. "Would you rather" questions for kids are a perfect way to pass the miles in the car or get everyone involved in dinnertime conversation. If you're on the hunt for some laughter-provoking fun, "would you rather" questions are here to help, and we've got a list to get the brains and the fun going.

Read more
Need a fantastic theme for a fifth birthday party? Consider these
Birthday party ideas for five-year-olds they'll love
5-year-old girl celebrating her birthday

Turning five is fabulous. It marks the end of the preschooler stage, which makes it a milestone birthday. That first day of kindergarten is right around the corner. Planning a five-year-old birthday party is super fun. Kids at this age are pretty easy to please. They love running around and playing games. There is also a plethora of awesome five-year-old birthday party ideas that rock. In honor of five, let's take a peek at five fantastic themes for a fifth birthday that get the guests moving because that is what five-year-olds love to do.

5-year-old birthday party ideas
Since most of your guests will be four turning five or five already, an outdoor party or one at an indoor venue where kids can get active is a perfect pick. Having structured activities is key with this age set. If you do decide to hold your kiddo's fifth birthday party outside, be sure to build in a rain date. Always have extra hands to help keep the games and activities focused. Tweens and teens are great for this. Here are five fav five-year-old birthday party ideas that will be a huge hit with the guest of honor and friends.
Kick it
The four and five-year-old set need to be active, and many of them probably just started lacing up the cleats to give soccer a try. If yours is loving soccer, then a soccer party is a major score. Plenty of indoor facilities host soccer birthday parties, but if you don’t want to use a venue, you can certainly hold your own. If your backyard is large enough, you can turn it into a soccer field. Otherwise, look for field availability at a neighborhood park or high school. Sometimes, permits are required, so check with your town’s recreation department first.

Read more