As the parent of a bilingual kid or a kid on the way to bilingualism, you probably constantly think of ways to help your kid improve his/her Spanish. You know that children need to keep practicing after school, but they don’t necessarily have to study long hours. In fact, an effective way to get children to learn Spanish is through fun everyday activities.
You could take advantage of your child’s birthday to help him/her learn Spanish. Add some elements from a fiesta infantil mexicana to your child’s party! You will both learn typical birthday words in Spanish.
Mexico is a country with many traditions, and it’s a popular nation among Spanish learners. So, a Mexican party for kids will also help you embrace a new culture, which will make your child more empathetic. Plus, languages go hand in hand with cultures.
How to Make a Fiesta Infantil Mexicana
Here are many fun Mexican things you can implement in your child’s party, from food to activities.
Piñata Fun at Mexican Parties
Piñatas are a must at every Mexican kid’s birthday party! Did you know that they used to be made of clay? But it’s more dangerous since the piñata has to be broken at some point during the party. That’s why nowadays they’re made of cardboard. They are always decorated with colorful tissue paper; this makes them more attractive for kids.
A star and a colorful donkey are the most popular forms of the piñata. But they’re mainly used for Christmas, because of their religious meaning. For birthday parties people buy piñatas based on what their kids love. For example: if your child admires Iron Man, you can buy a piñata of him. Or if the party theme is Toy Story, you can have a piñata of Woody or Buzz Lightyear.
Piñatas are not just a decorative item. They’re meant to be broken! Before the party, you fill the piñata with all kinds of candies. Then, choose a moment during the party to hang the piñata and break it.
Every kid has a turn in which they will grab the piñata buster and hit the piñata. If it doesn’t break after everyone has had their turn, the cycle repeats until someone breaks it.
When someone is hitting the piñata, the rest will sing “dale, dale, dale, no pierdas el tino”. It is a song that tells you to punch the piñata and not to miss it. When the song finishes, the kid’s turn is over. Sometimes people put a bandana over the eyes of the child that’s about to punch the piñata, and before he/she starts they spin him/her around. This way it’s more difficult for them to know where to throw the punches.
When it finally breaks, the candies will fall. The kids will run towards them and grab as many candies as they can.
Mexican Party Food & Drinks
Mexico is a country with a great culinary experience. You’ll find different dishes depending on the party. If it’s a more formal party, you will probably eat fancy, elaborate dishes. If it’s an Independence Day celebration, there’s no doubt you’ll eat pozole.
At a Mexican children’s party, you’ll find many antojitos (snacks).
One of the most popular dishes for a children’s party is the hojaldras de mole. It’s a very soft and sweet bun filled with chicken bathed with mole. Sometimes they can also be filled with ensalada de vegetales (vegetable salad). This is easy to make, as it’s only veggies from a can, mixed with cream.
Another food is the gorditas. These are some sort of tortillas made with dough and deep- fried. Gorditas are thicker than tortillas, and they are filled with different things, such as beans, pork rind, and cottage cheese.
In the beverages area, you’ll find agua de jamaica y horchata. Aqua de jamaica is hibiscus water. Horchata is a drink made with water, rice, milk, vanilla, and topped with cinnamon.
Many of these antojitos aren’t only eaten at parties; you can find a lot of them at street stalls. Especially the ones made with fried corn dough, like the gorditas. You can also find the aguas frescas (fresh waters) in some street stalls.
You can also have algodón de azúcar (cotton candy) for the kids. And you can give Mexican mazapanes, a sweet made of nuts and sugar, to everyone.
Candies are a big part of Mexican parties. People fill the piñatas with them. Also, at the end of the party, every kid gets a small bag with candies. Some of the candies used for the piñatas and bags are mazapanes, pirulis (colorful cone lollipops), duvalines (a creamy chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry sweet), and marshmallow ice cream cones.
Mexican Birthday Songs & Music
Singing is a popular activity at children’s parties. In Mexico, in addition to the piñata song, there are also “Las mañanitas” and “Feliz cumpleaños”. Both are sung when it’s time to blow out the candles and cut the cake.
A song that is not always sung but is also well-known is “Cumpleaños feliz”. This is another way to sing the popular “Feliz cumpleaños”, and it’s the translation of “Happy birthday to you”. The famous Spanish group, Parchís, sang their own version of “Cumpleaños feliz”.
During the celebration, there’s music in the background. You can play some canciones infantiles en español (Spanish songs for kids).
Theme Party
Everyone has thrown a theme party for their kids. If they love Tinker Bell, you probably decorated it all green and with fairies from the movie. Or, if they admire Superman, you probably dressed your kid in a superman costume. Mexico is no exception to the rule.
You can choose any theme your child wants. But if you want to go above and beyond with Spanish learning, you can choose a topic along that line. And no, it doesn’t have to be boring, and it can still be something your kid loves. For example, if your kid liked the movie “Coco”, that can be the theme. It will still be a Mexican party since the movie is based in Mexico. Or, you can make an “Encanto” party, which is a movie based in Colombia. These themes are related to Spanish language and cultures.
Don’t worry! Even if you don’t choose a Spanish-related theme, you can still add all the other elements to the party. With those, your kid will still be immersed in the Spanish language, especially if you speak birthday words and phrases in Spanish.
25 Spanish Birthday Words and Phrases
Here’s some Spanish vocabulary so you can add some words in Spanish every now and then during your kids’ celebration. This way, your child will learn from you.
- Cumpleaños – Birthday
- Feliz cumpleaños – Happy birthday
- Fiesta de cumpleaños – Birthday party
- Pastel – Cake
- Pide un deseo – Make a wish
- Regalos – Gifts
- Fiesta – Party
- Felicidades – Congratulations
- Globos – balloons
- Payaso – Clown
- Mago – Magician
- Dulces – Candies
- Serpentinas – Streamers
- Inflable – Inflatable
- Salón de fiestas – Party Room
- Gelatina – Jelly
- Refrescos – Sodas
- Invitados – Guests
- Niños – Kids/Children
- Invitaciones – Invitations
- Música – Music
- Disfraces – Customs
- Celebración – Celebration
- Decoración – Decor/decoration
- Juegos infantiles – Children’s games
Keep Learning in a Spanish Immersive Environment
Now you know how to throw the best fiesta infantil mexican! Your kid will love you! With a Mexican party for kids, you’ll see that a fun and immersive environment is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. If you want him/her to take Spanish classes, or if he/she already does but needs after-school practice, TruFluency Kids Spanish is your school.
TruFluency Kids Spanish offers online Spanish classes with native teachers. Our classes are immersive, because, we not only teach grammar structures, but we make the kids speak, so they’ll actually gain TRUE fluency.
Some of the class activities are storytelling, singing, and even making snacks and crafts in Spanish! Imagine your kids learning Spanish vocabulary and gaining cultural awareness by learning a recipe from a Spanish-speaking country. It’s all possible with us. Register now and get 20% off of your first month of classes.
