Day of the Dead ideas for OSHC
6 DIY activities for Day of the Dead at before and after school care or vacation care. Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.
Colourful Calavera Folk Art
Children decorate a sugar-skull-style calavera with bright flowers, hearts and patterns, exploring a celebrated Mexican folk art form that is joyful and colourful rather than scary.
Day of the Dead · Board Games Day · International Mother Language Day +2Make Your Own Lotería
Children design picture cards and boards for lotería, a much-loved Mexican picture bingo game often played at family gatherings, then play a round together using Spanish words.
Day of the Dead · Paper Crafts Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Marigold Paper Flower Bunches
Children make bright marigold flowers from layered orange and yellow paper, learning that marigolds, or cempasúchil, are used in Mexico to decorate and welcome the memory of loved ones.
Day of the Dead · Games Day · Bug Day +1Monarch Butterfly Migration Chase
An active outdoor game where children become monarch butterflies flying south to Mexico, dodging hazards along the way, and learn about the butterflies that arrive there each year around Día de Muertos.
Day of the Dead · Mindfulness Day · Grandparents Day +1Our Remembering and Gratitude Wall
A gentle, optional activity where children add a drawing, note or photo of someone or something special to them, inspired by the ofrendas Mexican families make to remember loved ones.
Day of the Dead · Cooking Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Pan de Muerto Sweet Rolls
Children shape soft orange-scented sweet bread rolls inspired by pan de muerto, the sugar-dusted bread shared in Mexico during Día de Muertos.