Every April 30th in Mexico, El Día del Niño (Children's Day) is celebrated. This is not a small celebration, but a big celebration for the children of the country, with festivals at school and in parks. Children's Day is a celebration of childhood!
What is the history behind Children's Day? This date was established in 1924 by Mexican President Alvaro Obregón and Minister of Public Education Jose Vasconcelos with the objective of promoting the welfare and protection of children in the country. They aimed to reinforce the rights of minors and thus create a happy childhood for a full development.
Many years later, in 1959 the UN General Assembly met and decided to establish "Children's Day", a date on which children's rights were reaffirmed through the approval of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In Mexico, Children's Day, also known as el Dia del niño is celebrated in many different ways. One of the most popular Children's Day traditions in Mexico is having festivals in schools and local communities. These events can include games, art activities, contests, and cultural presentations.
If you are interested in celebrating Children's Day with your little one, here are some activities you can do:
1) Play traditional games:
Take this opportunity to reminisce about your childhood and bring out the games they used to play such as marbles, spinning top, ball or rope. These are activities that can be a lot of fun and also help to promote coordination, concentration, and teamwork.
2) Cooking as a family:
You can prepare your favorite dishes together, such as cupcakes, cookies or pizzas. In addition to encouraging creativity and teamwork, this activity also allows children to learn about nutrition and healthy eating.
3) Visit a park or museum:
If you're looking to get out of the house, a good option is to visit a local park or museum. Spending time in nature or exploring new cultures and knowledge can be an enriching experience for children.
4) Watch movies and read stories:
This is a super fun activity you can do at home is to watch movies or read stories as a family. Look for stories that have a positive message and that can help children understand values such as friendship, respect, and empathy. This activity can also be a good way to encourage imagination and a love of reading.
5) Perform artistic activities:
This is undoubtedly one of our favorite activities. From arts and crafts to drawing or painting, these activities are very enriching and encourage motor development and concentration.
If you are looking for coloring pages, I invite you to download these bilingual superheroes I made to draw. [HERE]
Although I don't live in Mexico, I want to share the tradition of Children's Day with my little girls. And take advantage of spending quality family time together.
What about you, what are you going to do for Children's Day?
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