What is Dia de Los Muertos? 

Before you can integrate Dia de Los Muertos activities, you have to learn about them! While creating this Dia de Los Muerto activity for elementary students, we discovered many facts about the Day of the Dead.

• Dia de Los Muertos means the Day of the Dead in Spanish.
• It is a Mexican holiday celebrating the lives and memories of those who have passed away.
• It’s a time when families gather to remember their deceased loved ones.
• People decorate their homes with candles and flowers and set up an ofrenda (in English, these are called altars) in their homes where they can leave offerings.
• It’s celebrated on November 1st —the day that the dead would rise from their graves—and lasts for two days. 
• People clean and decorate graves with marigolds and other flowers and leave colorful offerings like sugar skulls, candles and toys.

Day of the Dead Activities for Students

It’s easy to promote cultural awareness and celebrate Mexican culture with Day of the Dead or Dia De Los Muertos activities at school. This printable book is the perfect place to start!

 It offers a simple text to support students in learning about the traditions and rituals associated with this cultural holiday. Celebrate culture, promote multiculturalism, and practice reading skills all while exploring parts of the world beyond your classroom.

 Be sure to check out additional cultural diversity worksheets for elementary students here!

In addition to independent student work time, use this printable Day of the Dead book as a resource for

• Guided reading groups
• Lesson Introduction
• Fast finishers 
• ELL Reading Group Activities
• Introduction to an elementary culture project, or as a lead-in to a schoolwide Dia de Los Muertos 2022 celebration.

Easily Download & Print

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to download the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. 

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and a Teach Starter collaborator.

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities to shorten your lesson planning time:  

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