- Theme Packs
- Themes
-
Preschool Planning
- Preschool Teachers
Cinco de Mayo Preschool Theme
This holiday represents the date on which Mexico was victorious over the French army at the Battle of Puebla (which was on May 5, 1862). Cinco de Mayo is a patriotic feast to celebrate this event.
I have incorrectly stated in the past that it is Mexican Independence Day. This is NOT correct!
Mexican Independence Day is actually September 16. (Thank you to Miss Anna from Danville, CA for clarifying this for me!).
This Cinco de Mayo preschool theme page is a mini-theme page with preschool lesson plans and activities and ideas for many interest learning centers of your preschool classroom.
You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my preschool themes page.
Let the Theme Planning Begin!
You can scroll down through this page to see all of the preschool activities for your Cinco de Mayo Theme.
You can also click the picture links below.
They will bring you to are on this page to go to specific preschool lesson plan types you are looking for.
Cinco de Mayo Theme Art
Finger paint
Materials Needed: Green, white and red finger paint.
Make a flag!
Mexican Flowers
Thanks to Ms Shay Shay from Orange, NJ for submitting this idea!
Materials needed: pipe cleaners, red, white and green colored tissue paper
Stack 6 pieces of rectangular tissue paper, one on top of the other.
Fold them in a fan-like (or accordion) style.
Attach a pipe cleaner in the center of the folded tissue paper.
Gently separate each piece of tissue paper from the other, and TA-DA!
My class enjoy making them each time. The girls put it in their hair.
Theme Block Center Ideas
Mexico City or YOUR City or Town!
Thanks to Amy Green from Calabash, NC for the following activity!
After showing the children pictures of Mexico City and comparing them to your own area, provide the children with teacher-made blocks (milk cartons wrapped in various colors of paper and then wrapped in packaging tape work well)to build a city.
Do you have a block or other activity for this theme? I'd love to list it on this page! Please use the form below to submit your idea!
Theme Circle Time Ideas
Circle Time is such a great time for children to learn the social skills of being together as a large group!
Where is Mexico?
Materials: A large wall map or atlas
Show the children where you live and then point where Mexico is. What is the route there?
For example, we are in New Hampshire in the United States. We are on the north-east coast. To get to Mexico, we would need to go down--which is south (pointing with finger) and then left (which is west) to get to Mexico.
Ask the children for some examples of how to get there...walking? biking? airplane? etc.
Wow! Look at that!Materials Needed:Pictures, postcards, etc. of Mexico that include people, flowers, foods, etc.
Let each child pick one out. They each take turns telling about the picture. You may need to demonstrate such as "Some people in Mexico dance wearing very colorful and pretty clothes like this!"
Snack Recipe Ideas to Cook Up with your Preschoolers!
Cooking with children helps develop their math skills and helps them to learn how to follow directions. It also allows for some great conversation!
Ask many questions while cooking with your children to encourage conversation! Be sure to ask specific Space theme questions while making these fun snacks!
BurritosIngredients and Items needed: Large tortillas and fillings (such as tomatoes, chicken, re fried beans, etc.). Let the children add what they like to the middle and show them how to roll their burrito.
Theme Ideas to Transform Your Dramatic Play Area
Restaurante Mexicano
Thank you to Karen from Cabazon, CA
We made a restaurant for the children to take other children's orders, paper, pencils, cash register, money. Set up where one of them cook the (pretend)food.
Once at the table, setting the table with plastic red, white and green dishes.
Decorate with table cloth and Mexican items such as: (homemade) sombreros, cactus on walls that the children have made, maracas (Homemade) etc.
Play Mexican music.
Cinco de Mayo Theme Ideas for your Easel
More Than Just Painting (Although that is always THE favorite in our classroom!)
Cacti! (Thank you Monique for this idea!)
Using a piece of paper and green paint, have them paint a cactus and use a fork to make marks on the cactus for it's spikes!
Theme Large Group Games To Help Build Your Preschoolers' Muscles
While They Have Fun Together!Be a Burrito
Materials: Large sheet, small outside hill!
Wrap a child in a sheet or blanket and let them roll down the hill-Burrito style! If you don't have hills or an area to do this, let them roll across the floor--their friends will be more than happy to help them!
Theme Ideas for Your Library and Literacy Activities for your Preschool Classroom
Book Suggestions for the Library
(I LOVE Amazon, and some of the links below will take you to the Amazon website. If you do choose to purchase yours through Amazon, they do send me a few cents--which supports my coffee habit! )
Cinco de Mayo by Mary Dodson Wade
Cinco de Mouse-O! by Judy Cox
Marco's Cinco de Mayo by Lisa Bullard
Let me Help! ¡Quiero Ayudar! by Alma Flor Ada
These books may be available at your local library. You will find them at Amazon by clicking on the title of each book.
Do not limit yourself to these books! There are many Cinco de Mayo books, fiction and non-fiction, that will help you with your preschool lesson plans!
Cinco de Mayo Theme Activities to Help Your Preschoolers Develop Thier Math Skills and the Small Muscles in Their Hands!
ABC pattern: Green, White, Red
Materials: Provide a large assortment of items in these colors. It could be plastic linking chains; bingo chips, squares of paper
Encourage the children to make ABC patterns: green, red, white, green, red, white
Cinco de Mayo Theme Music and Movement Activities and Ideas to get your Preschoolers Movin' and Groovin'!
Maracas
Materials needed: Paper plates (2 for each child), dry beans, markers and a stapler
The children should decorate their maracas with the markers. Add any other items you want as well such as glitter, stickers, etc.
Staple the paper plates together about 3/4 of the way around. The children add a handful of dry beans. Finish stapling. Have a parade using the maracas!
Cinco de Mayo Activities for Your Sand and Water Table!
Find the Colors
Materials: green, white and red items (small toys). Hide these Mexican flag colored items in your sand table for a little treasure hunt!
Cinco de Mayo Theme Science Activities--
For Your Preschool Scientists in Training!Products from Mexico
Place some of the following products in your science center for your children to touch and smell!
coffee, sugar (cane), wheat, cotton
Writing Activity Ideas for Your Preschool Classroom's Cinco de Mayo Theme!
How Can I Get There?
Materials Needed: See the Circle Time activity above about finding Mexico on a map.
At the writing table, encourage your children to draw a picture of HOW they would get to Mexico or of WHAT they would do in Mexico! Write down their ideas and attach to their pictures.
This is a great way to have the children communicate through writing or pictures all they have learned through your themed lesson plans!
Go to the main THEMES PAGE for more theme ideas!
Go to Preschool Plan It's Home Page
About This Site:
Hey there! Welcome to Preschool Plan It! I’m Cheryl, a preschool teacher of over 20 years.
I KNOW, I know, you spend hours of time developing your preschool themes, activities and preschool lesson plans each week. You are commited to planning preschool themes and activities that are engaging hands-on, interactive, fun AND meet the goal of supporting each child’s level of growth and development.
I am commited to providing you, the preschool teacher, with everything you need to develop preschool lesson plans and preschool activities for your classroom all in one place!
READ MORE
Join My Free Preschool Teacher Tips Newsletter
You’ll receive a weekly email with planning tips and teaching ideas.
You'll also receive (on the 1st of each month) a free theme starter pack with some printables and activity ideas to get you started planning a theme!Join Now and Get Your First Theme Right Away!
- Preschool Teachers
