Mexico

I jump-started this Around the World series with Mexico, thinking that it would be an easy country to learn about. I figured that since my husband’s parents are from Mexico, and he has been there himself a bunch of times, that we could put our heads together and come up with a great lesson plan. It wasn’t that easy. I’ve struggled not to “Americanize” the lessons or do anything too stereotypical. I know I failed in some parts, but that’s okay. Lorelai, my 5.5 year-old daughter, knows more about Mexico and wants to visit some day. I count that as a win. =) I broke down our activities and crafts into different sections, and included some basic information about the country. I will update more as we go along!

Mexico

• Mexico is a country located on the continent of North America. Most geographers don’t consider Mexico part of Central America.
• Mexico’s capital is Mexico City.
• Mexico has many different landscapes – deserts, beautiful coastlines, mountain ranges, and more!
• Spanish is the most widely-spoken language in Mexico.

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Map & Flag Printables

• Flag & Map Outline – helpful printables!
• Printable Flag Puzzle – a fun activity using the Mexican flag.

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Holidays

• Day of the Dead – we briefly learned about Dias de las Muertos and decorated a sugar skull printable.
• Cinco de Mayo – while Cinco de Mayo is only celebrated in Puebla, Mexico, and is more of a Mexican-American holiday, we still had fun painting and crafting these themed projects!

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Animals of Mexico
Golden Eagle – National Bird
Xoloitzcuintli – National Dog
Grasshopper – National Anthropod
Jaguar – National Animal
Vaquita – National Marine Mammal
Green Turtle – National Reptile

Other Noteworthy Animals:
Monarch Butterfly, Scarlet Macaw, Coyote, Armadillo, Wolf, Donkey, Jaguar, Killer Whale, Bear, Dolphin

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Mexican Art Exploration

• Folk Art – We explored the style of colorful Mexican folk art by decorating a printable sun!

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Other Fun Crafts
Mexican Poncho/Sarape – we made this fun & easy poncho using a brown paper bag.

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Recipes
I’m not a food blogger, but here are some yummy Mexican recipes! (More will be added soon)

Horchata (rice water)
1 cup uncooked white, long-grain rice
5 cups of water
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup of white sugar

Blend rice and water in a blender until the rice begins to break up. Set aside and let water stand at room temperature for at least 3.5 hours.

Next, strain the rice water into a pitcher and discard the rice. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, and milk into the rice water. Chill in the fridge and serve over ice. Yum!

Please note that more fun activities, crafts, and recipes will be added soon!