Pages

▼

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

10 Ways to Celebrate Día at Home


Every year, on April 30th, we'll be celebrating Día de los Niños/Dia de los Libros, otherwise known as Día. In our house, this involves reading lots of books and loving my children.

Normally, this holiday is celebrated all over the country by libraries who host events. With funding cuts, many libraries may be forced to cut some of their programming, but many will still be holding in-person or virtual events. Take a look at the official Día website to find events.

Children's Day/Book Day is a holiday finds its roots in the 1925 "World Conference for the Well-being of Children" held in Geneva, Switzerland. Countries all over the world, like Japan, Turkey, and India, have adopted their own versions of Children's Day. But the holiday didn't blossom here in America until 1996, when author Pat Mora became inspired by the Mexican holiday, Día de los niños, and thought to combine the holiday with literacy for children. A year later, Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros was born in the United States and Mora soon found support from across the country.

This holiday was created for the honoring of our children, who represent the hopes and dreams of every family and community. They are our future. And the path that our history will take, depends upon their choices and actions. It advocates literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds, as essential to their mental development and well-being.

Throw a virtual Día book party! 


This year, why not invite all of your friends (or your child's friends) over for a book party and take turns reading passages from your favorite books? Or throw a Book Swap Party where each person brings some gently used books that they are ready to trade out!

Or maybe instead of inviting friends over to talk about favorite books or have a book swap party, why not take it online? Invite your good friends to zoom with you and share their favorite books. Play games online and offer books, book-related gear, or gift cards (to be mailed or sent via email) as prizes.

Start a virtual book club. 


During your first meeting, decide which books you'll read as a group over the summer. Everyone can recommend one or more titles and there can either be a vote or just write them down on your list. Then take turns reading books over 1 - 2 week periods.

Do good in your community. 


This might be paying off library fines for people at your local school or library, or setting up a free little library in your neighborhood, or buying books and donating them to local family shelters, libraries, classrooms/teachers, or foster care centers. 

Make your own book! 


Better yet, make it bilingual! We have a simple tutorial schedule to go up tomorrow here on MommyMaestra. So check back.

Make a book cake! 


What? You read that right. Bake a cake and decorate it to look like a (favorite?) book. Check on this search on Pinterest for some inspiration. But let your kids use their own creativity to decorate it.

Read poetry out loud. 


You can either take your favorite book of poems or write your own. Then Facetime with family and friends and read aloud your poems.

(aff link) written by Pat Mora and illustrated by Rafael López.

Download a Día "Tool Kit." 


There are quite a few of these tool kits now available online. Here's the official one from the American Library Association. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page. But all you have to do is Google "Día tool kit" and you'll be able to take your pick!

I bet you had no idea that there was an official song.

Download my Día de los Niños Activity Pack!