Kid-Friendly Recipes for Aguas Frescas

 

Quench your thirst and indulge in the vibrant flavors of aguas frescas, the beloved traditional beverages that are a staple in Mexican culture. Because I suspect that half of you (or more!) are melting, just like I am here in Texas, I've put together a carefully curated collection of aguas frescas recipes that capture the essence of this time-honored tradition. 

Discover a variety of delightful concoctions that will transport you to the heart of Mexico. These are child-friendly recipes to engage your kids in the kitchen. Get ready to savor the taste of summer with these cool and invigorating aguas frescas recipes that celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Mexico!

This post contains affiliate links.

What are Aguas Frescas?

Aguas frescas are refreshing beverages that have become an integral part of Mexican culinary and cultural heritage. Literally translating to "fresh waters," these drinks are typically made by blending fresh fruits, flowers, or seeds with water and a touch of sweetener. The result is a cool and revitalizing drink that captures the essence of the ingredients used. From the classic flavors like horchata and Jamaica to creative combinations featuring fruits like pineapple, watermelon, or mango, aguas frescas offer a delicious way to beat the heat and quench your thirst while immersing yourself in the vibrant flavors of Mexican cuisine.

Aguas Frescas Recipes

Here's a list of some classic flavors - with a few exotic ones thrown in!

1. First! There are so many great recipes on Kids Are Great Cooks! I'm listing this page first because it's a lot of fun and inspiring for children to see other kids making delicious things in the kitchen.
   
   
2. SweetLife is always my first go-to for any authentic recipe and Vianney does not disappoint. Check out her Agua De Piña, Agua Fresca de Aguacate, Agua de Chayote, and Agua de Sandia.
   
   
3. Silvia at MamaLatinaTips.com is my next stop. (You might know Silvia from winning the Great American Recipe on PBS!) Her recipes include Easy Mexican Strawberry Agua Fresca, Kiwi Fruit Agua Fresca Recipe, Quince Agua Fresca, and Guava Agua Fresca.
   
   
4. You might also enjoy these recipes that Yvette shares on Muy Bueno Cookbook : Agua de Melón and my personal favorite flavor: Agua de Jamaica. (She has a few others on her site, but they're geared for adults, if you know what I mean.)
   
   
5. But the QUEEN of aguas frescas is Ericka Sanchez from Nibbles and Feasts. She has a couple of great ones on her site - Coconut Pecan Agua Fresca and Agua Fresca de Café - but she literally wrote the book on these drinks (and paletas!). Grab your copy by clicking the image or link below!

Aguas Frescas & Paletas: Refreshing Mexican Drinks and Frozen Treats, Traditional and Reimagined
by Ericka Sanchez

You may also like these recipes!

• AGUA DE PEPINO 🥒🍋(CUCUMBER AGUA FRESCA) + VIDEO: just 4 ingredients for this refreshing cucumber agua fresca from Mamá Maggie's Kitchen!
  
  
• COCONUT MANGO AGUA FRESCA is for all the Tajín lovers! Wow. 
  
  
• This Mixed Melon, Lime and Coconut Agua Fresca is from Pati Jinich's site and looks really good.
  
  
• For the RaddishKids fans, here's a Watermelon Agua Fresca recipe that you can print and make.
  
  
• Print this Healthy Agua Fresca recipe from WholeKidsFoundation.org. Which flavor would you choose?

Want to find this post again? Pin it!

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• 15 Homemade Paletas to Try this Summer
  
  
• Paleta-Themed Educational Resources
  
  
• Paletero Man by Lucky Diaz

Paleta-Themed Educational Resources

Looking for paleta/popsicle-themed learning resources? Check out this list of lessons, activities, books, and toys for kids in elementary grades.

It's summer. It's hot. And I'm always looking for fun activities to keep my kids busy when they are staying inside out of the heat. One of my 4yo's favorite themes at this time of year is paletas. So for him, I created a few paleta-themed printables. I kept looking and discovered other ideas, too, with a popsicle theme, including toys, books, crafts, and more.

This post contains affiliate links.

Paleta (Popsicle) Printables

Here are a few paleta-themed activity sheets that you may love!

Paleta Activity Pack for PreK & Kindergarten

Perfect for summer learning, this popsicle-themed activity pack is great for little learners. And for young Spanish learners, the paleta theme is win-win!

There are 12 pages total with activities that focus on the following concepts and skills:

• counting
• spot the difference
• puzzles
• vocabulary
• math
• sequencing
• tracing
• maze
• featured letter

All the activities are available in English and Spanish - you choose the version that works best for you.

Paleta Board Game

A simple board game that teaches number recognition (1 - 5) and basic counting. Comes with game pieces and a spinner base, as well as a game board. Object is to get the players (game pieces) to the finish where the paletero's cart is waiting for them!

Other Paleta-themed activities

• GetColoringPages has a whole ton of popsicle coloring pages that you can print for free.
  
  
• Make a popsicle/paleta garland with this free template from Lil Tigers.
  
  
• What do you do with those popsicle sticks when you're done eating your popsicle? Make art, of course! Here's a list of 50 Fun Popsicle Crafts You Should Make With Your Kids This Summer from DIY&Crafts.
  
  
• I really like this popsicle sticks shapes activity game from RikiTikiArt

• FeltyFun has this Popsicle Color Matching Game available on Etsy
  
  
• Older children may prefer this free Hello Summer coloring page for artists from Creatively Beth.

Paleta (Popsicle) Learning Toys

Recently, the popsicle/paleta theme has been popular with toy makers. Here are some that I find adorable and educational. 

Learning Resources Smart Snacks Number Pops $27

Ages 18months+

Build number and fine-motor skills with these irresistible ice cream pops. Pop the numbered shell over the ice cream pop with the matching number of dots. Perfect for practicing 1-to-1 correspondence with numbers 1-10. Great for color matching too. Includes 20 pieces total-10 pops and 10 matching shells.

Learning Resources Smart Snacks Alpha Pops $28

Ages 2+

Reinforce upper and lowercase letter recognition as your child matches together these frozen pops. Great for fine motor skills and imaginative play. Each pop is double sided so all letters of the alphabet are included. Pops are self-checking by color. 26 pieces.

Melissa & Doug Wooden Frozen Treats Ice Cream Play Set $16

Ages 3+

Chill out with this 24-piece mix-and-match set! Make wooden ice cream sandwiches, ice pops, and Italian ice cups. Self-sticking tabs hold together 3 different cookie flavors and vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream fillings. The set also includes 6 multicolored ice pops on sticks that kids can stick together and pull apart. Or, fill the lidded cups with 4 flavors of ice and serve with a classic wooden spoon! Display the array of chilled goodies in the storage tray and use the menu card to identify all the pieces and place orders. This play set is a great way for kids 3 and older to develop fine-motor, matching and sorting, and counting skills. Playing with food has never been so cool.

Paleta Books

Paletero Man
by Lucky Diaz

In this story, a young boy is melting on the hottest day of the year and goes in search of relief by looking for Paletero José and his cart of many flavors (and colors!). But once he finds el paletero, he discovers he has lost all his money along the way! What's a boy to do??

I wrote a review of Paletero Man that includes a free download of reading comprehension questions to go with the book.

What Can You Do With a Paleta? / ¿Qué puedes hacer con una paleta?
by Carmen Tafolla

As she strolls through her barrio, a young girl introduces readers to the frozen, fruit-flavored treat that thrills Mexican and Mexican-American children. Create a masterpiece, make tough choices (strawberry or coconut?), or cool off on a warm summer's day--there's so much to do with a paleta.

 

And for mamis, I recommend Aguas Frescas & Paletas: Refreshing Mexican Drinks and Frozen Treats, Traditional and Reimagined by Ericka Sanchez.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• Paletero Man by Lucky Diaz
  
  
• 15 Homemade Paletas to Try this Summer
  
  
• 15 Sandía Crafts for Summer!
  
  
• 25 Crafts & Activities for the 4th of July

15 Homemade Paletas to Try this Summer

It's the middle of summer and I don't know what it is like where you live, but here, the projected temperatures for the coming week are 99º every day! So I'm stocking up on fruit for a paleta fest to keep my family cool. 

Does your family do DIY paletas (popsicles)? Summer fruit popsicles make the perfect sweet treat for a warm weather day! They’re hydrating, refreshing, and it’s so fun to try new flavor combinations that you can’t find in stores!

Homemade fruit pops are often more flavorful than store-bought, and taste so much better fresh from the freezer! Plus, with simple ingredients, you can feel good about giving these to your family!

These 15 summer fruit popsicles are all made with summer fruits. From classic flavors like orange and raspberry, to more fun and unique flavors like watermelon boba and blueberry basil, you’ll definitely find a flavor here you can’t wait to try!

You can create your own paletas with simple materials such as popsicle sticks and paper cups, but I've added one of my favorite popsicle molds.

This post contains affiliate links.

Paleta (Popsicle) Recipes

1.   Strawberry Vanilla Paletas: Fresh strawberries, vanilla, and vanilla yogurt make for one unique and summery popsicle from my friend Vianney at SweetLifeBake.com!

2. Mango Pineapple Popsicles: A tropical flavored popsicle with a spicy chili salt twist...

3. Champurrado Paletas: Oh. My. Gosh! Ericka of Nibbles and Feasts might be the queen of paletas. I'm linking to her paleta and aguas frescas book below! Go order ASAP!

4. Paletas de Jamaica y Canela + Paletas de Melón: Hibiscus and cinnamon, or cantaloupe? Yes, por favor! I'll take both with these easy recipes from Yvette over at MuyBuenoCookbook.com.

5. Lemonade Popsicles: This popsicle is perfect when you can’t decide between lemonade or a frozen treat!

6. 3 Easy Mexican Paleta Recipes for Kids: My friend, Frances, shares these three easy recipes for Mexican paletas over on MulticulturalKidBlogs.com

7. Creamy Blackberry Popsicle Recipe: My friend, Christa, of PuraVidaMoms.com modifies Costa Rica's paleta recipe "to create an authentic Costa Rican paleta in the United States."

8. Toasted Coconut Lime Popsicles: A simple, 4-ingredient popsicle made with toasted coconut and lime juice! (Shown in image.)

9. Pineapple-Ginger Popsicles: Ginger, honey, and pineapple blended together for a paleta to enjoy all summer long from Silvia at MamaLatinaTips.

10. Orange Lemon Lime Popsicles: A super citrusy and hydrating popsicle made with 5 simple ingredients!

11. Passionfruit Yogurt Pops: A fun and exotic fruit pop made with rice cereal that makes the perfect summertime dessert or even snack! (Shown in image.)

12. Raspberry Popsicles: A 3-ingredient popsicle made with frozen raspberries, so you can make this one all year-round! (Shown in image.)

13. Coconut Water Pineapple Popsicles: Whole raspberries and chunks of pineapple can be seen right through the coconut water in this summery and hydrating popsicle!

14. Strawberry Chia Seed Popsicles: Add a few healthy chia seeds to your summer popsicle and the kids will be none-the-wiser!

15. Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles: These yogurt-based popsicles are creamy and sweet, and make a great popsicle to have on hand all summer long! (Shown in image.)

THE Paleta Book

This is the only recipe book for paletas you'll ever need. Go. Buy. It! Ericka's recipes are the best. (You're welcome!)

Aguas Frescas & Paletas
by Ericka Sanchez

Paleta Molds

If you're like me, you may have a ton of paleta molds in your pantry. Zoku is one of my favorites.

ZOKU - This is my go-to when we want paletas and we want them NOW! Seriously, you can have a popsicle in 7 minutes with this thing. It's unbelievable! Actually, I have the double one, but I don't think they make it anymore. Now they just have the single and it's hard to catch in stock, but maybe you'll get lucky!

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• Paleta-Themed Educational Resources
  
  
• Paletero Man by Lucky Diaz
  
  
• Choose Your Snacks Wisely & Get Creative
  
  
• Airfryer Strawberry Chimichangas

Printables for Summer Fun Learning

Are you looking for fun activities to keep your kids busy, entertained, and learning this summer? Consider some of my bilingual printables! They're available in English and Spanish - you pick the language that best suits your needs. 

This year, I have some new activities for you, such as the Sandía Activity Pack and the 4th of July Book of Words. 

Older kids may prefer the Bilingual Travel Games for long road trips, or even the Magic Tree House pack of supplemental activities if they are just now reading the first three books in the series (in EITHER language!). 

Sandía Activity Pack

Lots of fun activities to develop math, literacy, and fine motor skills!

4th of July Book of Words

Introduce vocabulary for celebrating the holiday.

Bilingual Magic Tree House Activities for Books 1 - 3

Ways to extend the learning with this fun series of books!

Bilingual Travel Games

If you are embarking on a family road trip, help boost your kids' English or Spanish vocabulary along the way with this bilingual packet of 10 travel-related games. 

Taking Time for Your Kid's Mental Health

Creative Commons / Kristina Alexanderson - Flickr

Hey, Friends. 

Normally, every year about this time, I'm raving about avoiding the summer slide and sneaking in a bunch of learning with your kids.

But I'm not doing that just yet this year because I honestly have not been doing that with my kids. This year has been rough on all of us and I think our kids need a break. They need time to just be with you without pressure or stress. I know, I know... easier said than done. But I do think it is critical for us to spend a few weeks focusing on our kids' emotional health. 

In fact, I feel this is so important that I wrote about it for PBS SoCal. Hop over there and read about the different ways that you can focus on their mental health by helping them let their worries go and feel a sense of security.

Anxiety manifests itself differently in children. They complain about their stomach. Or they have "bad attitudes." Or if they are younger, they start crying or whining a lot more than usual. If your kids seem mad or difficult or argumentative, maybe that's their way of asking for help. They need reassurance from us. They need to know things are going to be okay. Even if you think they won't be, you need to provide that sense of love and security that your kids need from you.

So don't worry about what they're learning - or forgetting! - right now. Focus on comforting and creating as peaceful a home environment as you can. Help them learn to face difficult times and survive the storm without sacrificing their emotional well-being.

I'll be providing resources soon for summer learning. But before you worry about that, take care of this.

Brain Chase Giveaway!

I am so excited about this summer's learning project for the kids! You might remember that I signed up both of them to participate in Brain Chase Summer Learning Challenge. They've been watching all the video trailers and working themselves into a fit because they just can't hardly wait to get started. (It totally helps that two of the main characters look just like my two kids.)

What has ME so excited is their new partnership with Rosetta Stone, which gives participants the opportunity to participate in a language module as part of their online academic work. When I registered my kids, we had the option of choosing between "learning a new language" and the "writing module." Students will be required to complete 2 lessons (a total of a little over an hour) each week in order to fulfill their language requirement and unlock the next episode. Students can choose from 30+ languages when they register, and will have a week at the beginning of the program in which to switch languages if they prefer. Naturally, we selected Spanish!

You might remember that this year's challenge theme is The Sunstone of Cortes. Check out this awesome video showing how the Sunstone was made to hold the safety deposit key to $10,000 in scholarship money. I LOVE the whole concept of an archaeological treasure - (especially one dealing with Hernan Cortes and the Aztecs!).

Are you wondering what the program is like? If so, check out the new dashboard demo for a hands-on look at Brain Chase. You can interact with last year’s dashboard for detailed explanations about how kids’ work is tracked during the program’s five weeks.

Psssst! Teacher referral reward program

Brain Chase is offering $15 to teachers for each of their students they refer to Brain Chase. Registrants who hear about Brain Chase from a teacher can simply enter that teacher's name and school name at registration. Kids fight summer brain drain to win a treasure... and teachers win too! You can download flyers to share with your students here.

Unfortunately, early bird pricing has already ended. But with their premium pricing package, you also get a Brain Chase-branded adventure backpack, a Brain Chase t-shirt and Sunstone of Cortés patch ($249 for the first registration, and then $149 for each sibling). Later in the summer, these items will be available for a la carte purchase. You’ll be able to find the details on the website soon.

The Brain Chase Library Challenge!

Throughout the month of May, Brain Chase will be hosting a 4-city Library Challenge. In each of the following cities, they will hide a voucher worth $1,000 in a local public library:
Salt Lake City (May 4)
Seattle (May 11)
Boston (May 18)
Orange County (June 1)

A unique riddle will lead adventurers to the exact location of the voucher and a complimentary Brain Chase registration.

The Giveaway

Brain Chase has MOST graciously offered to give one MommyMaestra reader a FREE subscription for this summer's challenge!

To enter, all you have to do is use the Rafflecopter below.

¡Buena suerte!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with the Motherhood and Brain Chase. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Sneaky Summer Learning: Software From School Zone

I did the Happy Dance last week.

The Importance of Family Vacations

Happy Fourth of July!

I promise to spend the rest of this week sharing resources for the next school year. But first, I want to catch you up about our family vacation.

As I mentioned in my last post, we decided to take a break last week for some serious family time. My favorite thing about summer is being able to relax, plan, and play. There's no schedule to keep, no school work to get done. (I might add here that my favorite thing about starting a new school year is getting back on schedule!)

After working so hard this year, I wanted to give the kids a really big treat. I want to be sure and emphasize to them that just because they have to work hard, doesn't mean they can't play hard, too.
 
And this year, my parents decided that instead of the beach, they wanted us to take the kids to - Disney World! (Yay, me!) So despite a rocky start (we lost a day due to plane cancelation - BOO, Delta!!), we had the time of our lives. Rather than try to cram everything in, we decided to just enjoy what we could, and not worry about seeing everything.
 
It was my first time to go. And although I was exhausted every evening and mis pies were barking, I loved it all. We managed to make it to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and the Animal Kingdom. I really wish that we had had time to visit Epcot - it looks like they have some excellent exhibits on world cultures, as well as space. Maybe next time?
 
Naturally, my son's favorite part was Star Tours, the Star Wars ride at Hollywood Studios. But he also went crazy for the T-Rex Cafe where we ate dinner our last night. And, of course, the Lego Star Wars stuff...
 

  

 

 

My daughter preferred the Animal Kingdom. Especially the safari ride, the Tree of Life, and all sorts of little treasures she found along the way...

 

 

 
And my favorite part? What else? The LEGO STORE!!!
 

 

 

The only down side to the whole thing was the heat. Bluh. Next time I'm going in May. Maybe it won't be so sticky and crowded. (Yeah, right.)

 

The LBBC's 2011 Summer Reading List is Now Available

Do you follow my other site, the Latin Baby Book Club? Each year, we publish a summer reading list. And the 2011 edition is now live! This is a great resource for bilingual families who are helping their kids maintain their reading skills during the summer by participating in a library or online summer reading program.

These summer reading lists are super because they don't offer an overwhelming number of titles, but they do list a variety of books for newborns to young adults.

I already mentioned some great online programs, so I won't do that again. But don't forget that the LBBC and MommyMaestra also have some free printable reading logs in English and Spanish to help you and your kids keep track of their reading progress. (You can find them in my sidebar under "Free Downloads.")

Lighthouses of North America {GIVEAWAY}

This is Day 2 of our anniversary bash! And this might be one of my favorite giveaways yet. I love books that are a complete package of information and activities. They can substitute for a great unit study. And this book is a homeschooler's dream!

Many of you spend a portion of your summer vacation at the beach. Maybe you live near one, or maybe you just like to travel to one during these hot, sunny months. Or maybe you live too far away from the beach, but you like to recreate the scene in your backyard with a pail and shovel and some decorative shells. Regardless of whether or not you plan on vacationing this summer at la playa, Lighthouses of North America! Exploring Their History, Lore & Science is the perfect resource for studying something fun and unusual.

Inside the pages of this book your children will study geography, literature, history and science. They can explore how sound and light travel with simple experiments, find the center of gravity, compare sand and soil, observe lighthouse color patters and flashing light codes, write a captain's log entry, and SO MUCH MORE! You will read stories of heroism, legends and lore, and even poetry from famous poets like Longfellow to aspiring young 14 year olds.

I am fascinated by this book and eager to use it this summer as a fun activity that gives us a break from school work while still allowing my kids to learn. You could supplement the book if you wanted to, but you don't really even have to because it is ALL RIGHT THERE between the covers. There are a lot of beautiful new and old photographs in the book, but the illustrations are also appealing to adults and children.

One lucky reader will win a copy of this awesome book.

To enter, simply leave a comment below.

The deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Sunday, June5th. The winner will be chosen using Random.org. and contacted via email - so be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment!

And to increase your chances of winning, you can:

1.) Blog about this giveaway and include the link to your post,

2.) Tweet the following: Enter to win a summer treat for your children ages 7 - 14 http://bit.ly/iz9jl6 #giveaway

3.) Follow me on Facebook,

4.) Fill out the MommyMaestra survey.

Don't forget to let me know by posting a separate comment for each entry!

¡Buena suerte!

Comments are now closed.

Why We Can't Hardly Wait for Summer: Cars 2

Okay. It is March. Almost April. The time when we all start slugging our way through school and wishing el verano was already here. We are restless and itching to run and stretch our bodies. Our daily list of things to do now includes kick a ball, climb a tree, dig in the dirt, or ride a bike.  

The good news is that now's the time when we can finally bust out of the house and take our classes outside: science fair projects, art classes, math, and even reading. There's nothing quite like reading a great book with the spring sunshine warming your body, a gentle breeze rustling the pages and filling your nose with the scent of green grass and blooming flowers.

After a fun Spring Break that included a visit from los abuelos, we are now re-energized and ready to buckle down and get this school year done. I am already planning what subjects we will be "studying" this summer (astronomy, Ancient Egypt, maybe some anatomy) for fun.

And I will admit. There is one more thing that has us itching for summer to get here:

Cars 2 hits theaters on June 24th.

I read this promo to my kids:

"Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in Disney*Pixar's "Cars 2" when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix. But the road to the championship is filled with surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine)."

Mi'jo is beside himself with joy.

And my daughter - who is currently fascinated by anything spy/detective related - is excited, too, but trying not to show it. The only thing that has me slightly worried is that it is coming out in 3D, which is okay for me, but my kids have had a real hard time keeping the gigantic 3D glasses on their faces and wind up watching the blurry show without them. My husband and I opted to avoid 3D versions for now and go with the regular ones. I'm hoping our theater offers both.

So what about you? What is your family looking forward to the most this coming summer?

Con mucho cariño...