Las Posadas Activities for Kids

Finding Las Posadas activities for kids can be difficult. So I thought it would be a great idea to put together one post that lists crafts and other activities for children of different ages. I've included craft tutorials, as well as a short list of printables that are available for parents and educators. For additional educational ideas, be sure to check out my post on Las Posadas Lesson Plans, Crafts, Activities, and Music

Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links.

Las Posadas Crafts for Kids

Here's a list of hands-on crafts for kids to make as they prepare for Las Posadas.

• Luminarias are one of the main crafts associated with the holiday tradition. They are often made to line the walkways outside the homes where the peregrinos will walk to ask for posada.
  
  
• These Piñata Ornaments are easy to make and fun to fill!
  
  
• Have your children make this Fast & Easy Papel Picado Banner to decorate doorways or other areas inside the home.
  
  
• Redwood City Public Library has this fabulous tutorial for making a piñata craft
  
  
• OCPublicLibraries has this simple video tutorial for making a lovely Paper Poinsettia Craft:

• And here's another poinsettia craft from Red Ted Art.
  
  

Crafts for Older Students

• If you have older children who would like more of a challenge, consider this tutorial from Craft in America in which paper artist Kathleen Trenchard demonstrates how to create a luminaria with scissors.
  
  
• You may also enjoy this tutorial on How to Make Papel Picado with Mario A. Hernandez
  
  
• Don't miss this EXCELLENT tutorial on making your own traveling nacimiento by Sabor a Cajeta.

Materials to have on hand

• Different colored cardstock
• different colored ribbon
• Scissors
• Tape
• Ruler

Printables

• Las Posadas Minibook
  
  
• Las Posadas Bilingual Book of Words
  
  
• Posada Countdown Calendar!
  
  
• Do-It-Yourself Posada Kit

Other Posts on Las Posadas

• 4 Children's Books to Celebrate Las Posadas
  
  
• MommyMaestra's Three Favorite Versions of the Las Posadas Song

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A Printable Bilingual Minibook on Las Posadas

It's time to start gearing up for Las Posadas! How many of you participate in this tradition? It was one of my favorites as a child, and I've written about it before.

Just a reminder that I have a comprehensive page full of lesson plans, activities, videos, printables, and crafts for Las Posadas.

And here is a list of 4 children's books celebrating Las Posadas.

If you are looking for MP3's of the traditional song, here are three versions I like.

You may also want to peek at my easy Posada crafts: Piñata Ornaments & Luminarias.

And don't forget about my Posada-themed printables! I currently have two available from last year in my TpT store: A Bilingual Minibook (shown above) and a Bilingual Minibook of Words. And there are more to come in the next week or two!

¡Abrazo!

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Las Posadas Craft: Piñata Ornaments

Las Posadas is coming up! So we decided to create some crafts that would remind us of this nine-day tradition. We started by making these ornaments that you can fill with candies or other small goodies. Inspired by elements most closely associated with Las Posadas, we went shopping at our local craft stores. Then came home and tinkered with prototypes until we settled on a good pattern. I hope you enjoy this Las Posadas craft of piñata ornaments!

Las Posadas Inspired Piñata Ornaments

Materials

Here's what you'll need to make your own piñata ornaments:

- Different colored cardstock
- 3 different colored ribbon
- Piñata cone pattern
- Scissors
- Tape
- Ruler
- Toothpick (or small crochet hook)
- Round DIY ornaments (the best ones are round, but flattened, not the globe-shaped ones)

Directions

First, wash your ornaments out with warm, soapy water and let them dry.

Next, print out your ornament cones on the different colored cardstock using our template, and cut them out along the OUTER lines. Be sure to leave the inner solid line uncut as shown below.

Then take your ruler and lay it over the tab portion of your template lining it up with the solid line...

...and then fold up the larger portion.

Once you've made this initial straight-line fold, it will be easier for you to simply fold this tab down against the larger portion of the template.


Next, curl and tape the template into a cone shape, making sure to keep the tab tucked on the inside. Do not put tape over the pointy end. Don't worry about making it perfect! Younger children may need help with this part.

Next, have your child measure and cut the ribbon into 6 inch lengths. (Por favor, ignore the stain on my son's sleeve. I always make them wear old clothes when we do crafts!)

 

Now knot the ribbon in the middle to hold them all together. You will need 3 of these tassels per ornament.

Now carefully fold the ribbon at the knot and tuck the knot into the gap at the pointy end of the cone. We used a small crochet hook to push the knot into the gap, but you can use anything like a pencil point or toothpick. The tab should help hold the knot in place and keep it from falling out. Do this with THREE (3) of the cones for a 4-pointed piñata, or 4 of the cones for a 5-pointed one.

Now fill your ornament with jelly beans or M & Ms or other colorful items.

Now cut one length of ribbon long enough to make a big loop that will go through the hoop at the top of your ornament, and stick out the end of your FOURTH (4th) cone. (This length will vary depending on the type of ornament you use.) Then go ahead and tie the ribbon through the hoop. Now you can thread the loop through the large open end of your hoop and out the gap at the small pointy end. I used a small crochet hook to push it through, but you can use a pipe cleaner to pull it through.

Now lay your ornament on the table and arrange the cones around it to determine if you'd like to have a 4-point piñata or a 5-point one. If you are using a flattened ornament like we did, it helps to squeeze the cone un poquito to make them cup the plastic and touch all the way around.

Once you are happy with your arrangement, simply tape the cones in place on both the front and back! If you use clear tape, it will disappear nicely. Be sure you DON'T tape the top cone! It will rest in place, but will easily slide up the loop to allow the owner easy access to the goodies inside!

Now just hang them on your tree or use them as decoration around your house during the holidays as a joyful reminder of Las Posadas! They also make wonderful handmade gifts...

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Las Posadas Lesson Plans, Crafts, Activities, and Music
  
  
• Las Posadas Craft: Luminarias
  
  
• 4 Children's Books to Celebrate Las Posadas
  
  
• MommyMaestra's Three Favorite Versions of the Las Posadas Song
  
  
• Tutorial: Fast & Easy Papel Picado Banner

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3 Videos Teaching about Las Posadas Navideñas

Today officially marks the day that las posadas navideñas begin. I'm a bit nostalgic thinking about - and missing - the posadas of my childhood. I'm sad, too, that this is not something my children get to experience now. Instead, we rely on books and videos, such as these three videos teaching about Las Posadas Navideñas. And if you'd like additional resources, check out my Las Posadas Lesson Plans, Crafts, Activities, and Music.

3 Videos about Las Posadas

So instead I must be content to present the tradition to my children through videos and books. As I end this year's series on las posadas, I want to leave you with these beautiful videos that help teach children about the tradition. I hope you enjoy them.

The first comes from Twinkl Teaching Resources. This video is a basic but animated one on Las Posadas for Kids:

Next, Cultura Colectiva Plus has this "ABCs of Mexican Posadas"

I also love this picture documentary by Bob Carlton:

And finally, check out my post The Night of Las Posadas Read Aloud in which I share a video read aloud of Tomie dePaola's lovely picture book. 

May you all have a lovely weekend!

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• Las Posadas Printable Resources
  
  
• Las Posadas Craft: Luminarias
  
  
• Las Posadas Craft: Piñata Ornaments
  
  
• 4 Children's Books to Celebrate Las Posadas
  
  
• MommyMaestra's Three Favorite Versions of the Las Posadas Song

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Holiday Crafting: Traveling Miniature Nacimiento {TUTORIAL}

I am so excited to be able to share with you this tutorial for creating your own traveling nativity, that was lovingly created by my friend Lisa Renata of Sabor a Cajeta for her own children and yours. If you haven't visited her beautiful blog, please do. And if you like this tutorial, please, please leave her a message below thanking her for all the hard work she put into creating it for MommyMaestra readers.   ~xo

We are in the middle of the Holiday Season. Some are getting ready to travel afar and visit loved ones for the festivities. Some are staying home and celebrating. Many will be attending Posadas. Unfortunately, where we live there is no one I know of that celebrates Las Posadas, something I loved doing as a child.

Our house is decorated and we have a Nacimiento displayed, in fact, we have the entire Bethlehem City. You know, one of those really-nice-don't-touch-or-you'll-break kind. Yea, that kind? For the longest time I wanted a small set for my kids, one that they could play with. We received a beautiful one from the grandparents, but it is still breakable. The chiquitos can play with it, but they can't really take it along with them. This year I decided I needed to make one for them. I'm a great believer that one learns best through hands-on play. That is exactly what I want for my kids. To learn about the reason for the season, sort of say, through play. So I made them this:

It is perfect! It is small enough that they can take it where ever they choose to, even travel with it on a plane, or a car, if need be.

Want to learn how to make it?

This is what you need to do:

To begin, start by painting all the faces. Let them dry completely before you begin to paint another layer.

Next work on Maria (Mary). I find her to be the easiest to paint. After painting the face (and letting dry), paint her blue dress and head scarf. It is very simple, just paint it all blue. Once you've done that and it has completely dried, add some details with a deeper blue (or you can leave it as it is.) Finally, with a black permanent marker, add some hair locks around the face and also add the eyes, mouth, and nose.

Continue with the Angel.

1. Paint face and body. 2. Paint hair. 3. Add dress details with a gold permanent marker. 4. Cut out wings out of wool felt. 5. Glue with hot glue (or any other strong adhesive). 6. Front view. 7. Back view.

For José (Joseph) and the Reyes (Wise Men) you are going to follow similar steps.

After the faces have dried, add the hair, mustache, and beard following the steps below. To make them each a little different, I colored their hair in different shades.

Again don't forget to...

Now you'll add the finishing touches to José (Joseph):

After painting the face and body and letting it dry completely, add the head scarf following the steps above.


Those wise Reyes:

Add details to each garment with a gold permanent marker. Make each crown a bit different.

For the Niñito Jesus (Baby Jesus) you will need two tiny pieces of felt. One in off-white the other in tan.

Cut your off-white piece of felt about an 1 inch square. Then a tiny oval piece using the tan color. Glue the tan piece in the center of the 1 inch square (see above), then start to fold each side and keep in place with a dab of glue. (Follow steps above). Finally, round the tip of the corner about the baby's head. You now have a swaddled Niñito Jesus.

Lastly, decorate your box however you like. I wanted to leave some of the natural wood showing, so I just added color in certain areas. I also added small "x" details with a gold permanent marker.

Once everything is completely dry (about an hour or so), then:

Listo! You are done.

Now give it to a little someone you love and let them:

Have fun crafting!

-----------------------------------------

Lisa Renata is a US-born Latina who experienced Mexican culture first-hand when she lived there as a child. A book lover, a mama raising her two kids bilingual, and a crafter- with a camera always in her hands. You can often find her interpreting and testing for the local school district ESOL program, working on her blog Sabor a Cajeta, or making new items for her Etsy shop SaborCajeta.

4 Children's Books to Celebrate Las Posadas

On December 16th, families across the country (and the world) will begin celebrating the Christmastime tradition of Las Posadas. We've share a series of posts on this topic, including yesterday's hot chocolate recipe by 12-year-old Angelica (feel free to leave a comment for her with some words of encouragement!). Today I wanted to share with you my list of favorite posada books. If you can't find them at your local library, they are available in new and gently used copies on Amazon or Bookshop.

4 Picture Books that Feature Las Posadas

The Night of Las Posadas

by Tomie dePaola

The Night of Las Posadas begins in a small town outside of modern-day Santa Fe. Sister Angie, who coordinates the town’s celebration, is excited over the fact that this year her niece and nephew will play the role of Mary and Joseph in the posada. But tragedy strikes when Sister Angie comes down with the flu and Lupe and Roberto’s car breaks down in a snowstorm. It then takes a miracle to save the town’s procession.

Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada!

by Virginia L. Kroll

A simple counting book that centers around the posada tradition and takes the reader from the preparations to the end of the posada celebration.

Carlos, Light the Farolito
by Jean Ciavonne and Donna Clair

This unique holiday story introduces a Christmas custom practiced in parts of Mexico and near the Mexican border of the United States: Las Posadas, a traditional reenactment of the Nativity. On Christmas Eve, Carlos is dismayed to see the procession of neighbors and friends coming up the front walk. His parents and grandfather aren't home yet-so it's up to Carlos to take over Grandfather's role as the Innkeeper. But he's so frightened, he can hardly breathe, let alone sing! Carlos's triumph over his shyness, and the joyful celebration that follows, make this a satisfying story for any season.

Las Posadas: A Christmas Musical for Children from the Mexican Tradition

by Albert Zabel, Deborah Somuano

Las Posadas introduces a creative & diverse way to celebrate the Christmas story in song and drama. It celebrates the Mexican Christmas tradition of Las Posadas.

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Downloads for Celebrating Las Posadas
  
  
• Tutorial: Fast & Easy Papel Picado Banner
  
  
• Las Posadas Craft: Piñata Ornaments
  
  
• Las Posadas Craft: Luminarias

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Diego Rivera Lesson Plans, Books, and More



Niños pidiendo posada by Diego Rivera

In honor of Diego Rivera's 125th birthday which was celebrated today around the world, I thought I would share this mural he painted of children participating in a traditional posada. I knew that he must have painted something in honor of this event, given his passion for portraying the daily lives and cultural traditions of his people. A little digging yielded the picture above. (Please ALWAYS preview sites that you google/find in a search engine without your children nearby, as some have bad links that show highly inappropriate images.)

It occurred to me that I don't have any posts dedicated to Diego. I have one sharing resources for studying Frida Kahlo, but poor Diego had not yet been featured on MommyMaestra. So I am pleased to share with you some of the resources that I have recently found, and others that I have already used with my own children. Enjoy!

And if you would like to learn about other historical figures, check out my post on Latinos in History Your Children Should Know.

LESSON PLANS

• Surprisingly, I found a really good lesson plan on Crayola's website. It is a clever way to introduce your children to Diego's world and get them to thinking about the same issues that he would have thought about.

• Deep Space Sparkle has what appears to be a really good 16-page booklet on the artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. You can learn more about it - or be inspired by it - by visiting their site.

• The Kimball Art Museum has this excellent lesson plan on murals and Diego Rivera. It is best paired with this video.

• The National Gallery of Art has this lesson for creating a collage.

• American Masters has this lesson for grades 7 through 12. 

• Also, this page on Garden of Praise has a pretty concise biography of the artist.

• Learn, Create, Love has this lovely Rivera painting lesson plan.

• Kid World Citizen has this collaborative mural project that's perfect for both young and older students.

• Art in Action has this mini lesson inspired by Diego's "La Piñata."

• The Cleveland Museum of Art has this comprehensive and excellent lesson plan available for download.

• The Laughing Zebra has this fun watermelon art project based on Rivera's last painting, The Watermelons.

COLORING PAGES & MORE

• The Museum Chick has the perfect coloring page of Rivera's The Flower Carrier.

• And I like this mural template from Art Projects for Kids.

BOOKS

And lastly, if you happen to live in the New York area, the Modern Museum of Art currently has some of Rivera's work on display...

Videos with Art Lessons on Diego Rivera

• Art Spark Texas has this art lesson best geared for high school students and older.
  
  
• La Galeria- Arts and Crafts with Ms. Oropeza has this delightful lesson for younger students that teaches them about color blending. It's probably best for upper elementary and early middle school students. 
  

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Frida Kahlo Crafts for Kids
  
  
• Frida Kahlo Lesson Plans, Activities, Coloring Sheets and More
  
  
• 10+ Videos on How to Draw Frida Kahlo
  
  
• Joan Miró Activities, Crafts, Lesson Plans and More
  
  
• Pablo Picasso Lesson Plans, Activities, Coloring Pages, and More
  

MommyMaestra's Three Favorite Versions of the Las Posadas Song

When I searched Amazon for songs on las posadas, I got a whole list. But three in particular stood out in my eyes...er, ears. If you follow the link their Amazon page, you can listen to a sample of each one. I'm so happy to share these three inexpensive and very different versions that would delight any Latino household.

This post contains affiliate links.

Las Posadas/Entren Santos Peregrinos by Donna Peña is a beautiful version that immediately brings to my mind the memories of my youth. Sung by adults, this slow and lyrical song might work best for more serious situations that demand a bit more sophistication, or as calming music before your child's bedtime. It is available on her album, Diciembre en Mexico ($8.99), or as a single MP3 for $.99. It is also available in a CD format ($36.75 and up).

Las Posadas with Violin and Guitar by the Stanley A. Lucero. This instrumental version would work really well as background music for an actual posada. I think teachers might also enjoy this version for teaching their students the song for a performace without the disctraction of the vocal accompaniment. It is available on his album, Fiestas y Cuento-Cantos ($8.99), or as a single MP3 for $.99. It is also available in a CD format ($20.36).

Las Posadas by the Christmas Children's Choir. I love the joyful sound of children singing this traditional song! I can see how this particular version would be a hit in homes and classrooms around the world. It is available on their album, Villancicos de Navidad ($8.99), or as a single MP3 for $.99.

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A Time for Posadas

At this time of year, I start thinking about my favorite cultural tradition of all: Las Posadas. I have such deeply moving memories of my childhood associated with this tradition. I remember cold nights standing outside a home (mine or someone else's) pidiendo posada with a group of friends and family, joyfully singing our hearts out. I remember pinched shoes and frosty breath, slim, white candles and steaming champurrado. But mostly I remember love and family and smiles and laughter. How I miss those beautiful nights!

I am happy to dedicate a series of posts over the next few weeks to this beautiful tradition. Don't forget that I have an article with lesson plans, books, and activities related to las posadas that you might find helpful.

Lastly, I want to leave you with this beautiful video of images from a traditional Mexican posada.

Enjoy!

Las Posadas Lesson Plans, Crafts, Activities, and Music

Photo by: Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation

Las Posadas is a nine-day celebration that remembers the story of Mary and Joseph as they look and ask for shelter in Bethlehem. The evening celebrations begin on December 16th and end on Christmas Eve. It's celebrated through much of Latin America and in many Latino communities in the United States. Because it is becoming more popular here and more schools are teaching about Las Posadas, I've put together this list of Las Posadas lesson plans, crafts, books, and more.

This post contains affiliate links. 

A Quick Personal Note

Growing up, I attended countless posadas. Some were hosted by my family, and the rest by friends. Even now, some 20 (30?!?!) years later, I can still remember the excitement and the anticipation that each one created within me. I always chose to be a part of the outside group, one of the “peregrinos” asking for shelter. Standing outside in the cold with my boots pinching my feet, I would shiver and watch my breath floating away on the frigid air. Sometimes I would stand with a candle clutched in my hand or maybe holding the peregrinos that my grandmother fiercely guarded all year long, stored carefully in a box, only to be taken out and lovingly prepared for their important role in our yearly celebrations. 

It grieves me that I cannot share this tradition with my own children now. Distance and circumstance can be bitter bedfellows. But I can still share my own childhood experiences with them through stories and in other ways that I piece together. I hope you enjoy this collection of lesson plans, activities and crafts that I have discovered or that others have shared with me. This page will continue to be updated as I stumble upon new ideas or projects, so check back often. And I do hope that you will not hesitate to share your own discoveries or creative activities with us, as well.



First of all, be sure to check out my Pinterest Board on Las Posadas for some great ideas!

History and Lesson Plans

• Las Posadas A nice description and history with links to various sites related to las posadas.

• Christmas in Mexico: Navidad en Mexico, a Mexican holiday resource page. Lots of links!

• Celebrate La Posada in Mexico! Scholastic’s lesson plan 

• La Posada: A Christmas Skit An English version. Too bad they don’t have a Spanish version, but I think that most teachers could rewrite the lines for their Spanish classes.

Printables

• In my TpT shop, I have a Las Posadas Minibook that is an introduction for young children. It includes coloring pages of the elements most closely associated with the holiday, as well as brief descriptions of each one.

• I also have this set of Las Posadas Bilingual Book of Words for children in Pre-K through 2nd grade.

• You may also love my Posada Countdown Calendar! It's great for home or classroom use.

• My Do-It-Yourself Posada Kit has all the resources you'll need for hosting your own posada at home or school. 

 • See my entire Las Posadas collection here.

Recipes

• Here's a delicious Champurrado recipe from Muy Bueno Cookbook. And you may also want to look at her Atole de Vainilla.

• Sweet Life has this great post for Celebrating Las Posadas with Galletas de Atole, as well as one for Pan de Polvo.

• Ponche Navideño on Experience San Miguel de Allende One recipe for the traditional Mexican Christmastime drink.

• Feliz Navidad - Christmas Eve Mexican Style - Las Posadas by MexGrocer.com also has some super yummy recipes.

Lyrics

• Mexconnect’s Mexican Tradition - Pidiendo Posada Probably the best source of lyrics with English and Spanish versions. They also have a sheet music version.

• The Mexican Posada Song on Experience San Miguel de Allende

Crafts

• Don't miss this EXCELLENT tutorial on making your own traveling nacimiento by Sabor a Cajeta.

• BeforeAndAfterTV has this great video with instructions on making a star piñata.

• How to make your own star piñata ornaments.

• Teacher’s Discovery has a mini star piñata kit that comes with the materials to make 30 mini star piñata ornaments. They also carry a glittery poinsettia kit that makes 90(wow!) 3-dimensional flowers.

• Here are directions for making your own farolitos, or luminary craft. (Remember that to reduce the risk of fire, please use battery-powered votive candles.)

• Tin Can Luminary Craft Good instructions for creating a tin can luminary.

• First-School.ws has a lesson plan/crafts for poinsettias in English.

• Here's how to make a fast and easy papel picado banner.

• But my favorite poinsettia craft is this one from First Palette.

• Here is a coloring page not of the posada, but of the children hitting the piñata and scrambling for candies.

• Crayola has these luminary templates that are fun and easy to do.

Videos

• Not too many videos out on posadas, but I really like this one by The Other Side of the Tortilla.


And don't miss this one...

Music

• Amazon has a nice list of downloadable posada songs, but here are my top three favorite ones.

Books

Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola

Carlos, Light the Farolito by Jean Ciavonne and Donna Clair

Las Posadas: A Christmas Musical for Children from the Mexican Tradition by Albert Zabel, Deborah Somuano

Las Posadas: An Hispanic Christmas Celebration by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith

Las Posadas (Fiestas Con Velas) (Spanish Edition) by Jennifer Blizin Gillis

Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada! by Virginia Kroll 

This article was last updated on 12/4/2022