Music and dance play an important role inLatin American celebrations.

Materials• Sombrero de ala ancha• Maracas

• Music: La raspa

ActivityShake maracas and dance to the music.

1. Put a sombrero on the floor.

2. Choose a partner and form a circle around the sombrero.

3. Tap your right heel on the floor in front of you. Switch to your left heel with a slightfront jump step.

4. Switch back to the right heel the same way.

5. Clap twice quickly.

6. Repeat this sequence of steps four times.

7. Now face your partner and link arms.

8. Twirl to the left.

9. Take three hop steps and switch arms.

10 Twirl to the right.

11. Repeat this sequence of steps twice.

12. At the end of the song shout: ¡OLÉ!

La Raspa

Resbale así su pie,Uno, dos, y tres.Y ahora el otro pie,Uno, dos, y tres.A la derecha, a la derechaA la derecha, a la derechaA la izquierda, a la izquierdaA la izquierda, a la izquierda

Translation

Slide your foot this way,One, two and three.And now the other foot,One, two, and three.To the right, to the rightTo the right, to the rightTo the left, to the leftTo the left, to the left.

La RaspaTHE MEXICAN HAT DANCE

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The idea for these hand carved whimsical fig-ures from Oaxaca, Mexico, came from tradition-al children’s toys. Artisans create dragons andother imaginary creatures. The figures are allhand carved, then brightly painted with intri-cate designs.

Materials• Small (sanded) wood scraps, wood beads

and wood spools

• White glue

• Acrylic paint

• Paint brushes

• Acrylic varnish

ActivityWith wood scraps, create an imaginary creature.

1. Experiment by putting different woodenshapes together to see what imaginary crea-ture can be created.

2. Glue pieces together. Let dry thoroughly.

3. While figure is drying, sketch possibledesigns to cover creature’s body.

4. When completely dry, coat with one coat ofwhite acrylic paint.

5. When white paint is dry, paint designs ontofigure using different colors.

AlebrijesCOPAL WOOD FIGURES

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In Mexico, you can watch artisans embroidering animalitos onto cotton cloth usingfine, brightly colored threads.

Materials• White oak tag

• Scissors

• Glue

• Bright colored yarn

• Sketch paper

• Patterns

ActivityCreate an animalito out of paper and yarn.

1. Choose a pattern.

2. Trace pattern onto oak tag.

3. Cut out shape from oak tag.

4. Using yarn, fill in the animal shape by gluing strips side by side vertically.

5. Trim off excess yarn.

AnimalitosEMBROIDERED ANIMALS

EXPLORING SPANISH THROUGH ART

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This jump rope chant gives the recipe for afamous Mexican stew called Pozole.

MaterialsJump rope

PlayersThree or more

ActivityWhile jumping rope, players chant the words. Ifa word or jump is missed, the next player gets aturn.

CarneChileMole¡Pozole!

TranslationMeatChili pepperSauceStew!

PozoleMEXICAN STEW

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A fun hide and seek game from Paraguay.

MaterialsBlindfold

PlayersFour or more

Activity1. Players decide on an object to hide. the

object should be the size of someone’s handor larger.

2. One player is blindfolded and escorted outof the room.

3. Players hide the object in plain sight.

4. When the blindfolded player comes back,the other players chant;“Se quema el pan.”(The bread is burning)

5. The blindfolded player walks around theroom looking for el pan.

6. The other players let him know how close orfar he is from el pan by saying “Frío”,“Tibio” or, “Caliente”(cold, warm or hot)

7. When the player finds the bread, everyoneshouts out “¡Se quemó!” (It burned!)

El Pan QuemadoBURNED BREAD

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AN I M A L I T O S / PAT T E R N S

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The Aztec codex was a folding book made byAztec scribes. It was a combination calendar,history book and astrological chart.

Materials• One strip of 7" x 17" white paper

• Two pieces of 7"x 7" poster board

• Scissors

• Glue

• Pencil

• Markers

• Copy of the Aztec Sun Stone

ActivityCreate a calendar to record a week of events.

1. Fold paper seven times at approximately 2-3/8" sections.

2. Glue the outsides of the first and last foldsto the poster board. These make the frontand back covers of the codex.

3. The book should now fold out accordianstyle.

4. On each page write the day of the weekfrom lunes to domingo.

5. On each day, record in writing and drawings an important event of that day.

Códice aztecaAZTEC PICTURE CALENDAR

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An enjoyable game that helps students to askquestions.

MaterialsBlindfold

PlayersFive or more

Activity1. One player is blindfolded and plays the part

of el pastor.

2. The other players form a line facingel pastor.

3. El pastor walks along the line, and stopsrandomly to choose a player.

4. The pastor asks the player these questions: Pastor: ¿Dónde está mi corderito?Jugador: Yo soy su corderito.Pastor: ¿Eres (Juan)?

Translation

Shepherd: Where is my little lamb?Player: I’m your lamb.Shepherd: Are you (John)?

5. The chosen player responds by disguising his voice.

6. El pastor has two chances to guess theidentity of el corderito.

7. If the player is not identified, el pastor mustwalk through the line and try again.

8. When the correct guess is made, that playerbecomes el pastor.

Mi corderitoMY LITTLE LAMB

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Exploring Spanish Through Games

This game originated in Peru and is played like tag.

Materials• Hat• Coat• Shirt• Gloves• Any other articles of clothing

PlayersFive or more

Activity1. One player takes the part of el lobo.

2. A “safe” zone is designated in the room.

3. El lobo stands next to a pile of clothing.

4. The remaining players form a circle around el lobo.

5. The players then have a call and response:

Players Señor lobo, señor lobo. ¿l0isto?

(Mr. Wolf, Mr. Wolf are you ready?)

Lobo: No estoy listo. Tengo que ponerme el sombrero.

(No, I am not ready. I have to put my hat on.)

(El lobo puts on a hat from the pile)

Players: Señor lobo, señor lobo. ¿listo?

(Mr. Wolf, Mr. Wolf are you ready?)

Lobo: No estoy listo. Tengo que ponerme la camisa.

(No, I am not ready. I have to put my shirt on.

(El lobo puts on a shirt from the pile)

Players: Señor lobo, señor lobo. ¿listo?

(Mr. Wolf, Mr. Wolf are you ready?)

Lobo: No estoy listo. Tengo que ponerme los pantalones.

(No, I am not ready. I have to put my pants on.)

(Lobo puts on a pair of pants from the pile)

6. El lobo can put on as many articles of clothing as he chooses, or at any timeel lobo may say:

Lobo: Listo, sí. Ahí voy. ¡Ahora les agarro!

(Yes, I am ready. Now I am going to get you!)

7. The players must now run to a “safe” zone as el lobo chases after them.

8. El lobo must tag a player before they are all“safe”. The student who is tagged becomesthe next lobo.

El lobo se visteTHE WOLF GETS DRESSED

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AZ T E C SU N ST O N E

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Codex Cover

Amate paintings are a rich, pictorial story offamily life in Mexico. The subjects are usuallyvillagers engaged in every day activities, such asfishing, farming or attending fiestas. Amatepaper painting is also known as bark painting.The amate paper is still made by the OtomíIndians of San Pablito.

Materials• Brown grocery bag

• Scissors

• Pencil

• Poster paint

ActivityPaint a scenic picture of daily life in the style ofthe Otomí indians.

1. Cut the grocery bag into a rectangle of about8-1/2" x 11". Trim corners to round out.

2. In the center of the rectangle, draw anotherrectangle about 7-1/2" x 10". This will bethe border of the painting.

3. Inside the border draw a design using simpleshapes and lines.

4. In the inside rectangle draw a typical scenefrom daily life.

5. Paint the scene with brightly colored poster paint.

Pintura en amateAMATE BARK PAINTING

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A game of chase with nonsense verses, popularin Costa Rica.

PlayersEight or more

Activity1. Three players are chosen to be el gato,

el ratón and el tiburón.

2. The other players form a circle and hold hands.

3. El gato and el ratón stand inside the circle, and el tiburón stands outside the circle.

4. Everyone chants;

Allá viene el gato y el ratóna darle combate al tiburón.

English Version

There go the cat and the mouse ready to fight the shark

5. El tiburón tries to catch el gato and el ratónwhile the players try to stop him/her bymoving closer together or lowering theirhands to form a barrier so el tiburón cannotget through the circle .

6. If el tiburón gets into the circle, the playerslift their arms to let el gato and el ratón out.

7. When el tiburón has caught either el gato orel ratón, three new players take their place.

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El gato y el ratónCAT AND MOUSE

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This is a blindfold game played throughoutLatin America and Spain.

Materials• Blindfold

• Call and response written out until students remember it.

PlayersFive or more

ActivityTo make the game more interesting, the playerwho is la gallinita ciega should act out the part asmuch as possible. Try using a funny voice.

1. One student is blindfolded and acts asla gallinita ciega and scratches around for food.

2. The other students form a circle around la gallinita and have a call and response of the following:

Players: Gallinita ciega, ¿qué andas buscando?

Gallinita: Unos granitos.Players: ¿Para quién?Gallinita: Para mis pollitos.Players ¿Y nos darás uno?Gallinita: No.Players ¡Pues! ¡piérdelos!

3. One of the players turns la gallinita aroundthree times.

4. La gallinita chases the players.

5. The player that is caught becomes the nextgallinita ciega and the game continues.

La gallinita ciegaTHE BLIND HEN

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The skeleton, esqueleto, is a popular symbol inMexico. The very important holiday known asEl día de los muertos, Day of the Dead, cele-brates death as a part of life. In Mexico, thedead are never forgotten and are believed toreturn from October 31 through November 2each year to be with the living.

Materials• Esqueleto pattern (reproducible)

• Colored oak tag

• Hole puncher

• Paper fasteners

• String

• Skewer sticks

• Pin

• Markers

ActivityMake a dancing skeleton puppet.

1. Trace skeleton shapes from pattern onto colored oak tag.

2. Cut out shapes.

3. Punch holes as shown in pattern.

4. Decorate the skeleton with marker.

5. Put together with paper fasteners. Attachright arm in front and left arm in back.

6. Fasten guitar to the hands.

7. Make a pin hole in the top of each leg and in the top of the left arm.

8. Cross the puppet legs. Thread a piece of string between the two leg holes and tie.Leave length of string dangling.

9. Thread another piece of string through thehole in the top of the left arm and tie on.

10. Make sure legs are still crossed. Put arm in downward position, and tie the dangling piece to the dangling leg thread.

11. Tape stick to back. Hold stick and manipulate string to move parts.

El esqueleto que bailaDANCING SKELETON

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ES Q U E L E T O Q U E B A I L A /PAT T E R N

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

XX

XX

XXX

X

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V I E J I T O /MA S K

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This humorous, folk dance from Michoacán,Mexico begins as a group of dancers costumedin old man masks and traditional clothing, hob-ble onto the dance floor. When the musicbegins, the dancers move slowly. As the musicquickens, they dance more and more energeti-cally, jumping and leaping and twirling around.When the music ends, the old men hunch overagain and hobble slowly off the dance floor.

Materials• Máscara de viejito (reproducible)

• Mariachi music

ActivityThis is a fun dramatic dance to recreate. Invitean audience to cheer on the viejitos.

1. Dress in long white shirts, white pantsand straw hats with colored ribbons.

2. Wear the Máscara de viejitos.

3. Clear the middle of the room, creating alarge enough space for all to dance in.

4. Dancers may form a line at the door and hobble slowly to the middle of the room.

5. Turn on some festive music and let theviejitos dance, leap and twirl.

6. When the music is finished have the dancers slowly form a line and hobble out of the door.

Danza de los viejitosDANCE OF THE OLD MEN

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Paper flowers are a popular craft in Puerto Rico.They are used for decorations on all occasions.

Materials• Assorted colors of tissue paper. 5" x 5" squares

• Pipe cleaners

• Scissors

ActivityUse different colors to make festive flowers.

1. Stack five different colors of tissue papersheets on top of one another.

2. Fold the stack together as you woulda paper fan. Folds should be about 1/2" wide.

3. Fold a pipe cleaner 1-1/2" from the end to form a hook.

4. Hook the pipe cleaner in the middle of the folded stack and twist to create a stem.

5. Carefully open up the folds of the tissuepaper and separate. Form to the shape of aflower.

Flores de papelPAPER FLOWERS

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The Huichol Indians live in the Sierra MadreMountains of Mexico. They are known for theirbrightly colored paintings made with yarn. Eachdesign is unique in that it tells a story abouttheir religious beliefs. Yarn paintings are madeby pressing yarn into beeswax that has beenwarmed by the sun.

Materials• Paper bowl

• Assorted colors of yarn

• Thick white glue

• Pencil

• Sketch paper

ActivityDecorate a bowl with yarn in the traditionalHuichol style.

1. Sketch some simple designs to decorate

around the bowl.

2. Redraw designs onto bowl with pencil.

3. Cover the design with glue.

4. Starting with the outline of the design, wrap

the yarn inside itself in a circular pattern.

Use a pencil point to pat strands down.

5. Continue covering the remainder of the

designs. Cover as much of the bowl as possible.

Vasija adornada de hiloHUICHOL YARN BOWL

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This game is similar to Jacks. It is a popular Mexican counting game.

Materials• 10-20 dried lima beans per player

• Wide shallow bowl

PlayersFour or more

Activity1. Place the bowl on the ground.

2. Draw a throwing line about 5-8 feet away from which beans will be tossed into the bowl.

3. All players begin with an equal number of beans. All the beans are thrown at once.

4. A player then counts the beans that have landed in the bowl and places them on the back of one hand.

5. The player tosses the beans into the air andcatches them in his/her palm. The beanscaught are then counted.

6. When all the players have had a turn, theone who caught the most beans wins.

A traditional Mexican circle game.

PlayersFour or more

Activity1. The group forms a circle. One player is cho-

sen to be el comprador.

2. El comprador approaches a player in the circle and asks:

¿En dónde se venden pan y queso? (Where do they sell bread and cheese?)

3. The player approached, points to another and says:

Allí(Over there)

4. The comprador walks over to the other play-er and asks:

¿En dónde se venden pan y queso?

5. As s/he is doing this, the first player who answered quickly changes places with the player directly opposite him/her.

6. The comprador tries to reach one of the empty places first. If s/he does, the player without a spacebecomes the comprador and the game continues.

Las chivasTHE BEAN GAME

Pan y quesoBREAD AND CHEESE

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