Let's Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is a national holiday in Mexico, and we love to celebrate it as well in the United States. The holiday remembers the 1862  Mexican military victory over Napoleon III's French forces at the Battle of Puebla. Your children do not have to grasp all the history to have fun though. Here are some ways to commemorate the day at your house.

MAKE QUESADILLAS
Ingredients:
4  8" flour tortillas
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese (You can use 2 cups of whatever melting cheese your children like.)
1 cup cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. butter cut into 4 equal pieces
Optional toppings: Salsa, avocado or guacamole, sour cream

Place the tortillas on a cutting board. Scatter ¼ of each kind of cheese over one half of each tortilla. Fold the uncovered half over the tortilla half that has the cheese. Press gently to form a quesadilla.

Melt ¼ of the butter in a frying pan and add 1 filled tortilla to the pan. When the underside of the tortilla is golden brown, use a spatula to flip the quesadilla over. Continue to cook, pressing gently. After about 2 minutes, the cheese should be melted and the underside golden brown.

Using the spatula again, remove the quesadilla and put on the cutting board. Cut into 4 wedges with a knife, or my favorite - a pizza cutter. Repeat the process until all 4 quesadillas have been cooked and cut.

Serve with toppings you love!

MAKE TAMBOURINES
You will need:
2 paper plates
markers, crayons or paint, glitter, jewels, stickers, etc.
dried beans
streamers, ribbons, pipe cleaners
hole punch

Place the 2 plates together, bottom sides out. Punch about 5-6 holes through both plates.

Have your child decorate the raised side of the paper plates. If you have streamers available, they may be glued on the inside of a plate. This decorating can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. If your child is old enough to understand, you could use only the colors of the Mexican flag, red, green and white to decorate. If using paint, let dry.

Fill one plate with some beans. Place the other plate on top, bottom up, lining up holes. Tie securely with ribbon or pipe cleaners.
                                                 
Shake away!

MEXICAN SOMBREROS
You will need:
paper plate
paper cup
paint, crayons, jewels, stickers
pom poms
glue

Have your child decorate the right side up side of the paper plate.
Glue pom moms around edge.
Glue cup into center of plate.

                                                

And there you have a simple sombrero for decoration or to dance the Mexican Hat Dance around!

Learn the Mexican Hat Dance

And here is a link from Señora Cobb, our Spanish teacher, for some more ideas to help celebrate the day:  5 fun ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.