What is Día de los Muertos?
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a vibrant Mexican holiday that honors loved ones who have passed away. It’s celebrated on November 1st each year. Unlike Halloween, it’s not about feeling scared, but about remembrance, joy, and celebrating life. Families create memorials (ofrendas), decorate with marigolds, and share stories, food, and music to welcome the memories of those they miss.
In the classroom, Día de los Muertos offers an opportunity to explore cultural traditions, art, storytelling, and even math—all while fostering creativity.
How to celebrate Día de los Muertos in school
Day of the Dead lesson plan and classroom activities
You don’t need a big budget to bring this celebration to life in your classroom. Here are 6 engaging and educational Day of the Dead classroom activities for students grades K–6. Try them out this year to celebrate.
1. Make paper marigolds
Marigolds, or cempasúchil, are often associated with the Day of the Dead. The vibrant marigold flower can be used to symbolize both the vibrance and fragility of life. They are used to decorate Day of the Dead family memorials, called ofrendas.
To make your own marigolds, you will need tissue paper, scissors, and a pipe cleaner. Stack several pieces of tissue paper, then accordion-fold them along the length of the paper. Fold the stacked strip in half and snip off the corners to form soft, rounded petal tips. Wrap a pipe cleaner around the center to secure the paper stack and create a stem. Gently pull the layers of tissue paper upward, one by one, to fluff out the flower's petals. Students can decorate their desks or the classroom.
2. Decorate calavera masks
One of the most recognizable symbols of Day of the Dead are calaveras. Calaveras are decorative skulls, often featuring flowers and animals. Print free sugar skull templates and let students color them with bright patterns. This is a great way to explore symmetry and design. As an extension activity, you can invite students to create their own calavera drawings that are either symmetrical or asymmetrical. Students can share what made their drawing symmetrical or not.
3. Create a classroom ofrenda
On the Day of the Dead, ofrendas are home-built memorials that serve as a place to showcase memories of deceased loved ones. Ofrendas are decorated with family photos, favorite foods, and other items that honor and celebrate those who have passed away.
Put a spin on this by creating a class ofrenda to a fictional character or a historical figure your are studying. Invite students to contribute drawings, poems, or symbolic items to a shared memorial.
4. Write remembrance poems
Haiku is a short poetic form that originated in Japan. Traditionally, it often focuses on one or two images that capture a mood or moment in a season, but it can cover any topic. Learn more about the form, and then create your own haiku.
Use haiku formats to help students reflect on someone they admire or miss. Display the poems around your classroom.
5. Explore traditional music
Music is an important part of the Día de los Muertos celebration. During the holiday, people listen to music that their loved ones once enjoyed. Some of the music often played includes traditional Mexican songs like “La Llorona” or “Cielito Lindo.”
Discuss the instruments and rhythms. Then ask students to reflect on what emotions come through in the sounds of the song. Is the song joyful, sad, melancholic, etc. Why do you think that?
6. Share family traditions
Invite students to share in a presentation or essay on a Fall family tradition, like how their families remember loved ones or how they celebrate a holiday. This can build empathy and connection among students. You can start by giving students helpful prompts like, what is an important tradition in your family? How do you celebrate this that might be different than your classmates? Or similar?
Enjoy a day where every student can share their traditions with the class. They can bring in pictures of their family doing the tradition. You can join in, too, as the teacher and share out your own tradition.
Día de los Muertos is a celebration of life, memory, and connection. These Day of the Dead lesson ideas help students learn about the holiday in a respectful, engaging way all while building skills across subjects.
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