During the end of October each year, Día de los Muertos the ancient Mexican traditions honors ancestors and loved ones who have passed. The preparation of sugar skulls, delicious food, flowers, art, and shrines are made for the festivities of singing, dancing, and reminiscing. We read the books Día de los Muertos (Celebrate the World) and The Day of the Dead: A Bilingual Celebration to honor the culture and establish an inclusive environment within our center. Continuously reading stories that honor cultures establishes an inclusive environment where every child feels seen, heard, and celebrated. The more we learn about all cultures in classrooms or our homes, the more knowledge, respect, and understanding we provide for everyone within our communities.
Preparing an ofrenda, or altar, to honor deceased relatives plays a central role in the celebration of Día de los Muertos. Altars or shrines can be built in homes or in the community and typically include photos, mementos, candles, marigolds and favorite foods and beverages of the departed. Calavera de Azucar/Sugar Skulls traditionally are created as ornamental gifts for children and family members during Día de los Muertos. These brightly colored skulls represent the departed souls in the circle of life.
We created sugar skulls for the children to paint by drawing skulls on Discount School Supply cardboard paper with permanent markers. Placed Elmers Glue on the drawings and sprinkled epsom salt all over to look just like the sugar skulls you would see in the altars. Let it dry overnight. The next day we provided Colorations liquid watercolors in our paint trays + pipettes and invited the children to paint the epsom with twisty droppers or pipettes. After drying they turned into brightly colored beautiful Día de los Muertos Skulls.
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