Preview draft. Activities have not been tested with caregivers.
Celebrations · The activity desk
Día de Muertos paper marigold
Make a paper marigold and learn how some families remember loved ones.
Let's play →
A little plan for play
Open interactive activity →Add to play journal →What you need
Three large sheets of orange or yellow tissue paper and a short strip of paper tape
Age: 3–5 years; choose for the individual child.
Stay with the child throughout. Check the space and supplies, including anything within reach of younger siblings. Skip any activity that is unsuitable. Stop if a child puts non-food material in their mouth or becomes distressed. Use intact books, full sheets of paper, a large child-appropriate crayon and a clean, dry towel. Follow product labels; remove torn paper and keep broken crayons and caps away from children. Adult handles and stores supplies.
Set up: Stack the tissue sheets on a clear table. An adult prepares the tape.
Adult's role: Explain that marigolds, called cempasúchil, are used by some families for Día de Muertos to remember people who have died. Let your child decide whether to share a memory.
Let's make it happen
- Fold the stacked sheets back and forth like a fan, keeping all the layers together.
- An adult wraps the tape around the middle of the folded fan. Spread the ends apart.
- Gently lift each tissue layer toward the middle to make a flower. Place it on a table or beside a picture if your family wishes.
Make it simpler: Draw a marigold with many petals instead of folding tissue.
Clean up: Collect loose tissue and tape and put the flower somewhere safe.
Stay with your child. Keep tissue and tape away from mouths, younger children and flames.