Hispanic Heritage Month –

To kick-off this celebration that runs from September 15 through October 15, here are some awesome activities for Hispanic Heritage Month for communities, schools and families!

Grow a Heritage Garden
Grow a heritage garden common to a lot of Spanish-speaking countries. Some of the staple crops can include peppers, squash, corn and beans.

Start a Memory Forest
Start a memory forest by planting a tree for various Hispanic heroes, like Cesar Chavez and Frida Kahlo, and put a mini-biography placard at the bottom illuminating the hero’s contributions.

Teach the Alphabet or Names in a New Language
Teach kids the Mayan alphabet. An interesting project may be to guide them to write out their name in Mayan glyphs.

Make a Hispanic-Inspired Drink
Make a yummy Hispanic-inspired drink like the “Aqua Frescas”, courtesy of the Food Network. Along with bringing Hispanic Heritage Month alive, it’s a really refreshing substitute to that sometimes difficult requirement of drinking six or seven glasses of water a day!

To make it, simply blend 5 cups of chopped fruit, such as mango, watermelon, honeydew, pineapple or strawberries, with 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1/4 cup sugar and 3 cups water. Serve over ice.

Share a Culturally Rich Book
Bring a book, like A New Sun, into the home or classroom. This story is about what it’s like for an immigrant child coming into a new country. It not only helps educate kids who may not be Hispanic or from an immigrant family, but it’s also written in English and Spanish so they can learn some Spanish words too! You can find a variety of bilingual and multicultural books at Lectura Books.

While Hispanic Heritage Month is a special time of year, The Latino Family Literacy Project celebrates Hispanic families all year long by offering an array of literacy programs to schools throughout the country. One of its primary reading programs offered in many schools, for instance, is about educating parents on the benefits of establishing a regular at-home reading routine. Teachers can attend an online webinar for complete program training, and it’s free with purchase of the program books and materials!