No-Prep, Print-and-Go Las Posadas Activities

Sunday night marked the beginning of Las Posadas. The nine-day celebration is a re-enactment of the night that Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem and asked for shelter. These evening celebrations begin each year on December 16th and end on Christmas Eve.

If you are looking for a quick, no-prep, print-and-go activity to teach your child about this holiday celebration, then check out my Las Posadas collection! It has printables for a variety of ages and they are ALL available in both English and Spanish.

Here's a peek at what you'll find:

Las Posadas Book of Words

for preschool and early elementary grades

Las Posadas Minibook

for early elementary

Las Posadas Board Game

for elementary

Las Posadas Coloring Book

elementary grades

Las Posadas 1-Page Reading Passage

for 4th - 8th grade (and higher!)

Lupita at Target

Oh. My. Goodness. I saw this doll in Target on Wednesday and I was moved to tears. La Virgen de Guadalupe is such a strong image in my childhood memories. My Buelita always had candles lit that featured her image, as well as a framed photo that hung in her bedroom. I remember that every year, the same Buelita would hang a calendar with Guadalupe in her kitchen. My Nanita also had a charm on her bracelet featuring our Lady. (Please excuse the shaky image - I was holding a squirmy baby at the time.)

But it is my mom who springs to my mind. She constantly referred to Guadalupe and had images of her stashed everywhere - in her purse, at home, various jewelry, etc. In case you don't know, December 12th was Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe Day). And that is the significance for me. I found her on her day and am reminded of my mom who passed away earlier this year.

This post contains affiliate links. 

So I could only imagine how popular this doll would be with MommyMaestra readers. Target is carrying the Lupita doll and book set both in their stores (this one I saw with the Elf on the Shelf (¡Qué horror!) display) and online. If you order online, you can have her shipped directly to your house or free to the store. Plus, it was on sale!

The 35-page bilingual, hardcover book has beautiful illustrations. It accompanies the plush Lupita doll who is a partner in kind in encouraging children to do good deeds throughout the Christmas holiday season leading to the Three Kings Day.💖

If you desperately want one, I would recommend going online to see if it is available in a Target store near you, or just order it and have it shipped to your home or local store. All the affiliate links in this post will take you directly to the product pages on Target.

But wait! The awesomeness doesn't end there! While searching for her, I found that there is also a Lupita Advent Calendar! Who cares if December has already started? Anyway, it runs from December 1st through JANUARY 6TH!! (Día de los Reyes, my friends.) It includes a full Nativity set for your child to put together. I LOVE nacimientos.

And, yes, there's more.

They are also selling an estrellita tree topper, a rosca de reyes baking mix, and a Lupita ornament. I couldn't find the ornament online, so I guess I'm going to pay a visit to all the Targets in my area and see if any are left. :)

Anyway, I thought I would share because it was such a delightful surprise to me and so I figure it might be to you, too, if you don't already know about it. 

Happy holidays, Amigos!

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Juan Diego & Our Lady of Guadalupe Reading Passage
  
  
• Día de los Reyes Lesson Plans, Books, Activities

Spanish-Language Magazines for Kids

As time goes on, the number of Spanish magazines for children fluctuates. Some of my favorites have been discontinued😭, while new ones have emerged😃. I really am sad that Iguana magazine is no longer in production. If you're looking for a gift to give your children that will last the whole year long, here are a few Spanish-language or bilingual magazines currently on the market.

The following links are affiliate links.

High Five Bilingüe™ Magazine

Created for kids ages 2 - 6 years old, this 36-page magazine has 14 pages of stories, puzzles and activities entirely in Spanish, the same ones in English, and a few bilingual pages.

Muy Interesante Junior Mexico (Update: No longer available.)

Kindle version only. I'm going to take a guess here that the magazine is geared for kids up to 12 or 14 years old. According to Amazon, this magazine is created for kids who want to learn something different about the world every day in a fun way. It includes excellent information about science, technology, nature, history, art, space exploration, the human body, traditions and customs, and much more. The information is presented in a simple and entertaining format. It supports literacy habits and critical thinking in children.  

Scholastic Spanish Classroom Magazines

These magazines are not geared toward specific grade levels, so much as language proficiency. You pick the level you are interested in and subscribe!

Other Posts You May Find Helpful...

• Ask en español & Alternatives
• Resources for Parents of Children Learning to Read in Spanish
• Reading in Spanish Program: Nacho Books
• El Gran Nacho: A Spanish Literacy Workbook
• First Readers in Spanish

Children's Apron and Bilingual Book Set from MommyMaestra

Christmastime always brings back memories of my childhood. Las Posadas, drinking champurrado, and making tamales are the first things that spring into my mind.

When I was little, I would always help my Buelita make tamales. She made dozens upon dozens to sell, to give away, and to store in the freezer for us. The other day, I asked on the MommyMaestra Facebook page if anyone was going to be participating in a tamalada and if so, would the kids help? It was pretty popular. I enjoyed reading the comments.

Cooking is such a fun activity for kids during the holidays. We've always made the traditional sugar & gingerbread cookies, as well as hot chocolate. But my Buelita has long passed away and my kids have never made tamales. Now that we are back in Texas, I hope I can find somewhere to take them to learn!

He's not making tamales. In this picture, I think he was making miniature pan de muerto!

And then, as if the universe were on the same wavelength, I stumbled upon these children's aprons that my mom and I designed a few years ago for a company we used to run. They were sold as a set with the book, Growing Up with Tamales (aff link) by Gwendolyn Zepeda. My kids already have their own set of aprons (which they've outgrown, but we have as keepsakes), so I thought, "Why not offer them to MommyMaestra readers?"

So if you are interested, then take a look at my online shop. I only have two aprons for boys and eight aprons for girls. Both are available in different colors. I have six copies of the book, too. If you are interested in buying the set or the items individually, you'll find them here. But be sure to order them by the 17th if you want them in time for Christmas. :)

Free Pearl Harbor Worksheets for Kids on WooJr.com

It's been 77 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor. Most children (and some adults!) have no idea what Pearl Harbor is or why it is significant. For those of you looking for an impromptu lesson on this historical day with print-and-go worksheets, check out this post that I wrote for WooJr.com.

I was inspired in part by this article that ran two years ago on NBC Latino and the fact that Ray Chavez, the oldest military survivor of Pearl Harbor died last month at the age of 106.

RIP, Ray.

Free Download: Christmas Describing with Colors in Spanish

Just in time for Christmas, MommyMaestra sponsor Spanish for You! has created a new free Spanish download that helps your young Spanish learner learn their Christmas vocabulary. This mini lesson focuses on colors and descriptions so your student will not just increase their vocabulary but learn word placement, too. Adjectives are arranged differently in Spanish, so this is great practice!

Today's five-page download includes an audio file to help your young student learn the proper pronunciation, which is a blessing to homeschool parents who don't know Spanish themselves.

Click here to download this file

Remember! Spanish for You!'s program is geared for middle schoolers and is the perfect choice for homeschoolers and afterschoolers alike because their concepts are carefully divided up into manageable bundles that are available for immediate download from their website.

If this is your first time here, you can find other free samples from Spanish for You! here. There are some fantastic downloads of games and activities for you and your family to enjoy. If you enjoy this activity, be sure to visit the Spanish for You! website where you'll find tons of additional resources for you to help your young Spanish learner!