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Tuesday, April 28, 2020

10 Ways to Celebrate Día at Home


This coming Thursday, we'll be celebrating Día de los Niños/Dia de los Libros, otherwise known as Día. In our house, this involves reading lots of books and loving my children.

Normally, this holiday is celebrated all over the country by libraries who host events. Obviously, that's more difficult this year. But many libraries will be holding virtual events. Take a look at the official Día website to find online events.

Children's Day/Book Day is a holiday finds its roots in the 1925 "World Conference for the Well-being of Children" held in Geneva, Switzerland. Countries all over the world, like Japan, Turkey, and India, have adopted their own versions of Children's Day. But the holiday didn't blossom here in America until 1996, when author Pat Mora became inspired by the Mexican holiday, Día de los niños, and thought to combine the holiday with literacy for children. A year later, Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros was born in the United States and Mora soon found support from across the country.

This holiday was created for the honoring of our children, who represent the hopes and dreams of every family and community. They are our future. And the path that our history will take, depends upon their choices and actions. It advocates literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds, as essential to their mental development and well-being.


  • Throw a virtual Día book party! This year, instead of inviting friends over to talk about favorite books or have a book swap party, why not take it online? Invite your good friends to zoom with you and share their favorite books. Play games online and offer books, book-related gear, or gift cards (to be mailed or sent via email) as prizes.
  • Start a virtual book club. During your first meeting, decide which books you'll read as a group over the summer. Everyone can recommend one or more titles and there can either be a vote or just write them down on your list. Then take turns reading books over 1 - 2 week periods.
  • Do good in your community. This might be paying off library fines for people at your local school or library, or setting up a free little library in your neighborhood, or buying books and donating them to local family shelters, libraries, classrooms/teachers, or foster care centers. 
  • Make your own book! Better yet, make it bilingual! We have a simple tutorial schedule to go up tomorrow here on MommyMaestra. So check back.
  • Make a book cake! What? You read that right. Bake a cake and decorate it to look like a (favorite?) book. Check on this search on Pinterest for some inspiration. But let your kids use their own creativity to decorate it.
  • Read poetry out loud. You can either take your favorite book of poems or write your own. Then Facetime with family and friends and read aloud your poems.
  • Read Book Fiesta! (aff link) written by Pat Mora and illustrated by Rafael López.
  • Download a Día "Tool Kit." There are quite a few of these tool kits now available online. Here's the official one from the American Library Association. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page. But all you have to do is Google "Día tool kit" and you'll be able to take your pick!
  • Learn the official Día song!
  • Download my Día de los Niños Activity Pack! Enjoy this packet of 7 reading activities to celebrate Día with your kids. Includes activities for individual children and families with more than one child at home.