In many classrooms, at least one child already knows a great deal about Día de los Muertos. Maybe their family sets up an ofrenda every year with a grandmother's photo, a bowl of her favorite fruit and a jar of bright orange marigolds. Maybe they have helped cut papel picado or tasted pan de muerto still warm from a panadería. When you teach this celebration, you are not introducing something foreign to that child. You are bringing their family's tradition into the room, and the way you do it matters.
This guide offers a five-day plan for teaching Día de los Muertos in PreK, kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade. It is built for bilingual and dual-language classrooms but works just as well in English-only rooms with English learners or students who are curious about the world. Each day has a focus, sample teacher language, and notes on how to adjust for younger and older students. Before the plan, there is a short section on getting the tone right, because that is the part teachers most often ask about.
Before You Begin: Getting the Tone Right
Día de los Muertos is a celebration of remembrance, celebrated most widely in Mexico and by many families in the United States and other countries. Families honor loved ones who have died by remembering them with love, sharing their favorite foods, telling stories about them and decorating with flowers, candles and photographs. The mood is warm and often joyful.
A few principles help you teach it well with young children.
It is not a version of Halloween. The two holidays fall close together on the calendar and both include skulls in their imagery, which is why children (and adults) mix them up. But Día de los Muertos is not about being scared, wearing costumes to frighten anyone or ghosts that haunt. It is about memory, family and love. Comparing the two directly, as you will on Day 4, actually helps clear up the confusion.
Focus on symbols and meaning, not on death itself. Young children can understand that families remember people they love who are no longer alive. You do not need to go further than that. Keep the focus on what families do and why: the flowers, the photos, the food, the colors.
Families are the experts. Traditions vary from region to region and family to family. Avoid presenting one version as the only correct way. Phrases like "Many families..." and "Some people..." keep the door open for children to share how their own families celebrate, or that they do not celebrate at all.
Treat it as learning, not costume. Crafts are a wonderful way for children to engage, but frame them as learning about a symbol rather than "dressing up." A sugar skull activity is a chance to talk about why calaveras are decorated so brightly, not a spooky decoration.
Let children share, but never require it. Some children will be eager to tell you about their family's ofrenda. Others may be grieving a recent loss. Invite sharing; never call on a child to talk about a family member who has died.
A note about grief. Even a gentle lesson about remembering loved ones may bring up feelings for a child who has recently lost someone, including a pet. Let families know ahead of time what you are teaching, keep the counselor in the loop if you know of a recent loss, and give children a quiet way to step back if they need it.
Vocabulary to Teach This Week
Eight words carry most of the week. Teach them in both languages if you are in a bilingual setting, and keep picture cards on display all week so children can point and name.
- ofrenda – a special table families set up to honor and remember loved ones
- marigold / cempasúchil – the bright orange flower used to decorate
- sugar skull / calavera de azúcar – a skull made of sugar and decorated with bright colors
- pan de muerto – a sweet bread made for the celebration
- papel picado – colorful paper with cut-out designs, hung as decoration
- candle / vela – lit to help remember loved ones
- photo / foto – a picture of the loved one being remembered
- monarch butterfly / mariposa monarca – a butterfly that arrives in parts of Mexico in the fall
Introduce no more than two or three new words per day for PreK and kindergarten. First and second graders can handle all eight by midweek, especially if they see them in their reading.
The Día de los Muertos Bilingual Mini Books includes eight bilingual vocabulary cards with exactly these words, so you can use them as a display, a pocket chart set or a quick matching game.
Day 1: What Is Día de los Muertos?
Focus: Building background and first vocabulary.
Start with a question rather than an explanation: "Has anyone heard of Día de los Muertos?" Give children a minute to share. In a dual-language room, invite them to share in whichever language they are most comfortable with. Write or sketch what they say on a chart. This tells you who has background knowledge and gives those children a chance to be experts.
Then offer a simple framing. Sample teacher language:
"Día de los Muertos means Day of the Dead. It's a time when many families remember people they love who have died. They don't feel scared. They remember happy things about them, like their favorite foods and songs. They decorate with bright flowers and put up pictures. It's a celebration of love and memory."
Introduce three vocabulary words: ofrenda, marigold / cempasúchil and photo / foto. Show the cards. Ask children to say each word with you, then point to the picture when you say it.
Reading: Read the Level 1 mini book aloud, in English, Spanish or both. Do not stop to quiz; just enjoy it and let children notice the pictures.
Adjusting for age: PreK children may just need the idea that families remember people they love. Second graders can begin to ask questions, which you can record on a "We Wonder" chart to revisit later.
Day 2: Symbols and What They Mean
Focus: Vocabulary and meaning.
Review Monday's words, then add papel picado, candle / vela and pan de muerto. For each symbol, talk about why families use it, in simple terms:
- Marigolds are bright and have a strong smell. Many families use them to decorate the ofrenda.
- Candles are lit as a way of remembering.
- Photos show who is being remembered.
- Pan de muerto is a special bread families share.
- Papel picado adds color and celebration.
Reading: This is the day to move into leveled reading. Hand out the mini books at each child's level. In many K–2 rooms, you will have emerging readers who need the simpler text and more fluent readers who are ready for longer sentences. With books at two levels in each language, children can learn the same content and talk about it together even though they are reading different pages.
Have children reread with a partner, then complete the "My Favorite Part" page by drawing and labeling one thing they liked.
Sample teacher language for partner reading: "Read your book to your partner. When you finish, tell your partner one symbol you learned about. Use the name of the symbol."
Day 3: Reading for Understanding
Focus: Comprehension and recall.
Today children show what they understood from their mini books. Match the comprehension task to the reader.
- Emerging readers answer by circling a picture. This keeps the focus on understanding, not on writing.
- Developing readers write short answers, using the vocabulary cards for spelling support.
- All readers can try a "3 Facts I Learned" page, where they write or draw three things they now know about Día de los Muertos.
The Día de los Muertos Bilingual Mini Books matches comprehension pages to each book: Circle the Picture and Encierra el Dibujo for Level 1 readers, and Write the Answer and Escribe la Respuesta for Level 2 readers, plus a 3 Facts I Learned page for everyone.
For dual-language classrooms: Consider having children read and respond in their partner language today. A child who read in Spanish on Tuesday might read the English version today, with the familiar content making the second language more accessible.
Monarchs and mariposas: Add the last vocabulary word, monarch butterfly / mariposa monarca. Children are often fascinated to learn that monarch butterflies arrive in parts of Mexico in the fall, around the same time as the celebration. This is a natural bridge to science if you want one, but keep the focus on what children read rather than on claims that go beyond it.
Day 4: Día de los Muertos and Halloween
Focus: Compare and contrast.
This is the day that does the most to clear up the confusion between the two holidays. Draw a large Venn diagram on chart paper. Label one circle "Día de los Muertos" and the other "Halloween."
Ask questions that lead children to the differences:
- "What do people do on Halloween?" (Wear costumes, trick-or-treat, carve pumpkins.)
- "What do families do on Día de los Muertos?" (Make ofrendas, remember loved ones, decorate with marigolds and photos.)
- "Is there anything that's the same?" (Both are in the fall. Both can have skulls in the decorations. Both can include special foods or treats.)
Be careful with the skull overlap. Sample teacher language:
"Both holidays have skulls in some of the decorations. But on Halloween, skeletons are often meant to be spooky. The sugar skulls for Día de los Muertos are bright and happy. They're decorated with flowers and colors to remember someone with love."
After the class chart, children complete their own Venn diagrams. Kindergarten and PreK students can draw or glue pictures into the circles; 1st and 2nd graders can write words or short phrases.
A word of caution: Keep the comparison neutral. Neither holiday is better. They are different celebrations with different purposes, and many children celebrate both.
Day 5: Create and Share
Focus: Hands-on response and reflection.
End the week with creative work that shows what children learned. Choose one or two activities depending on your time.
Design an ofrenda
Children draw their own ofrenda and label what they put on it. Encourage them to include the symbols from the week: marigolds, candles, photos, pan de muerto, papel picado. Let them decide who or what to honor. Many young children choose a pet, a favorite memory or simply "my family." That is perfectly appropriate. Do not ask children to honor a specific person who has died unless they choose to.
Papel picado
Folding and cutting paper to make simple designs is a satisfying fine motor task. Show children how to fold a paper several times and cut small shapes along the folds. Unfold to reveal the pattern. String them together as a classroom banner.
Sugar skull symmetry
Children decorate one half of a calavera, then try to make the other half match. This is a natural connection to the idea of symmetry in math, and it keeps the focus on the bright, joyful decoration of calaveras.
Word search
A bilingual word search (or sopa de letras) is a quiet, independent way for early finishers to review vocabulary.
The Día de los Muertos Bilingual Mini Books includes all of these hands-on pages: Design Your Own Ofrenda, a papel picado craft, a sugar skull symmetry activity and a bilingual word search / sopa de letras, alongside a 5-day study plan and teacher notes for respectful cultural instruction.
Closing circle: Gather everyone and let a few children share what they made. Ask, "What is one thing you learned about Día de los Muertos this week?" Return to the "We Wonder" chart from Monday and see which questions you answered.
Differentiation for a Mixed Group
Very young learners (PreK and early kindergarten)
Keep sessions short, around 10 to 15 minutes of whole-group time. Lean heavily on pictures, songs and movement. Use the simplest book and picture-based comprehension. Focus on four or five key words rather than all eight.
English learners
Bilingual vocabulary cards are a powerful support. Let children hear and say each word in both languages. Pair a newcomer with a buddy who shares their home language when possible. Accept pointing, drawing and single-word answers as full participation.
Spanish-dominant students in English-led classrooms
This is a unit where Spanish-speaking children can lead. Ask them to read the Spanish version aloud to the class or teach a word. Being the expert can build confidence and belonging.
Students ready for more
Older or more fluent readers can read both levels in one language, read in their second language, or write a short paragraph explaining the difference between Día de los Muertos and Halloween. They can also write a label card for each item on their ofrenda.
Students with fine motor challenges
Pre-fold paper for papel picado, offer wider strips to cut, and allow children to color instead of cut if needed. The learning is in the symbol, not in perfect cutting.
Classroom Logistics That Make the Week Smooth
- Prep books ahead. Copy and staple mini books before Monday. Sort them by level and language in labeled folders.
- Keep the vocabulary visible. A pocket chart or wall display of the eight words lets children refer back all week.
- Plan craft time carefully. Papel picado involves a lot of small paper scraps. Have a scrap bin at each table and build cleanup into the schedule.
- Use real objects thoughtfully. If a family offers to share marigolds, a photo of their ofrenda or pan de muerto, welcome it, but never ask a family to bring personal items.
- Avoid real flames. Use paper or battery candles for any classroom display.
Partnering with Families
Send a short note home at the start of the week explaining what children will learn and why. Something like:
"This week we are learning about Día de los Muertos, a celebration when many families remember loved ones with flowers, food, photos and stories. Our focus is on the traditions and symbols and their meaning. If your family celebrates and would like to share, we would love to hear from you. If your child has experienced a recent loss and you would like us to know, please reach out."
Invite families to share in whatever way is comfortable: a photo, a story told to the class, a short note or simply talking with their child at home. At home, families can read the mini book together in either language, talk about someone in the family they love to remember, or look for the vocabulary words in books or around the neighborhood.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it appropriate to teach Día de los Muertos to preschoolers?
Yes, when the focus stays on family, remembering and the meaning of the symbols. Young children can understand that families remember people they love. Keep explanations simple, avoid graphic detail, and let families know what you are teaching.
How do I explain death to young children during this unit?
You do not need to go into detail. A simple line like "Families remember people they love who have died" is enough for most young children. If a child asks deeper questions, answer honestly and briefly, and let families know so they can continue the conversation in their own way.
What if a child in my class does not celebrate?
That is perfectly fine. Present the unit as learning about a celebration many families observe, just as you would teach about other cultural traditions. Children do not need to celebrate to learn about it respectfully.
How is Día de los Muertos different from Halloween?
Halloween is often about costumes, candy and playful spookiness. Día de los Muertos is a celebration of remembrance, focused on honoring loved ones with ofrendas, flowers, photos and food. A Venn diagram is one of the clearest ways to help young children see the difference.
Should I teach it in English or Spanish?
Both work. In dual-language classrooms, you might read in Spanish one day and English the next, or let children choose. In English-led classrooms, teaching the Spanish vocabulary alongside the English helps children learn the real names of the symbols and honors the language of the tradition.
When is the best time to teach this unit?
Late October into the first days of November works well, since that is when the celebration takes place. It also fits into fall cultural studies and Hispanic Heritage learning.
A Week Worth Teaching
Five days is enough for young children to learn the key symbols of Día de los Muertos, read about them at their own level, see clearly how the celebration differs from Halloween and create something meaningful of their own. Most of all, it is a week where some children see their family's traditions honored at school, and others learn that families around the world remember the people they love in beautiful ways.
