I celebrate with my students at the end of each quarter. I usually try to find ways to make the celebrations incorporate Spanish language in an unexpected way. In past posts have discussed Tom and Jerry cartoons and using them as a celebration. At the end of my Mexican cultural unit, I decided to let the students celebrate with piñatas. You can buy them online or at any party store or Latin grocery store. I try not to fill with candy but rather party favors which you can buy in bulk.
Students in my classroom sit according to teams. Students work to earn points for their team during class. Once the teams gain 100 points (usually by the end of the quarter) I celebrate with the class. The team that gets the most points gets something special. This time I decided to let the winning team be the team that hits the piñata first. If it was not broken by then, then other teams got to try. Everyone at the end gets a prize.
I showed a PowerPoint presentation that clearly stated everything that was going to happen. I highly suggest spending a good 15 minutes preparing your students for what your expectations are for the celebration. Otherwise, it could get chaotic. If you would like to use the presentation I created, click here.
I taught my students the chorus of the following song. You could easily just play the song as the children are playing. I found that the students were most engaged if they knew the words.
Here is my class playing the game:
It would be a great addition to the celebration for kids to have broken piñatas they made themselves. I teach too many students (150 a day) to have space for the piñatas to dry. If you would like a thorough guide to make your own pinatas check out this instructor guide. Also check out this video:
I showed a PowerPoint presentation that clearly stated everything that was going to happen. I highly suggest spending a good 15 minutes preparing your students for what your expectations are for the celebration. Otherwise, it could get chaotic. If you would like to use the presentation I created, click here.
I taught my students the chorus of the following song. You could easily just play the song as the children are playing. I found that the students were most engaged if they knew the words.
Here is my class playing the game:
It would be a great addition to the celebration for kids to have broken piñatas they made themselves. I teach too many students (150 a day) to have space for the piñatas to dry. If you would like a thorough guide to make your own pinatas check out this instructor guide. Also check out this video: