This month at Art for Kids, we invited our young artists to take a colorful trip to Mexico and learn about one of its most fascinating traditions — the Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos. Instead of focusing on spooky Halloween themes, we explored how Mexican families celebrate life, love, and memory through art, color, and creativity.

The main symbol of this celebration is the Calavera mask, a bright, beautifully decorated skull that represents joy and remembrance. Before starting our art project, we talked with the kids about what these masks mean, where the tradition comes from, and how it shows that remembering someone can be something warm and full of life — not sad or scary.

We looked at pictures of traditional masks, noticed the use of flowers, hearts, dots, and bold colors, and talked about how each design tells a story. The children were surprised to see how something shaped like a skull could look so happy and full of color.

Then it was time to create. Each child received a plain white mask and a wide choice of paints, brushes, glitter, stickers, and gems. The room quickly filled with energy and focus as everyone started transforming their masks into something personal.

Some painted with tiny, careful strokes, others went bold with big flowers and swirling patterns. Many added small details like golden dots or colored stones around the eyes. 

 

We used this creative moment to talk about art as storytelling — how colors and patterns can express emotions, and how even small choices make each piece unique. Kids learned about symmetry, balance, and color combinations without even realizing they were learning — it all came naturally through their hands and imagination.