What to watch: Coco
Where to find it: Disney+
Run time: 1hr 45min
Best for ages: 5 and up
Rating: PG
Why We Recommend Coco
Coco is one of my favorite Disney movies. We first saw it in theaters when Logan was just over 2 years old. He was able to sit through the whole movie, but there were parts that scared him at that age. My son has always been pretty tough when it comes to "scary" moments in shows and movies, but if you have a little one who is a bit more sensitive I highly recommend staying in the room with them (especially if this is their first time watching Coco). I also want to warn you that this movie contains references to murder. While that has been a bit above my son's head, your little ones might ask questions.
Logan loves Coco for the bright colors, amazing music, and especially, because he is my son and loves spooky things, the skeletons! The main reason I love Coco so much is that it helps me explain to Logan a bit of his Mexican heritage. It also allows us to talk about our own ancestors who have passed on and how we can keep their memory alive with Dia de los Muertos altars. Even if your family is not of Mexican descent, it is still valuable to teach your child about different cultures and traditions that are held around the world.
Here is a link to read with your children to learn more about Dia de los Muertos altars as you join together to make your own!
Dia de los Muertos Crafts and Altar
I had a few different activities planned to create with Logan similar to the traditional ones seen in Coco. You can choose to do all of the crafts or just some. We decided to do all because we really wanted to deck out our altar.
Estimated activity time:
"Stained Glass" Flowers - 30 minutes
Flags - 5 minutes per flag
Tissue Paper Marigolds - 15 minutes per flower
Sugar Skull Coloring Pages - 15 minutes per skull
Ancestor Pictures - varies
Download our free Dia de los Muertos printable to make your "stained glass" flowers and sugar skulls:
"Stained Glass" Flowers
Materials needed:
Tissue paper
Scissors
Glue
Ruler
Pencil
Paint brush
Lid or cup to hold the glue
There are two different types of "stained glass" flowers you can create depending on how much time you have and your child's fine motor skill development: flat or fluffy. For both activities, you will want to cut 2 x 2-inch squares out of tissue paper.
Flat "Stained Glass" Flowers
Step 1: For the flat flowers you will begin by painting glue on the chosen flower print out.
Step 2: Lay a tissue paper square on top of the glue and then paint glue on top of the tissue paper. Continue this until the whole flower is covered. It is ok that the tissue paper goes outside the lines, because...
Step 3: Once the glue has dried, you will cut the flower out. (You can continue with other Dia de los Muertos crafts while these dry.)
Fluffy "Stained Glass" Flowers
Step 1: Using the same supplies you needed for the previous craft, you will begin by wrapping the square tissue around the eraser end of the pencil and dip it in glue.
Step 2: Next you will push the glue part of the tissue onto the flower print out. Continue until the flower is filled. You can let your little one be creative and fill it how they like or, if you want to practice colors, you can write a different color in each petal and have your child place the corresponding tissue pieces.
Step 3: Continue with other Dia de los Muertos crafts while these dry, then come back and cut them out.
Dia de los Muertos Flags
Materials needed:
Tissue paper (9 Xx11)
Scissors
Marker
Step 1: Cut out tissue paper rectangles, I did 9 x 11in, however, you can do bigger if you'd like.
Step 2: Fold the tissue in half vertically and then fold in half again horizontally.
Step 3: For younger kids, draw lines for them to follow as they cut (you may need to help them hold the tissue paper while cutting as I did with Logan). For older kids, let them cut out their own designs. Be sure not to cut off the folded edges completely, this will cause the flag to fall apart. (If your kids have ever cut out paper snowflakes you can tell them this is the same process.)
Discussion starters:
Why would we use bright colors and flags to decorate? Lead a discussion about how we are using them to help celebrate the lives and memories of those relatives who have passed away. Share with them that in Mexico, during Dia de los Meurtos, these flags line the streets and adorn store windows.
What happens to the shapes when we open the flag? Why do you think that happens?
Tissue Marigolds
Materials needed:
Tissue paper (9 x 11)
Ruler (to measure out paper)
Scissors
Pipe cleaners
Step 1: Pick 4 pieces of tissue paper. They can all be the same color or different colors. Even though marigolds are traditionally orange or yellow, we picked an assortment of bright colors to show the different layers.
Step 2: Layer them on top of one another. You will then start to fold down about an inch, going back and forth like a fan or an accordion.
Step 3: Cut the ends of both sides in a zig-zag.
Step 4: Bunch together in the middle and wrap the end of the pipe cleaner to the middle.
Step 5: Pull apart the tissue papers from one another and fluff towards the middle to make a fluffy marigold look.
Sugar Skull Coloring Pages
Materials needed:
Printouts of sugar skulls (the download link is above)
Scissors
Coloring pencils (or crayons)
Sugar skulls are traditionally made from sugar and other ingredients. They are decorated along with the name of an ancestor on the forehead of the skull. This is a great time to discuss any relatives (or pets) who have passed away and think of names to put on your coloring pages.
Setting up the Altar
Together our family chose a focal spot in our home to make our altar. We let Logan set out the decorations we had made and then I added a few more items I had as well. We then set out our ancestors' photos and discussed each person and how they were part of our family history. You will want to add in candles as well. (Warning from my fire inspector husband: be cautious when using candles with children and do not keep them lit when you are not in the room.) The candles are lit to help our ancestor's spirits find their way back to your altar to celebrate! Tradition states that you can also lure them to the altar with their favorite foods, drinks, and personal possessions.
Share the fun you are having with us on Social Media! Tag us @curiouscouchpotatoes when you try any of our activities.
Andrea's Tips on Helping Kids Cope with Death:
This is such a great activity to expose your children to the traditions of another culture as well as teach them about celebrating life. The movie, Coco, as well as our Dia de los Muertos activities, may lead to questions from your children about death. Common questions from young children might include: Will I die? Will you die? When will I/you die? How will I/you die? Why do we die?
For these questions, I find that the following response provides an honest answer that is easy for most kids to comprehend: all animals and people eventually die. We don't know how or when we are going to die but usually, it happens when we are very old and our bodies become weak. Our bodies work hard every day to help us do amazing things like run, play, climb, jump, and dance. It is important to take good care of our bodies to thank them for how hard they work for us. Some of the things we can do to help our bodies stay strong until we get old are eating nutritious foods, getting a good night's sleep, drinking lots of water, and exercise.
Another common question that kids ask is "what happens to us when we die?" Many people believe different things about what happens to us after we die. I recommend sitting down with your partner to discuss how the two of you would like to answer this question, when it arises, based on your family's beliefs.
Unfortunately, kids sometimes experience the loss of a young loved one or, they might lose someone unexpectedly due to a tragic accident. The Sesame Street in Communities webpage on Helping Kids Grieve has some excellent resources that you might find helpful. If you need further assistance with helping your child understand death or process grief, you should reach out to your child's healthcare provider.