The 12 Days of Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to introduce your child to children’s books from Latinamerica and Spain. Each day, you can enjoy reading a new book together and have fun completing an activity inspired by the story.
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12 Days of Christmas
Day One: Peru/USA
- Book: (Not) Home for Christmas (The Wanting Monster) by Mariana Llanos
- Activity: Now who wouldn’t love to make magic reindeer food? You just need three ingredients!
Day Two: Spain/USA
- Book: El día que los Reyes Magos se toparon con Santa Claus by Ana Galan
- Activity: Bake gingerbread kings with your kids.
Day Three: Mexico
- Book: A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Christmas Twelve Days of Christmas by Pat Mora and read my review here.
- Activity: Got some toilet paper rolls? Make a piñata ornament.
Day Four: Puerto Rico/USA
- Book: Mimís Parranda/La Parranda de Mimí by Lydia M Gil
- Activity: Gather some instruments and have your own parranda!
Day Five: Mexico
- Book: Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto
- Activity: Feeling adventurous in the kitchen? Make tamales at home with your kids.
Day Six: Dominican Republic
- Book: El mejor regalo del mundo: La leyenda de la vieja Belén by Alvarez
- Activity: Grab some branches, and make a charamico.
Day Seven: Colombia/Mexico
- Book: Carlos, Light the Farolito by Jean Ciavonne (Mexico)
- Activity: Make a farolito or a paper lantern from recycled paper from Mama Tortuga (Colombia: Noche de las Velitas)
Day Eight: Puerto Rico
- Book: Verde Navidad by Mrinali Alvarez Astacio and read my review here.
- Activity: Have the kids write a letter to the Magi
Day Nine: Mexico
- Book: The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola
- Activity: Make a felt poinsettia from Multicultural Kid Blogs. It’s super easy, and fun to do.
Day Ten:
- Book: The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola
- Activity: Have the kids dressed as Mary, and Joseph and re-enact las posadas from Kid World Citizen
Day Eleven: Puerto Rico
- Book: Los Tres Reyes (a caballo) by Carmen Rivera Lassen
- Activity: Grab an empty shoe box, and have the kids decorate it.
Day Twelve: Mexico/USA
- Book: The Christmas Gift / El Regalo de Navidad by Francisco Jiménez
- Activity: Take the time to donate to someone in need.
I truly hope you and your kids will enjoy yourselves during these 12 days of Latino kids’ books and activities. Do you have a holiday book we could add to the the 12 Days of Christmas? Let me know in the comments.
¡Feliz Navidad
son los mejores deseos
de nuestra familia a la tuya!
Looking for additional resources to support your 12 Days of Latino Christmas Days? Check these resources out:
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This is an AMAZING list!! Some we have read others are new to me! And all your activity ideas are great too!!!
Thank you Kali!!! It was fun putting this list together. Hope you can do some with your boys. 🙂 Feliz Navidad!
What a fantastic list of books and activities! Of course, I'm thrilled that my own book, Not Home For Christmas is included. This book is also available on BILINGUAL format in English and Spanish (Not Home For Christmas/Navidad Lejos de Casa). I can;t wait to read these books with my children. –Mariana Llanos
Would like to have my e-mail added to your mailing lists (blog,articles). Thank you for any help you might provide! Sincerely,
Linda Ream (Lindar3104@aol.com)