Fun Ways to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo as a Family

When it comes to party decor, it's easier and cheaper to go the DIY route. Hang red, white, and green streamers throughout the house, or cut out letters to create words like "olé" and "Cinco de Mayo."

Source: Flickr user jimmy.walker

Skip the store-bought version, and make your own snacks. Let the older kids chop the ingredients, while the younger ones mix it all together.

Buy plain straw sombreros, and gather some standard craft supplies — ribbon, paint, streamers, glue-on gems, and stickers — to decorate the hats. Play mariachi music while you work, and then get ready for some spontaneous dance parties.

Source: Flickr user Horia Varlan

Make some kid-friendly mocktails by combining margarita mix with lime juice and just a dash of lemonade. Get your little ones in on the fun by letting them dip agave-rimmed glasses into a bowl of salt, and then top the drinks with colorful umbrellas for a fun touch.

You don't need to go all out with wooden maracas. Try something simple, like taping two cups together with decorative washi tape or covering two ends of a paper towel roll. Fill them with beads, buttons, popcorn kernels, or rice, and then help your kids paint the outside of each shaker.

Source: Flickr user mbosio

Whether you make your own or find one at the store, a candy-filled piñata is a surefire way to get your kids into the Cinco de Mayo spirit.

Source: Flickr user Joelk75

Make your own twist on tradition, and incorporate a typical Easter activity — smash eggs — into your Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Source: Robyn Kessler for Oh Happy Day!