• Play games for Cinco de Mayo.mexican flag image by apeschi from Fotolia.com
  
  Cinco de Mayo takes place on May 5 and celebrates Mexico's victory over France at the battle of Puebla in 1862. The holiday is frequently mistaken for Mexican Independence Day. Celebrate the holiday with a party. Use it to teach your children about Mexican heritage and culture. Include some party games to make the celebration complete.
  
  

Jumping Beans

• A Mexican jumping bean has a type of caterpillar inside that twitches and fidgets, causing the bean to jump. Explain this to the children while putting on some Mexican music. Have them jump like the beans until the music stops. Any child that is caught jumping after the music stops is out. The last one standing is the winner.
  
  

Pass the Sombrero

• Children sit in a circle while Mexican music is playing. A sombrero is passed from child to child. Each time they receive it, they have to put it on their head for a second before passing it along. Whoever is wearing or holding the hat when the music stops has to do a dance for the group.
  
  

Limbo

• Have two children stand opposite of one another holding each end of a long stick. Have them hold the stick at the same level as their heads. The rest of the children take turns leaning backward to pass under the stick, trying their best not to knock it down or touch it. After each round, the stick moves a little lower and everyone rotates through again. The person who can go the lowest under the stick, without knocking it down or touching it, wins the game.
  
  

Spanish Word Game

• Write out a list of Spanish words. Give a copy of the list to each child. Have the children guess the meaning of the word. The child with the most correct guesses wins the game.
  
  

Marbles

• The traditional game of marbles is very popular in Mexico. Have the children play this classic game with marbles of different shapes and colors.
  
  

Escondida

• This is a game that is a cross between hide and seek and tag. The seeker closes his eyes and counts to 100 by a designated tree. The rest of the children find places to hide and wait for the seeker to begin searching. The goal for each child is to make it to the designated tree before the seeker tags them. If a child is tagged, they become a seeker as well. The last person to be tagged, or make it back to the tree, is the seeker for the next round.