Hispanic Heritage Month Activities and Free Resources

Every year from September 15 to October 15, the United States observes National Hispanic Heritage Month, a country-wide celebration of the cultures, traditions, accomplishments, and contributions of Hispanic Americans.

Hispanic Heritage Month countries include the following, as their independence day falls on September 15:

• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Nicaragua

Additionally, Mexico, Chile and Belize also celebrate their independence during the month of September.

Today, the richness of Hispanic culture is felt all around us. Remember, the term “Hispanic” refers to a person of Spanish, Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, Caribbean, or any other Spanish culture of origin regardless of race. There are many people from many countries who trace their heritage back to Hispanic cultures, and many different traditions and customs that we celebrate here in America as a result.

Discover ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in your classroom with a free topical resource packet from Edmentum. In this packet, you’ll find fact sheets, critical thinking questions, and activities to help your class explore the significance of Hispanic Heritage Month, discuss different cultural traditions, and learn more about Spanish-speaking countries.

In addition to our free printable classroom resources, we’ve put together a list of useful links that your class can use to learn more about the people, history, and heritage of Hispanic Americans.

5 Famous Latinos: Role Models for Hispanic Heritage Month

Read the biographies of five famous Latinos, plus access resources to learn about their contributions of American society. You’ll find the extraordinary stories of an astronaut, a teacher, an author, an athlete, and a scientist!

15 Children’s Books to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

These Hispanic Heritage Month books contain 15 children’s stories that include both fiction and nonfiction titles. Explore books by authors like Julia Alvarez, Zetta Elliot, and Paolo Bacigalupi!

Hispanic Heritage Month Crafts

Celebrate the rich diversity and heritage of several Spanish-speaking countries by getting hands-on and creating Hispanic Heritage Month decorations from Central and Latin America. You’ll find ideas for crafts from Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Chile.

5 Traditional Hispanic Games

What better way to learn about Hispanic culture than to play games? These five traditional games are easy to learn, simple to play, and perfect for children of all ages!

How is Hispanic Heritage Month celebrated in your school and community? Tag us on social media @edmentum and let us know!

This post was orginally published in September 2018 and has been updated.