Mexican Culture and Traditions word search, scramble and crossword puz

Mexican Culture and Traditions word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this Mexican culture and traditions puzzle set for my 3rd and 4th graders during our cultural celebrations unit. The kids knew about tacos and piñatas but had no idea about deeper cultural traditions like Día de los Muertos, papel picado, or mariachi music. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like Día de los Muertos, ofrenda, marigold, papel picado, mariachi, sombrero, piñata, taco, guacamole, salsa, tortilla, Aztec, fiesta, and celebration. I also threw in a few like Quetzalcoatl and axolotl because the kids are always curious about Aztec history and these words tie in beautifully with indigenous heritage.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about how to spell "Quetzalcoatl" or whether Día de los Muertos is sad or joyful. The crossword I use for partners or as a review after we've made papel picado or tried some traditional snacks. I added a couple simple marigold, skull, and sombrero drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 3rd through 5th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers pick one tradition from the puzzles and write a sentence about why it matters on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.