Family Traditions Calendar
Recognize and develop new family and cultural traditions

Introduction
In the Maya & Miguel episode “Tito’s Mexican Vacation,” Maya notices something’s wrong with Tito. It turns out he’s homesick because he misses his cousins in Mexico. Maya, eager to help her cousin feel better, decides that if they can’t take Tito back to Mexico, they’ll bring Mexico to Tito! Of course, Maya’s plans to cure Tito’s homesickness turn disastrous right before Tito is to arrive at the Community Center. Maya is horrified. But for Tito, he couldn’t be happier when he sees his big surprise: his cousins, brought from Mexico!

In this activity, your child will talk about family traditions and cultural celebrations. These special dates will be marked on calendar months, scrolled through and used throughout the year as a reminder of how important family traditions and cultural celebrations are.

Materials:

• calendar (large enough to write on and roll into a scroll)
• ribbon for tying scroll

Directions: Make calendar scrolls!
Using a large calendar, mark family traditions and cultural celebrations on each calendar month. Write or draw special notes, list family favorites like recipes, activities and things to do to get ready for each month's celebration(s). Separate the calendar pages, roll into a scroll and label. Tie with ribbon and store in a special place. As each month rolls around, get out that month’s scroll and pin it up in your child’s room as a reminder of your family’s special traditions and cultural celebrations.

Talk About It: Ask your child why it is important for families to keep traditions and cultural celebrations alive. Name a family tradition that has been passed down for generations.

Take It Further: Ask your child to think of a new family tradition. Decide how and when to begin this new tradition, like celebrating the half-way mark of yearly birthdays with a pizza party, or a monthly picnic and playtime in the park together.

With a Group: Declare a special day for your group to celebrate a new tradition like writing a new verse to a favorite holiday song or making a traditional food in a new, creative way. Ask children to talk about and share traditions from their own culture.