Beyond Tacos: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month With Houston Kids

Hispanic Heritage Month runs September 15 through October 15, giving Houston families an extraordinary opportunity to explore history, music, art, traditions and stories that have helped shape both our city and our country.

And in Houston, families don’t have to look very far.

The key is moving beyond simply eating a favorite food and calling it a cultural lesson.

Start With the Story

Hispanic Heritage Month begins in the middle of September for a reason.

September 15 marks independence anniversaries for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its independence September 16, followed by Chile September 18.

For younger children, keep the history simple. Locate the countries on a map. Look at their flags. Find children’s books written by Latino authors.

Older kids can research an influential Hispanic American and present three things the rest of the family probably doesn’t know.

Experience the Culture

Children’s Museum Houston is offering special Hispanic Heritage programming this year beginning in September.

Its September 19 celebration includes bilingual storytelling, Aztec dance, mariachi, ballet folklórico, Latin rhythms and hands-on activities such as papel picado.

Discovery Green also has México en el Corazón scheduled for September 26.

Experiencing music and dance live can give children a completely different connection to culture than reading about it on a worksheet.

Explore Through Food—But Dig Deeper

Yes, absolutely eat.

Houston offers an extraordinary opportunity to explore cuisines connected to Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

But make dinner an exploration.

Where did the dish originate? What ingredients are important? Is it associated with a holiday or region?

Let children choose a country, find a dish and help prepare it.

Bring Spanish Into Everyday Life

You don’t need to be fluent.

Choose five Spanish words every week and use them at home. Listen to Spanish-language music. Watch a familiar children’s movie with Spanish audio or subtitles.

If grandparents or relatives speak Spanish, encourage kids to ask them to teach favorite expressions.

Talk About Houston

Hispanic culture isn’t something children need to travel elsewhere to discover. It’s woven throughout Houston.

Explore murals. Visit cultural events. Listen to Tejano music. Talk about local leaders, artists, business owners and families.

The purpose of Hispanic Heritage Month isn’t to squeeze an enormous collection of cultures into a four-week celebration.

It’s to open a door.

Walk through it with your children—and keep exploring after October 15.