As an art instructor, one of my absolute delights is observing children come alive when they discover a new country and its culture through artistic expression. This summer at camp, our travel location will be the rich and vibrant nation of Mexico! Among all of the traditions we learned about, the Papel Picado craft session was one of the top highlights — a creative and celebratory means of introducing children to Mexican culture while also teaching them fine motor skills and creative self-confidence.
What Is Papel Picado?
Papel picado, or ‘perforated paper‘ in Spanish, refers to a traditional Mexican folk art consisting of cutting designs into colored tissue paper. Delicate paper banners, strung together, serve as decorations for celebrations, holidays, and festivals such as Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and the Mexican Independence Day celebrations.”
Why We Chose This Craft for Summer Camp
I hoped to have the children experience the essence of Mexican art through hands-on creation. Papel picado was the ideal craft to achieve it for the following reasons:
- It’s lively, cheerful, and simple to adjust to for all ages.
- It imparts symmetry, patterning, and scissor skills.
- It enables children to play with colors, shapes, and repetition — all the basics of art.
- It provides access to studying Mexican holidays and family customs.”
Wrapping Up Our Mexican Art Journey
It was not just an art endeavor — it was an appreciation of culture, art, and people. Working on the papel picado, we bonded to the happiness of the Mexican festivities and realized how art can be used to bring people and traditions together.
If you are organizing a cultural activity for your very own classroom or summer camp, I strongly suggest that you include papel picado. It is a lively, participatory, and enriching activity for children to learn about the world — one vibrant cut-out at a time.