Día de los Muertos Lesson Plan: Build an Ofrenda Challenge

Día de los Muertos Lesson Plan: Build an Ofrenda Challenge is a great way to plan some fun group work and skill review all while learning about the Día de los Muertos celebration! I thought I would share about the set up and ideas for you to use in your own classroom.

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Día de los Muertos Lesson Plan: Build an Ofrenda

In this challenge, students work in groups to reinforce common Spanish 1 skills all while learning about different elements of the Día de los Muertos celebration.

Here’s how it works:

Students can work in teams or individually to complete all 6 tasks. Each task is focused on an element of the ofrenda and includes a short description of its significance. As they complete each of the tasks, they will bring you their answers and you will quickly check them. If they are correct, you will hand them an element for their ofrenda and the next task. They continue this process until all 6 tasks are completed and their ofrenda is decorated. When they finish, they are “Challenge Champions” and you can give them a prize or an award.

Tasks Include:

• Task #1: Color by Number (1-30)
• Task #2: Read and Color the family tree
• Task #3: Decode food vocabulary
• Task #4: Color the Calaveras (emotions)
• Task #5: Word Search (color vocabulary)
• Task #6: Connect the Hobbies (gustar + pasatiempos)

Students will learn about the following elements of the ofrenda and their significance:

• flores
• fotos
• comida
• calaveras
• papel picado
• recuerdos de los difuntos

Each task includes a short description of the element and its role in the celebration of Día de los Muertos!

This is a great way to do a review for the end of quarter 1 in Spanish 1, while learning about Día de los Muertos! There are no locks, no hiding of objects, or any extra prep work. The beauty of this escape room style activity is that it is very low prep. Just make copies, organize your teams, and you’re set!

Make It Extra Memorable with Bonus Extension Activities

Want to take your Día de los Muertos lesson plan from great to unforgettable? Add a few optional, no-fuss extension ideas to keep the momentum going after the ofrendas are built! One idea students love is the “Mi Persona Especial” mini-poster. After they complete the challenge, students choose a famous Hispanic figure or a loved one (real or fictional) and create a tribute poster in Spanish using the vocabulary they just reviewed. This connects beautifully with cultural awareness and gives them a chance to practice writing and creativity.

Another fun twist? Host a gallery walk. Once all the teams have built their ofrendas, give students time to walk around the room, check out other groups’ creations, and leave sticky note compliments or questions. You’ll be amazed at how engaged they stay when their work becomes part of a classroom exhibit.

Looking for More Seasonal Learning?

• Day of the Dead Activities
• Día de los Muertos Digital Activities
• Alternate Activities for Day of the Dead

Keep the Learning Alive Beyond the Classroom

After you wrap up your Día de los Muertos lesson plan, don’t let the learning stop there. One powerful way to bring the culture to life is to share videos or short clips of real ofrendas from Mexico or interviews with families celebrating the tradition today. This helps bridge the gap between classroom fun and real-world relevance. Bonus: it sparks great class discussions!

You can also invite students to reflect in a quick write, what surprised them? What would they include in their own ofrenda and why? These moments of reflection turn a high-energy activity into something meaningful and personal. And that’s what keeps students talking about your lesson long after it’s over.