Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in After-School (Free Lesson Plan)
Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15–Oct 15) is a chance to spotlight stories, music, art, and traditions many students already know at home. In after-school, that celebration works best through making: short, joyful projects that center student voice and invite families into the experience. This Hispanic Heritage Month after-school activity is designed to be easy to run and easy to repeat at multiple sites.
September is busy—staff are onboarding, schedules shift, and Lesson Planning time disappears fast. That’s why we created a ready plan your team can run next week and why we built reSource Portal!—so activities, plans, and schedules live in one place, and new staff get comfortable in under an hour. You keep the focus on belonging; the platform handles the organizing, sharing, and reusing across sites.
Featured activity: Sweet Treats — Mini Piñatas (Grades 4–6)
This mini piñata activity gives students creative control while opening a respectful conversation about cultural symbols and how designs vary across regions and families. It fits a 60-minute block with a short context, a quick demo, station-based building, and a brief share-out. If food isn’t allowed, swap in kindness notes, jokes, or “free-choice” coupons inside. Mixed grades? Pair older helpers with younger students and run two stations instead of three. The Hispanic Heritage Month lesson plan includes timing cues, prompts, and adaptations so staff can press “go” with confidence.
What we love is how naturally this project lifts the student voice. Ask what celebration looks like in their homes. Invite explanations of color choices or patterns. Capture photos during share-out and post them to your family board or end-of-month showcase. Small touches add up: students feel seen, families feel welcomed, and your program shows what it values.
Keep Lesson Planning simple with reSource Portal!
Use this cultural moment as a kickoff, then keep momentum with tools built for after-school:
- Filter 1,400+ activities by grade band, time, theme, and SEL focus.
- Duplicate Lesson Planning templates for each group to keep rotations consistent.
- Publish site calendars and pull lightweight notes for ELO-P/ASES/21st CCLC reporting.
- Share plans, assign roles, and keep everything in one place.
Ready to put Hispanic Heritage Month on the calendar without scrambling? Grab the printable plan and run it next week.
