Papel Picado Activity for Hispanic Heritage Month

0ct 07, 2026

Thank you so much for helping with this Hispanic Heritage Month activity! We hope this is interesting and enjoyable for y'all as well! If you have any questions or run into any issues, please do not hesitate to let me or Mrs. Romero know. Again, we really appreciate your help.

If we have some good student examples, we'd love to display their papel picado streamers in the media center as well.

¡Muchísimas gracias!

Papel Picado Cultural Activity

Time: 38 - 40 minutes

Group size:

• 8E1 is the biggest group with 32
• 8E2: 19 Ss
• 8E3 (only Wilkins): 9 Ss
• 7E1 (Romero): 10 Ss
• 7E2 (Wilkins): 14 Sx
• 7E3 (Romero): 8 Ss
• 6E1: 22 Ss
• 6E2: 15 Ss

Materials

Tissue paper (Mr. Wilkins will provide.)
Scissors (Mr. Wilkins will provide. 8E1 group will have to take turns.)
String (Mr. Wilkins will provide.)
Glue sticks (Mr. Wilkins will provide. Your discretion if students should glue the papel picado or not.)
Papel picado stencils (Mr. Wilkins will provide printed copies. Please print more if needed using the links. If students want to use another design with a different stencil and can find one quickly, please print and provide it if possible.)
Blank printer paper / Blank template (For students who want to draw their own designs.)

Stencils

Quality free example: https://wilkins.dropmark.com/2221904/38227886

I will also print out some example copies, so please make more copies if those begin to run low.

Activity Outline:

~ 5 Mins: Introduce activity as part of Hispanic Heritage Month and show video to group.

Video (and all resources) are on wilkins.dropmark.com > "Mes de Herencia Hispana en Pelion" > "Coco: How to Make Paper Picado (Disney Pixar) 4k"

Here's the direct video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2I-EdZBo8c

~ 10 - 15 minutes: Students create their own "papel picado"

Tell students they can draw their own stencils with designs if they would like. Pass out tissue paper (1 sheet to begin), scissors, stencils, or blank paper. Ss choose a design or draw a design to create their papel picado. Ss can give their finished pieces to Media Center staff to be attached to the string. If they are being responsible, they can glue sheets to string directly. I was only asking that Media Center staff help with gluing to not destroy the tissue paper.

For students that finish first example early:

They can make another papel picado if time and materials allow. I'm thinking that careful, diligent students may make 2 - 3 sheets during this time.

~ Last 5 minutes: Ss stop working and clean up paper scraps, unused paper, and other materials; scissors go in the basket.