Crafts

• Encourage children to take part in craft activities. Begin the day's festivities with crafts for children before you introduce the games; children might not have the patience for crafts after playing games. Print out or purchase fiesta-themed coloring pages or books, and set up a small table with crayons, pencils and water-based markers. Ask one adult to man the kids' craft table and show kids how to make maracas with paper lunch bags, uncooked rice and tongue depressors. Have kids decorate their paper bags with markers and crayons. Fill the bags with ¼ cup of rice, and place a tongue depressor in the bag so it's sticking out like a handle. Secure the bag around the tongue depressor with a rubber band.
  
  

Games

• Have children hit a pinata.Todd Warnock/Lifesize/Getty Images
  
  Show kids how much they know about Latin American history by asking them trivia questions. Every time someone gets the right answer, give him a small prize. Play the Mexican hat dance game by setting up chairs in your party space. Place one less chair for the number of children who are at the fiesta. Play the "Mexican Hat Dance" song and pause the music at random places. When the music stops, the children must sit down. Whoever does not get a chair is "out." Take away one chair each round, and whoever is the last one not "out" wins. Finally, buy a piñata and fill it with inexpensive candy or small toys. Hang the piñata in a safe place, blindfold the children, and have them take turns hitting the piñata with a stick until it breaks and the prizes fall to the ground.
  
  

Food

• Create a make-your-own taco bar.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Invite kids to make their own tacos at the fiesta. Prepare the ingredients for a taco bar in advance. Chop tomatoes, onions and mild peppers, and serve these ingredients in small serving bowls. Saute shrimp, ground turkey and chicken individually in olive oil and taco spices. Serve shredded lettuce, shredded cheese and salsa. Place a plate of warm tortillas at both ends of the taco bar table. Kids will feel like grown-up chefs as they pick and choose the ingredients to make their own tacos.
  
  

Story Time

• Wind down your fiesta by hosting a story time at the end of the day's festivities. Invite children to gather around you while you read stories about Mexican, Spanish and Latin American history. Choose a story that pertains to the type of fiesta you have thrown. For example, if you've hosted a Cinco de Mayo party, read a story about the history of Cinco de Mayo. Read the stories you plan to share at the party in advance; many stories contain information about battles that may frighten some children.