Here is our list of the best Cinco De Mayo ideas for work.
Cinco De Mayo ideas for work are activities and games excellent for celebrating the annual Mexican celebration usually held on the fifth of May. Examples include games like Pinata, How Hot Is It?, and Cinco De Mayo Trivia. Alongside marking the Mexican army’s victory in the 1862 battle, these ideas are also great for building your team and boosting employees’ morale.
These activities are examples of team celebrations, office party ideas, and diversity activities. These celebrations share many similarities to Hispanic Heritage Month activities.
This list includes:
- Cinco de Mayo games for adults
- Cinco De Mayo event ideas for work
- Cinco De Mayo activities for work
So, let’s get started!
List of Cinco De Mayo ideas for work
Cinco De Mayo, also called “Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla,” is a yearly Mexican celebration usually held on the fifth of May. From Dance Lessons to Taco Eating Competition, here are the most fun ideas you can use to mark the next Cinco De Mayo celebration at work.
1. The Great Guac Off
Cinco de Mayo celebrations are almost incomplete without avocados. Therefore, you can run The Great Guac Off to commemorate the festive celebration at work. The Great Guac Off is an avocado-making competition in many cities in the United States. In this activity, participants compete in teams to make the tastiest guacamole.
This fully hosted event will run for about 90 minutes. You will receive all you need to make the event successful, from a fun party host to the guacamole ingredients. In the end, the host will judge the prepared guacamole and award prizes to the winning team. You can also have catering and gift bags arranged for attendees.
Learn more about The Great Guac Off.
2. Mexican Music
Playing authentic Mexican music is one of the best Cinco de Mayo activities for work. Traditional Cinco de Mayo music features various genres such as Salsa, Latin, and Mariachi. You can hire a Mexican band to add a festive spirit to your party. If you do not plan to throw an elaborate party, then you can enjoy the music during lunch break at work.
To make the activity even more fun, you can play “Guess that Tune” in a Cinco De Mayo edition. In this game, players try to guess the name of a song by listening to a short audio clip. You should consider dividing your colleagues into groups to make guessing easier. If your team members are not familiar with Mexican songs, then you can create and forward a playlist of the pieces to your colleagues ahead of the activity.
3. Office Decoration
Decorating your office is a great way to get your employees into the festive spirit. Partygoers often use brightly-colored decor for the celebration. Also, you can use decorative items with colors of the Mexican flag, which are white, red, and green. Fun decorative item ideas are:
- Piñatas
- Colorful dishes
- Mexican flag
- Paper flowers
- Colorful floral wreaths
- Colorful balloons
- DIY paper lanterns
You and your colleagues can decide to create the decorative items yourselves. Also, you can make the activity a contest and award prizes for the most creative, funniest, and festive decorations.
4. Taco-Eating Competition
Taco-eating competition is one of the exciting Cinco De Mayo games for adults. First, inform your teammates ahead of the contest. Then, prepare the food. You can order tacos from a local Mexican restaurant or make the meal from scratch.
During the contest, each participant should receive the same amount of tacos. Also, decide on the contest’s rules and how to judge the winner. The first contestant to eat all tacos on their plate will be the winner. On the other hand, the winner can be the person who eats the most tacos within a specific time. In addition, you can set aside prizes to compensate the winner and runner-ups. A taco-eating contest is an excellent add-on to a Cinco De Mayo party at work.
5. Mexican Happy Hour
Having a Mexican Happy Hour is one of the best ways to celebrate Cinco De Mayo with colleagues. You can use the celebration as an opportunity to support a local Mexican bar that serves margaritas, Palomas, or your favorite Mexican drink. You and your teammates will get to bond while chatting over your beverages.
You can also hire a bartender or mixologist to teach you how to make these special drinks drink. During the experience, you can be lucky to learn about the drink’s history from the instructor. If you would rather not get hands-on during the session, then you can book the experience as a cocktail-making demonstration instead.
Here are more happy hour ideas.
6. Cinco De Mayo Crafts
Gathering your teammates for a hands-on craft session is one of the most fun Cinco De Mayo ideas for work. The items you choose to create are up to you and your colleagues. You can decide to make Mexican artwork for a gift exchange among yourselves. On the other hand, you can let participants take home their artwork and show the creation off to family members and friends.
You and your colleagues can also create handmade ornaments to beautify your workspace. In addition, you can engage your team in exciting activities like knitting, pottery-making, and candle-making. If you are unsure how to go about your selected craft, then you can partner with a local expert from Mexico to guide you and your group. Depending on your preference, you can use an art studio or a space in your office for the session.
7. Cinco De Mayo Trivia
Cinco De Mayo Trivia is a fun activity you can do to commemorate the traditional celebration at work. Aside from the fun that comes with playing trivia, you and your team members can take advantage of this opportunity to learn interesting facts about Cinco De Mayo.
Before the trivia day, you can ask your team members to personally learn more about Cinco De Mayo celebrations and Mexican culture. Fun Cinco De Mayo trivia questions include:
- What historic battle does Cinco De Mayo celebrate? La Puebla
- What day of the year marks Cinco De Mayo? The fifth of May
- Cinco De Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s victory against which country? France
- What does “Cinco De Mayo” means? Fifth of May
- What was the actual name of the Cinco De Mayo holiday? Battle of Puebla Day
- Who was the president of France during the battle with Mexico? Napoleon III
You can divide your team members into groups or allow participants to play individually. The team or participant that answers the most questions correctly wins the game.
Check out more trivia questions for teams.
8. Piñata
A piñata is a decorated animal figure usually filled with sweets and toys. Setting up a pinata remains a fun tradition for children in many celebrations, including Cinco De Mayo. You and your coworkers can channel your inner child and enjoy this festive tradition together. Instead of toys, you can fill the pinata with gift cards, snacks, and stationery. To play a piñata game:
- First, get a piñata. You can create the animal figure yourself or purchase the item from a party supply store
- Find a good spot to hang your piñata
- Next, have your team members line up a few meters from the piñata
- Blindfold the first player on the line and spin the participant three times
- Then hand over a bat to the player to try and hit the piñata
- If the player hits and breaks the piñata, then you and your teammates can pick and share the gifts
It is best if participants are at least five meters away from the blindfolded player for safety. You can limit how many times the blindfolded player attempt to hit the pinata. Also, ensure that the blindfolded player stops swinging before everyone gathers to pick up the gifts.
A piñata is a fun way to distribute gifts among team members during a work Cinco De Mayo Party.
9. Dance Lessons
Mexican dances are a significant part of celebrating the traditional holiday. Therefore, you can play funky Mexican music in the office during lunch break and show off your best dance moves to your colleagues.
A dance lesson is one of the most exciting Cinco De Mayo event ideas for work. You can start your Cinco De Mayo party with a beginner salsa lesson. Inviting an instructor to teach your team great dance steps will be a fun idea. After the class, create an open dance session for employees to practice their moves freely. You can play different music, ranging from Salsa and Cha Cha to Merengue and Bachata.
To heighten the fun, arrange tasty Cinco De Mayo finger foods like Mexican ceviche, chicken enchilada bites, nachos, and tacos.
10. Movie Night
Organizing a Cinco De Mayo movie night is a great idea to spend time with colleagues while commemorating the holiday. To host a movie night, decide on the movies to watch. You can create a poll for your team members to vote or randomly draw out a movie’s name from a hat.
Must-see Cinco De Mayo movies include:
- Coco
- Cinco De Mayo: The Battle
- The Book of Life
- Cinco De Mayo, La Batalla
- Mi Familia
- The Mask of Zorro
After deciding on the film, prepare a space and projector to use for your gathering. Also, arrange comfy items like blankets and chairs to make the experience cozy for viewers. Furthermore, you can arrange snacks and beverages to fuel the fun. Cinco De Mayo finger foods like mini-fried taco pizza pockets, chicken taquitos, and Mexican potato skins are great options. You and your colleagues can decorate the space to add a festive touch to your viewing experience.
11. Pin the Sombrero on the Burro
Pin the Sombrero on the Burro is one of the best Cinco De Mayo activities for work. “Burro” is a Spanish word for donkey. Therefore, the game is similar to “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” However, players will attempt to place a sombrero on a donkey’s picture glued on the wall instead of a tail. To play this game:
- Prepare a template of the donkey and sombreros
- Cut out the pictures of the donkey and the sombreros. Be sure you cut out enough sombreros for all participants
- Hang the donkey’s picture on a wall
- Have the players line up and blindfold the first person on the line
- Spin the blindfolded team member three to five times before attempting to pin a sombrero on the donkey’s head
- Repeat the same step for other players
The player that successful pins a sombrero closest to the burro’s head wins the game
12. Taco Bar Party
If you plan to celebrate Cinco De Mayo with lots of food, then you can throw an unforgettable taco bar party. Tacos are easy to make and save the stress of planning a meal for your fiesta. If your team members are DIY fans, then you can lay the taco ingredients in a buffet style and let attendees serve themselves.
On the other hand, you can order the food from a locally-owned Mexican restaurant and treat your team to a festive lunch at work. If you plan to throw a bigger party instead, then you can hire your favorite taco spot to cater to your event. You can also arrange a culinary demonstration on making tacos bar if the service is available.
13. How Hot Is It?
How Hot Is It? is one of the most fun Cinco De Mayo games for adults. You and your colleagues can play this game in different ways. Participants will show off their tolerance for spicy foods in the first variation by eating chili peppers. You should arrange various chili peppers with varying levels of heat. Then let the participants start eating from the mildest to the hottest pepper. Participants can tap out of the contest anytime. In the end, the last player in the game wins.
For the second variation, you will need different types of hot sauce. The game’s objective is for participants to taste the various hot sauces while wearing a blindfold and guess the name. The player who correctly guesses most of the hot sauce wins the challenge.
14. Paint and Sip
Paint and Sip works for almost any event, including work Cinco De Mayo parties. You and your colleagues can explore your creativity by painting a Mexican-themed artwork. You can partner with a local artist from Mexico to guide you through the experience. You should confirm if the studio allows guests to bring outside beverages. If so, then you can come along with your colleagues’ favorite drinks, from classic margaritas to Mexican martinis.
If you book a painting studio’s service, then you will likely receive supplies. You and your colleagues will have a lot of fun exploring your creativity while sipping festive drinks. If you are a beginner in painting, then your instructor can start with a demonstration or even help you sketch on a blank canvas to make the activity easier. In the end, you will have lovely works to take home or use to decorate your workspace.
15. Cinco De Mayo Icebreaker questions
Asking Cinco De Mayo-themed icebreaker questions is a great way to learn more about your colleagues during this traditional celebration. You can simply ask the questions during lunch break or at a party. Fun questions to ask include:
- Do you have a Cinco De Mayo tradition you follow every year?
- What is your favorite Mexican drink?
- What is your favorite part of Cinco De Mayo celebrations?
- Have you ever attended a Cinco De Mayo party?
- What is your favorite Cinco De Mayo movie?
- Would you rather have tacos or nachos?
- What are your favorite games to play for Cinco De Mayo?
You can facilitate communication among coworkers by asking this Cinco De Mayo icebreaker questions. Plus, you get to learn more about your colleagues. Before your meeting or party, you can prepare a card with various questions. Then read out a question at a time and let team members take turns answering.
Check out more icebreaker questions.
16. Mexican Fiesta-Themed Party
One of the best Cinco De Mayo ideas for work is to throw a Mexican fiesta-themed party for your workers. First, you would want to decide on the venue to use. You can use a rental space close to your office to make the party easily accessible for your team. You can also organize the event as a picnic, using a local park or your garden.
You can decorate the space with brightly-colored decorations to compliment your fiesta party. Also, you can use fun tableware like avocado-shaped plates, cactus-shaped paper cups, and napkins with taco prints. You can hire a food truck to serve your attendees mouthwatering Mexican street food. In addition, you should plan for fun Cinco De Mayo icebreakers and games such as how hot is it?, pin the sombrero on the burro, and a pinata game to engage attendees. Lastly, you can create an open dance session for attendees to dance to exciting Cinco De Mayo songs.
Conclusion
Cinco De Mayo is an exciting celebration originally celebrated in Mexico and acknowledged in many other parts of the world. You and your colleagues can celebrate this traditional festival at work by throwing a fiesta, playing games, or sipping Mexican drinks. Cinco De Mayo is usually a vibrant time of the year filled with colorful decors and music pleasing to the ear. Plus, the abundance of Mexican foods like tacos, guacamole, and burritos during the celebration makes many folks look forward to the day. Aside from marking the Mexican army’s victory during the historic battle, these Cinco De Mayo ideas will go a long way in helping you and your colleagues bond.
For more occasions to celebrate in May, check out Mother’s Day ideas for the office and virtual Memorial Day ideas.
Grace He