16 Día de los Muertos Activities, Games, & Ideas

Here is our list of Día de los Muertos activities, games, and ideas.

Día de los Muertos activities are exciting games and ideas that folks use to celebrate life and death on November first and second. Examples include Costume Parties, Watching a Movie, and Face Painting. These activities help commemorate and celebrate the lives of deceased loved ones.

These ideas are team celebrations and diversity activities and are similar to Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations and online Halloween parties.

This list includes:

• Día de los Muertos activities for adults
• Día de los Muertos games
• Día de los Muertos celebration ideas

List of Día de los Muertos activities, games & ideas

From Día de los Muertos Decorations to Set Up an Alter to Music Fiestas, here is our list of the best games and activities for Día de los Muertos.

1. Día de los Muertos Decorations

Decorations are one of the most common Día de los Muertos celebration ideas. These decorations tend to include pictures of deceased loved ones, cut-out paper skulls, candles, and flowers. Unlike Halloween, this holiday is cheerful and bright. Therefore, employees can use as many bright colors as they want during the decorations.

Some great decoration ideas include:

• Arranging bouquets of marigold flowers
• Lighting colorful candles
• Hanging pictures of deceased loved ones
• Drawing and painting sugar skulls
• Hanging glow-in-the-dark skull lanterns

Colleagues can even work together to create handcrafted flowers, garlands, and designs to hang around the office.

2. Face Painting

Face Painting is a simple and fun way to celebrate the Day of the Dead. Skull paintings are one of the most common face paint ideas for Día de los Muertos because they symbolize the circle of life.

To organize this activity:

1. Invite a face paint artist to the office.
2. Colleagues will choose their favorite colors.
3. The artist will paint the teammates’ faces using their preferred color schemes.
4. Employees will leave their face paint designs on for the entire day.

Colleagues can take group pictures with their face paint and even post them on their company page using a trendy Día de los Muertos hashtag.

3. Costume Party

Costume parties are excellent ways to celebrate Día de los Muertos. You can organize this activity in the office or in a private location. The most common costume ideas for this celebration are colorful gowns for women and black tuxedos for men with floral accessories for each. Attendees may also paint skull designs on their faces for an even more dramatic effect.

You can also gamify this experience by awarding prizes for the best dressed attendees or best costumes. The guests can then eat, dance, and enjoy each other’s company during the celebration.

4. Watch a Movie

Watching a Movie promoting family culture, friendship, and love is a great way to celebrate the Day of the Dead with employees. These movies help strengthen friendships and further cultural understanding.

Some great movie ideas for Día de los Muertos include:

• Coco
• The Book of Life
• Scooby Doo! and the Monster of Mexico
• Once Upon a Time in Mexico
• All Souls Day
• The Big Wish
• The Aztec Mummy

To organize this activity, arrange seats in a large hall, then cover all windows with blackout curtains or blinds. Set up a projector and play the movie. You may also share refreshments like drinks, snacks, or popcorn as the attendees enjoy their movie. It is also a great idea to allow your team to choose which movie they want to watch. Giving your guests a choice ensures they remain interested enough to watch the entire film.

5. Set Up an Altar

Setting up an altar is one of the oldest Día de los Muertos traditions. This altar helps keep the memories of deceased ones alive and pays homage to their legacies. Employees can also set up a joint altar to celebrate the memories of their loved ones.

To organize this activity:

1. Set up a long table, and cover it with a white cloth.
2. Light candles.
3. Decorate the table with paper banners and flowers.
4. Place glasses of water on the table.
5. Each employee will bring a small plate of their deceased loved one’s favorite food.
6. The colleagues will then place tiny picture frames of their deceased loved ones on the table.

Since this altar celebrates the dead, employees can take turns sharing happy memories they had with the deceased. The workers can explain their relationship with the deceased, how long it has been since they died, and list a few of their admirable characteristics. The altar and subsequent interactive session help keep the memories of loved ones alive and allow workers to celebrate them on a special day.

6. Music Fiesta

Music Fiestas are one of the most essential parts of the Día de los Muertos celebrations. These gatherings feature Andalusian folk songs and boisterous orchestra concerts where folks can gather to dance, sing, and eat.

Some great song ideas for this activity include:

• “De Colores” by José-Luis Orozco
• “La Bamba” by Ritchie Valens
• “Calaverita” by La Santa Cecilia
• “La Llorona” by Ángela Aguilar
• “Amor Eterno” by Rocío Dúrcal

To organize the music fiesta, you can invite traditional Mexican singers to your party. Alternatively, curate a playlist of Día de los Muertos songs, then play these songs over a loud stereo set. Colleagues can then dance and enjoy themselves as the music plays.

7. Día de los Muertos Crafts

Día de los Muertos Crafts are creative sessions where teammates get to make items like flowers, skull masks, and knitted materials from scratch.

To organize this activity:

1. Set a long table in an open space.
2. Place DIY materials like glue, cardboard paper, colored tissue paper, yarn, and glitter.
3. The participants must use the provided materials to make a craft. Some ideas for the craft include paper maracas, marigold flowers using colored tissue, and skull masks.
4. Set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. The players must finish their craft before the timer runs out.
6. The first player to finish before the timer runs out wins.

Alternatively, you may offer prizes to the best craft. To judge, you may ask the teammates to take a vote, and the craft with the highest vote wins the competition.

8. Cook-Off

Cook-Offs are one of the most engaging Día de los Muertos activities for adults. This cook-off is a battle of creativity and skill where folks get to create delicious Mexican delicacies.

To organize this activity:

1. Set up cooking stations with stoves and cooking utensils.
2. Provide participants with cooking ingredients, such as tortillas, avocados, salsa, and vegetables.
3. Set a timer for 30 minutes.
4. The players must cook a meal using the ingredients provided before the timer runs out.
5. Judge the participants based on the visual presentation of the meal and taste.
6. The best meal wins the cook-off.

You may even take this exciting event further by arranging an eating competition. In this version of the event, select participants must finish the meals prepared by the other players within a given timeline. The first player to finish their meal wins a prize!

Check out more office cook-off ideas.

9. Día de los Muertos Trivia

Día de los Muertos Trivia is a great learning opportunity for family and friends. Workers get to answer a variety of holiday-themed questions within a given period.

Examples of trivia questions for Día de los Muertos include:

• What holidays coincide with the Día de los Muertos celebrations?
• What days are Día de los Muertos celebrated on?
• What is the traditional flower for Día de los Muertos?
• From which country did Día de los Muertos originate?
• What are ofrendas?

These questions test how well employees understand the tradition they are celebrating. These trivia questions also help teammates learn important details of the Día de los Muertos celebration.

Check out trivia games for adults.

10. Virtual Trip to Oaxaca

A Virtual Trip to Oaxaca is a great way for teams to learn about the history of Día de los Muertos and its origin.

To organize this activity:

1. Set a date and time for the event.
2. Send invite links to interested participants via email.
3. Preview the trip using Google Maps, and identify landmarks and their history.
4. Meet using any video conferencing software like Google Meet or Zoom.
5. Display live images of the location using the share screen feature.
6. Point out landmarks, and educate attendees on their history.
7. At the end of the event, quiz employees about the sites they visited virtually.
8. You may also take screenshots of important landmarks and have participants identify them.

Virtual trips are cost-effective alternatives to field trips and allow attendees to view and experience different locations from the comfort of their homes. We especially recommend these virtual trips for remote teams during the Día de los Muertos celebrations.

Check out more virtual field trip ideas.

11. Tarot Reader

Inviting a Tarot Reader is a great way to entertain guests during Día de los Muertos. These mystical readings will thrill attendees and keep the celebrations alive.

To organize this activity:

1. Set up a private booth for the tarot reader.
2. Decorate the booth with cut-out skull designs, marigold flowers, and candles.
3. Burn incense to set the mood.
4. Colleagues will take turns having their fortunes read.

This idea is a great way to give team members the complete Día de los Muertos experience.

12. Mariachi Band

Inviting a Mariachi Band is a great way to make the Día de los Muertos celebrations lively and fun. You can give team members maracas to shake and dance to the beat as the band performs. The mariachi band sings songs that pay homage to traditional Mexican culture.

The unique blend of the trumpet, bass guitar, and violins will thrill your guests and enliven the event. You may also use this opportunity to teach workers a few traditional Mexican dances, like the Mexican hat dance, Chinelos, and Danza de los Diablos.

13. Organize a Buffet

Organizing a Buffet is an excellent way to promote engagement and interaction during the Día de los Muertos celebrations. Employees will get to taste a variety of traditional Mexican delicacies and treats.

To organize this activity:

1. Set a budget.
2. Choose a venue based on the number of guests you plan to invite.
3. Choose a local Mexican restaurant to cater the event.
4. Set up wide tables with traditional Mexican dishes, like enchiladas, tostadas, chilaquiles, and quesadillas.
5. You may also include themed treats, like sugar skulls or pan de muertos.
6. Allow guests to serve themselves from different platters of food.

You may also offer traditional Mexican drinks, like tamarindo, then play music so workers can have a great time. You can also decorate your venue to enliven the Día de los Muertos celebration. Some marigold flowers, cut-out skulls, and garlands will go a long way.

14. Pin the Skull on the Skeleton

Pin the Skull on the Skeleton is a fun addition to your Day of the Dead celebrations.

To organize this activity:

1. Participants will gather to make a medium-sized headless skeleton using cardboard paper.
2. Glue the skeleton to the wall.
3. Each player will design individual skulls with brightly colored construction paper.
4. Attendees will stand in a queue facing the headless skeleton on the wall.
5. Blindfold the first player.
6. Turn the first player around a couple of times to disorient them.
7. The player gets 30 seconds to attempt to pin their skull design on the skeleton perfectly.
8. If the player fails, then the next participant will attempt.
9. The game will continue this way until all the blindfolded participants get a turn or one player wins.

Ensure that observers do not yell out clues or give the players directions. Also, you may offer prizes to players who can pin the skull on the skeleton in a single try.

15. La Pirinola

La Pirinola is a traditional Mexican game of chance for all age groups. This game uses a tiny plastic or wooden token with specific prompts inscribed on different sides.

To play:

1. Get a Pirinola online.
2. Choose two to four players for the game.
3. Give each player ten beans or pebbles.
4. The participants will choose an order in which to play.
5. The first player will spin the Pirinola, and once it stops spinning, the players must follow the prompt written on the side facing up.
6. The prompts ask players to put one or two tokens into the pile, collect the whole pile, or take one or two tokens.
7. When the prompt reads “Toma Todo,” all the players must drop a bean or pebble to continue the game.

This fun spinning game is a great way to keep large groups of guests entertained on Día de los Muertos. Traditionally, adults even tend to wager while playing. You can wager with fun materials like treats or candies.

Shop for a Pirinola.

16. Piñata

Piñatas are excellent ways to round out your Día de los Muertos celebrations. Your guests must hit a club at the piñata to get goodies and treats.

To organize this activity:

1. Buy a piñata online. Alternatively, you can craft one by using cardboard and crepe paper, then stuff the piñata with different treats and candies.
2. Hang the piñata from a high post or tree branch.
3. Blindfold participants.
4. Give the attendees a club or bat to swing at the piñata.
5. The guests will take turns hitting the piñata while blindfolded.
6. When the piñata breaks, the guests will then gather and share the sweets.

It is best to buy premade piñatas, as they are sturdy and last longer before breaking. In addition, these sturdy piñatas ensure that participants put in some effort and have fun before getting their reward.

Shop for a piñata online.

Conclusion

Día de los Muertos celebrates deceased loved ones. This celebration helps keep the memories alive of family and friends who have passed on and also celebrates the endless cycle of life.

Although this holiday originated in Mexico, other parts of Latin America also commemorate this event on the first and second day of November every year. Folks mark this event with colorful dresses or costumes, face paint, and a wide selection of Día de los Muertos-themed foods.

Celebrating Día de los Muertos in the workplace allows employees to honor their families and friends, connect with one another, and experience new cultures.

Next, check out our lists of Halloween team building activities, holiday team building activities, and hybrid Christmas ideas.