El Día de Muertos or el Día de los Muertos is coming soon. Sunshine, who is usually frightened by Halloween themed skulls, loves those associated with Day of the Dead. They are so beautiful,bright, and cheery.

I couldn't resist using calaveras or skulls in my Day of the Dead Comparison Activities for Preschoolers with Free Printables. 

You see Sunshine loves to compare things. She has such an eye for detail. There are few people who enjoy search and find challenges like she does. The activities below are some of her favorite ways to compare things.

I hope you enjoy the beautiful calaveras or skulls as much as we do!

Day of the Dead Comparison Activities

Day of the Dead Skull Matching Activity

This activity is a simple matching game. A set of cards are included in the cute skull box from our local dollar store.  Another set is placed on the tray. The goal of the activity is to match them together.

My kids enjoy laying them all out like a memory game, but that is not necessary.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of the Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

Day of the Dead Which Skill is the Same? Activity

In this activity your preschooler will look at the first calavera or skull and then study the other three to decide which one of them is the same as the first.  Once the student identifies the one that's the same, she places a skull on it to mark her answer.

Though I choose to use glittery skulls I found at our local dollar store, you can use pretty much anything to mark your answers.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of the Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

Day of the Dead Which Skull is Different? Activity

In this activity three calaveras or skulls are the same, and one is different. The preschooler identifies the one that is different and then places a skull or other marker on the answer.

I love how fun the skull illustrations are in this activity.  They are so child friendly and enjoyable to study.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of the Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

Day of the Dead Skull Size Comparison Activity

This activity has two components to it. There are matching sets of small, medium, and large skulls that preschoolers can put together. They can then sort them by size, using the control word boxes provided.

If the preschooler is unable to follow two steps, there is no need to match up skulls before sorting them by size.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of the Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

There are several different ways to compare objects, four of which are included in the activities above, but I couldn't resist making yet another in honor of one of Sunshine's favorite activities: puzzles.

FREE Day of the Dead Skull Puzzles for Preschoolers

The FREE Day of the Dead Skull Puzzles for Preschoolers includes two options, two piece or three piece puzzles.  

The two piece puzzles, minus the pirate skull, are a great way to teach symmetry. Three piece puzzles provide an extra challenge for those who want one.

The Day of the Dead Skull Puzzles for Preschoolers is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your copy, follow the directions below.

Directions on How to Obtain Subscriber Only Freebies

1. Click on the Subscriber's link at the bottom of this post.

2. Subscribe to our free newsletter.

3. Open the thank you message you receive in your e-mail, after subscribing. (Be sure to check your spam folder, as sometimes it ends up there.)

4. Click the confirmation link in the thank you message.

5. Once the confirmation is complete, you will receive another e-mail message with the Subscriber Only Freebies.

6. Click on the link.

7. Select the Minimalism, Montessori, or Mental Health Printables Library.

8. Find the printable pack you are looking for listed in alphabetical order, click on it, and voila!

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

Note: If you are already a newsletter subscriber, open your most recent newsletter. At the bottom you will find a link to the Free Printables Library.

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Day of the Dead Grammar Activities with Free Printable

It's no secret that I LOVE how grammar is taught using the Montessori Method. So when I have an excuse to create more grammar printables that go along with the Montessori Grammar Symbols I don't hesitate.

Such was the case when creating new language activities for el Día de Muertos or el Día de los Muertos otherwise known as the Day of the Dead in English. 

The holiday that originated in Mexico provides so many opportunities to learn about articles, adjectives, nouns, verbs, and prepositions.

Just take a look at these Day of the Dead Grammar activities with a free printable included at the bottom of this post! 

Oh and did I mention that my husband and I decided to create English and Spanish versions of some of these printables? There really is something for everyone here!

El Día de Muertos or el Día de los Muertos is such a fantastic holiday to add to cultural studies in the classroom, especially if you're studying Mexico.

The Day of the Dead is a great alternative to Halloween themed activities.  Unlike Halloween, where skeletons are portrayed as scary, el Día de los Muertos celebrates and honors the dead with beautifully decorated skulls and skeletons that are almost always smiling.

Day of the Dead Grammar Activities with Free Printables

Day of the Dead Noun Family Picture and Word Match Up

This activity is perfect for introducing or reviewing the noun family in grammar studies as it pertains to aspects of el Día de Muertos, celebrated on November 1st and 2nd each year.

The picture cards are created using beautiful, kid-friendly, true-to-life images that depict aspects of the holiday that originated in Mexico.

Each word card includes an article, adjective, and noun, in that order, to help kids identify the pattern easily.

I include our Montessori Grammar Symbols on the work tray to reinforce grammar concepts. 

Source: The printable for this activity is from our Montessori-inspired Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

Day of the Dead Noun Family Picture and Word Match Up in Spanish

Each of our children has started to study a foreign language of their choice. Princess is studying Spanish. 

I couldn't wait to create a Spanish version of this activity for her to help develop a better understanding of grammar in Spanish and vocabulary related to el Día de los Muertos.

My husband, Jason, and I were both fluent in Spanish before we had kids. Jason actually lived in Torreón, Mexico for two years. I surrounded myself with Spanish speaking people in multiple settings (home, church, work, etc.) and studied the language during college. 

It has been so much fun to entertain that common aspect of our lives as we created these activities for Princess and others who may enjoy them. 

As with all of our activities, we researched the Spanish language to reflect the words used in Mexico, as they relate to the Day of the Dead.  In other Spanish speaking countries, vocabulary terms may vary.

Now, the fun aspect about this activity when studying Spanish, that differs from the English language is that the noun family isn't always in the same order.  In many cases when speaking Spanish, a person says the article, noun, and then the adjective.  

As Princess completes this work, part of the activity will include arranging the Montessori Grammar Symbols in the correct order for each phrase.

Source: The English and Spanish versions of the printable used in the activity above are included in the Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

Day of the Dead Verb Nomenclature Cards

This activity includes twelve verb cards that depict aspects of el Día de Muertos with kid friendly, beautiful true-to-life images. The cards can be used as matching cards, or as nomenclature cards as depicted in the photograph above.

On the work tray I include the red sphere, which is the Montessori grammar symbol that represents the verb. In the cute little Day of the Dead skull box, I found at the dollar store, are word strips and pictures separated.  The cards at the bottom left hand corner of the tray, below the grammar symbol, are the control cards.

Kids match up the pictures with the word strips and can then check their work using the control cards.

Source: The printable for this activity is from our Montessori-inspired Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

Day of the Dead Verb Nomenclature Cards in Spanish

My husband and I couldn't resist creating verb cards in Spanish for Princess and anyone who wants to use them. She's just beginning her journey understanding verb conjugation, so to develop a larger verb repertoire will be nice.

At first we'll present the English and Spanish cards as a match up activity. Then we'll provide a Spanish control with word strips and picures from the English set of cards for her to work on.

These cards can be used in so many different ways!

Source: The English and Spanish versions of the printable used in the activity above are included in the Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

Day of the Dead Preposition Clip Cards

When I find a subject that provides for a great study of prepositions, I jump at the chance to create some beautiful new printables.  In this case, I jumped at the chance to ask my husband to make them for me while I worked on the other el Día de Muertos printables.  Lol. Boy did he deliver!

Students use the mini skulls provided to mark the answer on each of the 12 clip cards in the activity. The Montessori grammar symbol for a preposition is provided as a reminder of what a preposition is.

Source: The printable for this activity is from our Montessori-inspired Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

Day of the Dead Preposition Clip Cards in Spanish

As with other el Día de los Muertos grammar activities, we have provided a Spanish version of the preposition clip cards to help Princess with her Spanish studies.  

Please note that prepositions are a little different when spoken in Spanish compared to English so answer options may include more than one word. 

No matter what cards you choose to use, we hope you enjoy them!

Source: The English and Spanish versions of the printable used in the activity above are included in the Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

Day of the Dead Grammar Environment Invitation to Play

To help reinforce grammar concepts, I created an invitation to play that represents various aspects of el Día de Muertos.  The kids will select items and then create sentences using the grammar word strips provided.

In October the kids will be building ofrendas or altars dedicated to deceased loved ones. The grammar word strips will most likely be used with those as well.

What I love most about the Day of the Dead Grammar Environment Word Strips is that the noun section includes abstract ideas, which is hard to pull off with other themes, when teaching nouns.

FREE Day of the Dead Grammar Environment Word Strips

As I was putting together our Day of the Dead Grammar Environment Invitation to Play, I realized that there were so many other words that could be used in our set of word strips that had been left out, due to the constraints of our grammar environment templates. 

For this reason, we've created a few bonus pages that include more adjectives, nouns, and verbs.  

Source: The bonus Day of the Dead Grammar Environment Word Strips Printable Pack is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. To obtain your copy, follow the directions below.

Directions on How to Obtain Subscriber Only Freebies

1. Click on the Subscriber's link at the bottom of this post.

2. Subscribe to our free newsletter.

3. Open the thank you message you receive in your e-mail, after subscribing. (Be sure to check your spam folder, as sometimes it ends up there.)

4. Click the confirmation link in the thank you message.

5. Once the confirmation is complete, you will receive another e-mail message with the Subscriber Only Freebies.

6. Click on the link.

7. Select the Minimalism, Montessori, or Mental Health Printables Library.

8. Find the printable pack you are looking for listed in alphabetical order, click on it, and voila!

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

Note: If you are already a newsletter subscriber, open your most recent newsletter. At the bottom you will find a link to the Free Printables Library.

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El Día de Muertos or el Día de los Muertos is the perfect time of year to study the human skeleton without any scary associations. 

Our Day of the Dead Skeleton Activities with Free Printable are the perfect resource to use with your students!

In our home many are frightened by the scary and gory figures associated with Halloween. They have requested that we focus studies on and celebrate el Día de Muertos and Harry Potter instead.

El Día de los Muertos is cultural holiday from Mexico that honors the dead. It is not associated with Halloween. 

Skeletons and skulls are used in Day of the Dead festivities and decorations to represent the dead and celebrate them.

Where Halloween is celebrated October 31st in the United States and other countries, el Día de Muertos is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd in Mexico and other countries.

Day of the Dead Skeleton Activities with Free Printable

Meet Alex Bones!

To kick off our study of the human skeleton, I knew I needed to find a non-scary skeleton my kids would enjoy, big enough to help with learning.  Thankfully Walmart had just what I needed for only $9.99.

Before we began our study, I introduced the kids to the happy skeleton and asked that we give him a name. 

The kids decided on Alex Bones, so that's what we've called him ever since.  All of the kids love him and are having loads of fun learning about him.

Parts of a Skeleton Labeling Activity

The first activity we did after meeting and naming Alex Bones, was learn the names and locations of all of his many bones, using the printable in the picture above.  

A control was provided, which helped the kids locate each bone on Alex, and then label it on their paper.

I loved how Alex is the perfect size for exploration and brought such a fun dimension to the kids' studies. It was a very hands on activity which is always a win!

Source: The printable used in this activity is included in the Day of the Dead Mini Bundle. 

Bone Structure Coloring Activity

Now that the kids are a little older, it wasn't enough just to study the parts of the skeleton. 

Dinomite, Bulldozer, and Princess wanted to know more, so I introduced bone structure.  

We talked about how bones are not just solid and include soft layers as well as marrow.  

The kids found it all fascinating.

They enjoyed the coloring activity. It helped them understand the complexities of bones in an easy and fun way.

Source: The printable used in this activity is included in the Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

Bone Fractures Cutting Activity

Last January or February, Dinomite dislocated and broke his pinky toe. 

Not a month later, Bulldozer broke his pinky finger. 

A month after that, Bulldozer broke one of his toes. 

Princess also sprained a finger and ended up in physical therapy due to Severe's Disease.  

To say the least, I was concerned as to why all of my kids were literally falling apart. 

Doctors and physical therapists assured me that all was typical for their ages as their bodies were changing at rapid paces, including their bones.

All of these broken bones led to a fascination about how bones actually break, which was the inspiration for this activity.  

The boys loved identifying which breaks they had experienced.

To utilize the bone fracture nomenclature cards in a more hands on way, the kids created the breaks using bananas as bones. 

They had so much fun doing this, even though Dinomite despises bananas and needed to use a fork so he wouldn't have to touch them.

The examples above are just a couple of the breaks the kids recreated. 

It was so interesting to see how fascinated they were with the process of creating the breaks to look like the cards.

This activity really gave them a better understanding of exactly what happens to bones when they do break and why it's so important to follow the doctor's instructions for healing.

Dinomite especially understood why he needed his bone put back in place, as opposed to his brother, who did not have to go through that same experience, even with two broken bones.

Source: The printable used in this activity is included in the Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

Animal Skeleton Match Up Cards

The Day of the Dead not only honors people who have died but also animals. 

Animals also play special roles in El Día de los Muertos traditions. 

Needless to say I had to include a skeleton activity related to animals in my mini bundle.

At our house, the older kids matched animal skeletons without words to animal figures we have in our collection. 

They were fascinated by how the animal skeletons looked compared to the actual animals. No one could believe a crow has such a long neck!  Lol.

If Sunshine were home, she'd match animal skeletons with names to animal photographs with names, and then match up animal figures if she so desired.  

Or, if she was simply fascinated with the skeletons, which is entirely possible, we would just use the animal skeleton cards.

The sky is the limit!

Source: The printable used in this activity is included in the Day of the Dead Mini Bundle.

FREE Day of the Dead Parts of the Human Skull Activity

As we learned with our skeleton friend Alex Bones, the kids showed interest in learning more about the skull and what each of the parts are called. 

For this reason I created the FREE Day of the Dead Parts of the Human Skull Activity.

It includes three pages:

• A colored diagram of the parts of the skull labeled using a side profile
• A colored diagram with blank squares for students to fill in the blank
• A black and white version of the image that students can color and label if desired.

I'm super excited about the kids' interest in the skull as it will transition perfectly into a study of the brain which is coming soon!

Source: The Day of the Dead Parts of the Human Skull Activity is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions below.

Directions on How to Obtain Subscriber Only Freebies

1. Click on the Subscriber's link at the bottom of this post.

2. Subscribe to our free newsletter.

3. Open the thank you message you receive in your e-mail, after subscribing. (Be sure to check your spam folder, as sometimes it ends up there.)

4. Click the confirmation link in the thank you message.

5. Once the confirmation is complete, you will receive another e-mail message with the Subscriber Only Freebies.

6. Click on the link.

7. Select the Minimalism, Montessori, or Mental Health Printables Library.

8. Find the printable pack you are looking for listed in alphabetical order, click on it, and voila!

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

Note: If you are already a newsletter subscriber, open your most recent newsletter. At the bottom you will find a link to the Free Printables Library.

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This is part 3 of an experience we had with our daughter regarding the mental health system and how it failed us horribly. Feel free to read part 1 and part 2 as well.

We live in a world where someone is innocent until proven guilty.

But do we really treat them that way once there’s been an incident?

We teach our children about the difference between bad guys and good guys.

What about the in between guys?

What makes a person bad?

What makes a person good?

After all we can do and after exhausting every resource, we send our children to places and people that are supposed to help them, only to learn that sometimes they do the opposite.

How is it that we as parents are judged so harshly, and yet people at these places get a free pass?

Over the last two months I have watched the system fail us horribly over and over and over again.

The System Failed Us Horribly

I have seen how this script of good guy versus bad guy plays out in the most horrific ways, as I was trying to fight for someone who makes good and bad choices each and every day.

It still shocks me how as a parent, I need to be perfect in every way, or else there are harsh consequences, yet caretakers who are trained and hired to help my child, can do whatever they want and are protected because apparently their behaviors were warranted.

You Will Be Charged with Abandonment

On Thursday, July 8^th, I received a call stating that I could finally pick up Sunshine. The interstate contract had been revoked. 

If you're just joining our story now, be sure to read, How to Work with a Broken Mental Health System first.

I was told that I had five days to pick up my daughter, or my husband and I would be charged with abandonment. She would become a warrant of the state where her RTC was located.

It still baffles me how the system couldn’t protect my Sunshine from being abused where she was placed to get help, yet somehow it’s my fault, to the point that I lose my child if I don’t do exactly what I am told in the short time I am given. (I would never abandon my child.)

What would have happened if I hadn’t had the funds in my account to make that 8 hour trip one way?

Would have happened if I didn’t have transportation?

What would have happened if my husband and I worked outside of the home and couldn't get the time off?

Why does the system treat parents as the enemy?

I will never understand this.

Hard Decisions

After spending the weekend preparing, I drove to Sunshine’s RTC on July 12^th by myself.

My husband stayed behind with our other kids, in case anything happened and I couldn’t make it back when I hoped to.

All the way there, through the rain and wind, I prayed.

What do I do?

I had no idea what state Sunshine would be in or if I would become her next target.

The answer I kept receiving was to minister to her. 

For whatever time we had in between placements, I was to minister to her.

A Dose of Reality

When I arrived at the hotel, near the residential treatment center, I called the RTC to let them know I was there and asked if I should come get her that night, or in the morning.  They requested I wait until the morning so they could get all of her things together.

I showed up at the RTC to pick up Sunshine first thing the next morning.

Nothing was ready.

I waited over four hours to obtain all that I needed to take her home.

The RTC thought it to be okay that I leave with only one day’s worth of meds.

I refused to sign paperwork without prescriptions and communication with Sunshine’s psychiatrist at home.

The RTC thought it would be okay that Sunshine leave unbathed, without hair or teeth brushed, in rags without shoes and covered from head to toe in bruises.

I refused to sign paperwork and leave until Sunshine was bathed, her hair done and a complete body check completed with paperwork to document all of the bruises.

Thankfully I had brought a new pair of clothes, toiletry items, and had even gone as far as purchasing a new pair of shoes just in case. 

Staff asked to use what I had brought as they didn’t have items on hand for Sunshine otherwise.

The RTC thought it would be okay to send Sunshine home with nothing, even though we had sent several pairs of shoes, clothing sets for all four seasons, with endless supplies of socks and underwear.

We had sent her stuffed animals for her birthday and for Christmas.

Only minimal stained rags came back. Sunshine didn’t even have a pair of underwear to her name.

While at the RTC as I waited, I listened as the nurses station was paged over and over and over again for holds etc. The nurse would reply she was the only one there and she hadn’t even had the chance to distribute morning meds to some of the children. She could not help out where needed.

I had to ask and demand that Sunshine receive her meds on time.

Paperwork stated that a discharge safety plan needed to be set up and explained to Sunshine before she was able to leave.

Staff had no issues with forgetting this step. I had to refuse to sign, until it took place.

And just like that after four hours of waiting and witnessing the chaos of what “help” looked like at this  RTC, I loaded Sunshine into our twelve passenger van, Big Red, and we left to make the long trip back together.

The Rules of the System

Meanwhile that same morning, my husband had a meeting with the county at home. 

You see, due to the fact that Sunshine had made no progress in the RTC, she was still considered a danger to our family and the community.

The county knew the situation we were in, but the rules of the system are what they are, even if a placement cannot be found when needed.

My husband proposed our safety plan, seeking approval.

Sunshine would stay in a local hotel, close to the sheriff’s office and local ER with parents rotating out until her next placement became available.

Her siblings would not have contact with her in person. She would have a parent as a one-to-one at all times.

The county approved of our plan, but could not provide any financial support towards hotel costs.

Everyone on the county community services board felt horrible but could do nothing. 

Sunshine needed to be in a residential setting for the safety of those in the community. That's how the system worked. There were no exceptions.

My husband texted me after the meeting with the county, letting me know of their approval of the safety plan. I was still waiting for staff to get it together at the RTC before I left with Sunshine at the time.

I don’t know what would have happened if the county said no to our proposed safety plan. 

I do know what would have happened if we had brought Sunshine home and she hurt someone.

It would have been our fault. 

My husband and I would have been charged with endangerment.

I still wonder, what would have happened if we couldn’t figure out how to pay for the hotel?

How is it that the system expects families to do all of this on their own?

Still even now, none of this makes sense to me.

Crossing State Lines

My goal once Sunshine was in Big Red, was to make it into our home state by day’s end.

I had every e-mail from both states on my phone needed for documentation purposes in case things went awry and I had to call police.

I had every piece of documentation from the RTC that I needed in case upon seeing Sunshine’s bruises, law enforcement thought that I had abused my child.

I knew the drive would be slow, because Sunshine wouldn’t be able to handle much, and it was.

But we did it without any complications.

The first part of Sunshine’s transition was a success.

We didn’t know at the time, that it would be the easiest part.

To read the next part of Sunshine's story in this situation, please continue on with the post below.

She Needs a Forensics Exam

For those who would like to continue to follow Sunshine's journey to safety and healing, be sure to subscribe to our FREE newsletter where we share regular updates on her progress.

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