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Join us as we journey to the incredible country of Guatemala! During this virtual tour of Guatemala for kids, we’ll take a fun and inspiring Guatemala virtual field trip. It’s a perfect way to explore and also serve the world right from home during this holiday season!
You can find the full list of countries for the global children’s advent right HERE. Be sure to sign up for the email list to get all the information in advance and to receive fun extras!
This Guatemala virtual tour contains affiliate links, but all opinions are 100% my own. That means I earn a small commission if you purchase through my link, but doesn’t change your price.
Table of Contents
Around the world, families have been deeply affected by COVID-19. Already vulnerable communities, however, have been disproportionately affected. The pandemic has removed opportunities for work and business, and a shortage of personal protective equipment has put individuals without access at far greater risk.
Cotopaxi has partnered with Mercy Corps to provide masks to vulnerable rural communities in Guatemala. These masks help families stay safe while they begin to farm and do business again.
Mercy Corps has also provided financial assistance and is looking to provide purified water and emergency kits to evacuation shelters for those even further affected by natural disasters.
Abuela’s Weave by Omar S. Castaneda (Author), Enrique O. Sanchez (Illustrator)
Find it on Bookshop.org and support local bookstores.
Spanish is one of the main languages of Guatemala and is spoken by 90% of the population. K’iche’, Q’eqchi’, and Kaqchikel are some of the 21 Mayan dialects that are spoken.
Here’s some information about the history of indigenous languages.
Color in Guatemala on this map of Central America!
Flag from HERE
HERE is a fun printable Guatemala flag coloring sheet!
Tikal is an ancient Mayan fortress located in the rainforests of northern Guatemala. Temple IV inside is the tallest pre-Colombian structure in the Americas. Just the central part of the ancient city contains 3,000 buildings!
Archaeologists believe the Maya originally settled in the area of Tikal around 900 B.C. At its height, Tikal was the most important Maya city and had about 100,000 residents.
Rigoberta Menchú, a K’iche’ Mayan, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 for her work advocating for the human rights of Indigenous Guatemalans, especially women. The Guatemalan Civil War lasted from 1960-1996 as rural people, including many Indigenous people, fought for rights of land ownership with the existing Guatemalan government.
In 1981, Rigoberta escaped to Mexico for safety and wrote a book about her life’s experiences in Spanish (even though she had only learned Spanish three years earlier!), which brought International attention to the genocide of Native People in Guatemala. She won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work for Social Justice and the rights of Indigenous people. Rigoberta continues to use her voice for good as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and travels around the world speaking to youth through PeaceJam conferences.
She is also the author of the children’s book The Honey Jar, which features tales her grandparents would tell her as a child. (Find it on Bookshop.org and support local bookstores.)
Rina Lazo Wasem was a Guatemalan muralist who believed art could revive a Nation’s history. Rina studied under Diego Rivera – after he recognized her as “the best of his students” and worked with him for ten years.
She produced frescos, murals in vinyl and stucco in Guatemala City. Another Mural she created in Guatemala is “Venceremos” (1959), which later the Guatemalan government would honor along with other murals. She learned that artists should not be isolated from society, but rather “be in the streets” and observe what is happening and ensure her art was a reflection of the people.
She reproduced ancient Mayan murals at Bonampak.
The Ancient Maya were very skilled in weaving colorful cloth into beautiful designs. You can try your hand at a simple weaving project with paper plate weaving!
Materials: You’ll need paper plates, a pen, a ruler, scissors, and yarn.
You can find all the instructions for making this beautiful quetzal for Guatemala’s Independence Day on September 15th right here on Growing Up Bilingual. The author, Paula, grew up in Guatemala and shares wonderful activities for a Guatemala virtual tour!
Chamuscas, or street soccer, is very popular in Guatemala. Ulama is a ball game based on an ancient Mayan sport. Marbles and jump rope are also popular.
Pepian is a a very traditional Guatemalan dish that combines Mayan and Spanish traditions. It’s one of the oldest dishes in the country and is a spicy meat stew with vegetables. It’s usually served with tortillas and rice.
Here is a recipe to make pepian at home!
Elotes locos is a popular street food in Guatemala and other Central American countries. It covers corn on the cob in mayonnaise, spices, cheese, and more.
Here’s a recipe for elotes locos!
Guatemala’s beautiful national bird is the quetzal. It is unfortunately at risk of extinction. Other birds, like toucans and Montezuma oropendola, are also common. Vampire bats, spider monkeys, and armadillos all live in Guatemala.
We’ve loved putting together this resource to virtually visit Guatemala. We’d love to hear if you do any of these activities for a homeschooling Guatemala unit, or if you visit in person!
We hope to inspire curiosity and connection through exploring and learning, and we hope this guide helps you and your families. Please share any activities you do with us over on our Instagram. And we’d be delighted if you passed this Guatemala for kids virtual tour and homeschooling resource along to others, as well!
