Mexico’s ‘Día del Niño’ children’s day comes to V&A Museum of Childhood

You could hardly see delight on the kids’ faces for all the sombreros and colourful masks when the first-ever British version of Mexico’s Children’s Day came to town.

Girls in sombreros trying traditional Mexican 'Old Men's' dance - Credit: Archant

The traditional ‘Día del Niño’ arrived in London’s East End when it was staged at the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green on Saturday, organised by the Mexican Embassy.

Sisters Eve, 3, and Beatrice Quaye, 6, show off their traditional Mexican wrestler masks - Credit: Archant

It’s a special occasion for children to commemorate their virtues—innocence, imagination, inquisitiveness and light-heartedness.

The aim is to strengthen family bonds and remind grown-ups that the world is as fun as we want it to be.

And that’s just what the grown-ups had to learn when the kids got down to the serious business in life—having fun.

It involved face painting, story-telling, traditional dancing and mask making, as well as a Piñata workshop.

The embassy donated one of Mexico’s traditional toys, the balero, with have-a-go sessions for kids to become familiar with it.