An ofrenda is a table set with love: candles to light the way, marigolds to guide the way home, bread to share, and a photograph of someone who is missed. These seven pages draw that table and the things that belong on it — the three-tier altar itself, pan de muerto, a decorated cross, a frame for a loved one’s photo — and the companions that gather around it: a guitar with flowers, a dove with a marigold, a smiling sun. Colour them warm and bright, and talk about who the altar is for while you colour.
The Ofrenda Altar
The ofrenda altar is the heart of this set. The three-tier altar is drawn with large, open areas, so it is a good first page for ages 3–5. Before you start colouring, talk together about what an ofrenda is for: it is a table made with love to remember someone who has died, and to welcome them home for Día de los Muertos.
Bread, Cross and Photo Frame
Pan de muerto is the sweet bread of the dead, baked for Día de los Muertos and set on the altar to share. The decorated cross and the photo frame belong on the ofrenda too. The bread and the cross have large open areas for younger colourists, while the picture frame has finer detail for ages 6–8. A lovely activity: colour the photo frame and draw a loved one’s picture inside it.
Altar-Scene Companions
The guitar with flowers, the dove with a marigold and the smiling sun are altar-scene companions. They gather around the ofrenda and set the scene for the celebration, but they are not things that sit on the ofrenda itself. All three have finer detail, so they suit ages 6–8 best.
How to print (A4 and US Letter)
Print the PDF single-sided on A4 or US Letter, at 100% scale. The set is free, with no sign-up and no email gate, and there are seven pages in each file. Markers and coloured pencils suit the fine detail best; crayons work well for the larger altar page. Ages 3–8: the altar, pan de muerto and cross have large open areas for 3–5s, and the frame, guitar, dove and sun have finer detail for 6–8s.
