fun things to do with kids in mexico city - family travel   Travel for Kids
Mexico
   
     
   

Mexico City

Aztec Calendar
Mexico City was built on the site of the magnificent Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. When the Spanish arrived in 1519, they were boggled at the sight of Tenochtitlan, a large city situated on an island in a glittering lake. The center of the city and the Aztec universe was the Great Temple, the Templo Mayor, site of rituals and sacrifices. Today the Templo Mayor has been fully excavated, revealing layer after layer of ancient history. Traveling with kids in Mexico City, plan on spending some time – it's not a city to sightsee in a rush.
 

Centro Historico

 

Chapultepec Park

 

Mexico City day trips

  Walk down Paseo de la Reforma – Starting at Chapultepec Park, take a long stroll down this wide tree-lined boulevard, inspired by the Champs Elysees in Paris. The boulevard is punctuated with different monuments, starting with a large fountain, Fuente de Diana Cazadora. The next monument is the Monumento a la Independencia (El Angel), a tall column with an angel on top. The Monumento a Cuauhtemoc commemorates the last Aztec emperor. The last monument, Monumento a Cristobal Colon, is in honor of Christopher Columbus.
    Tip: The Mexico City subway is a great way to get around the city. The Metro is fast, modern and some stations have bits of Aztec ruins. When you take taxis in Mexico City, only take ones from marked taxi stands (or have your hotel call a taxi). Don't hail any old taxi off the street.
   

Shopping

  Markets (Mercados) – Peruse the markets for an amazing array of handicrafts, such as the Mercado La Lagunilla, Mercado de Artesanias, Plaza de la Ciudadela, Mercado San Juan. Stop in the Bazaar Sabado (Plaza, San Jacinto, San Angel) on Saturdays.
kids books aztecs mexico city
     
 
The Aztec Empire
Sunita Apte

Get to know the ancient Aztec –, their capital city of Tenochtitlan, built in the middle of a lake, with stone temples, palaces and canals. Find out about Aztec gods, society, religion, daily life, and the end of the empire when the Spanish arrived. (Picture book)

 

     
How to Be an Aztec Warrior
Fiona Macdonald, Mark Bergin

Do you have the right stuff to be an Aztec warrior – are you from the right clan, did you go to the right school, do you have your own weapons, can you walk for miles and live off the land? Take the test to see if you get the job of Aztec warrior. (Picture book)

 

 
     
The Sad Night - kids books aztecs mexico city  

Dramatic story of the Spanish arrival in Tenochtitlan, and the "Sad Night," when Cortes and his men try to escape, using a portable wooden bridge. The Aztecs pursue the Spanish, and run them out of town. Colorful Aztec pictograph-style illustrations.
(Picture book)

 

     

Choose three different paths for life in the Aztec empire – as a healer in the city, Eagle or Jaguar warrior, or travel with the Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes. (Illustrated chapter book)

 

 
     
 
You Wouldn't Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice!
Fiona Macdonald, David Antram

Humorous, step-by-step description of Aztec sacrifices. What to expect when the Aztecs come to town, what happens after you're captured, how you'll meet your end, plus useful tips – "Hope to be chosen to play in the ball game. If you win, you'll have a chance of surviving, because only the losing team is sacrificed!" (Picture book)

 

     

Itacate lives in Tenochtitlan, center of the Aztec empire. Her father is a famed goldsmith, but when Montezuma requests a special golden statue, it’s Itacate who makes it in secret. And when the Spanish invaders arrive, Itacate finds her whole world is changed, forever. A good teen read.
(Chapter book)

 

 
mexico city childrens books aztecs  The Goldsmith's Daughter
     
Hidden World of the Aztec kids books mexico city  

Find out about the latest archeological discoveries and new excavations, right in downtown Mexico City, at the Great Temple of the Aztecs – what the temple looked like, Aztec rituals and blood sacrifices, spectacular restorations such as the statue of God of Death. This is an excellent introduction, before you visit the Great Temple ruins and museum. (Illustrated chapter book)

 

(More children's books on other Mexico pages)
travel for kids | mexico | mexico city
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