Some of the most engaging learning experiences begin with something familiar: a favorite food, a shared meal, or a story that invites children to wonder, imagine, and try something new.
National Nachos Day offers a playful opportunity to explore food, cooking, creativity, and the joy of sharing. With a picture book, a few simple materials, and an invitation to experiment, this food-themed celebration can become much more than a conversation about a favorite snack.
For young children, it can be an opportunity to explore early math, language, sensory experiences, dramatic play, and even the story of how an everyday food became popular.
And, of course, it is a wonderful excuse to bring books and a little pretend cooking into the day.
Start with a Story: Nacho’s Nachos
Nacho’s Nachos: The Story Behind the World’s Favorite Snack by Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Oliver Dominguez
If you choose just one book for National Nachos Day, make it Nacho’s Nachos.
This illustrated nonfiction picture book introduces children to Ignacio Anaya, affectionately known as Nacho, and the story behind the creation of nachos. It offers a fascinating starting point for conversations about creativity, problem-solving, and how an unexpected moment can inspire something new.
The book also provides an opportunity to explore Mexican food history and to remind children that familiar foods often have stories of their own.
After reading: Invite children to become little food inventors. Provide paper tortilla chips, pretend toppings, and a plate. What kind of nachos would they create? What would they call their special recipe? Encourage them to describe their creations and explain what makes them unique.
You could also introduce a simple question: Can you think of something that was invented because someone tried a new idea?
The goal isn't to recreate the original recipe perfectly. It's to encourage curiosity, imagination, and the confidence to experiment.
Set Up a Pretend Nacho Bar
A pretend nacho bar is a simple invitation to explore food, language, and mathematical thinking through play.
Arrange a small collection of materials on a tray or table:
Paper or felt tortilla chips
Small bowls or wooden containers
Yellow and orange play dough for pretend cheese
Red, green, and brown felt pieces for different toppings
Wooden spoons and child-sized tongs
Small plates or baskets
A simple illustrated menu
Invite children to prepare nachos for themselves, their friends, or their stuffed animals.
They can choose toppings, serve portions, take orders, and invent combinations. Some may focus on filling their plates, while others may spend time arranging each ingredient carefully.
Follow their interests rather than directing every step. A child who begins sorting toppings by color is exploring classification. Another who makes a plate for each friend is thinking about quantity and sharing. A child who creates a menu is already engaging with early writing.
A small extension: Invite children to name their creations. You might hear about Rainbow Nachos, Super Cheesy Nachos, or a special recipe that includes every topping on the table.
Write down their names and display the menu beside the pretend nacho bar.
Explore Early Math with Tortilla Chips
Nachos offer a natural way to explore numbers, counting, sorting, patterns, and simple comparisons.
You don't need a worksheet or a formal lesson. A handful of paper or felt chips and a few small bowls are enough to get started.
Try these playful invitations:
Count and serve. Ask children to place five pretend tortilla chips on a plate. Can they make another plate with the same number?
Sort the toppings. Use colored counters, felt pieces, or play dough to represent cheese, tomatoes, and other toppings. Invite children to sort them by color, shape, or type.
Make a pattern. Arrange a sequence of yellow, red, yellow, red pieces. Can children continue the pattern? What happens if you change the order?
Compare portions. Prepare two pretend plates. Which has more chips? Which has fewer? Can children make the plates equal?
For older children, introduce simple addition by asking how many chips there are altogether when two small groups are combined.
Keep the materials open-ended and let the conversation guide the learning.
Build Language Through a Little Kitchen Play
Food offers a rich vocabulary that children can explore through meaningful conversations.
As children prepare their pretend nachos, introduce words such as crunchy, crispy, melted, sprinkle, pour, mix, choose, and share.
You can also introduce the names of ingredients and talk about their colors, shapes, textures, and smells.
Rather than asking children to repeat words in isolation, model the language naturally during play:
"You sprinkled the cheese over the chips."
"Your plate has more tomatoes than mine."
"What ingredient would you like to add next?"
"Your nachos look different from your friend's. Tell me about your recipe."
These small exchanges help children connect new words with actions and experiences.
For children who are ready to explore early writing, offer a notepad for taking orders, making shopping lists, or creating a menu.
A few marks, drawings, or invented spellings can become meaningful communication when they serve a real purpose in play.
Create a Nacho Recipe Card
After exploring the pretend nacho bar, invite children to document their favorite creation.
Provide a piece of paper, colored pencils, and a few simple prompts:
My nachos are called…
First, I add…
Next, I add…
My favorite topping is…
I would share my nachos with…
Children can draw their finished plate and dictate the ingredients while an adult writes their words.
Older children might attempt to write the names of the ingredients themselves or arrange picture cards to show the order in which they would prepare their snack.
This activity connects storytelling, sequencing, oral language, and early literacy in a way that feels purposeful.
You can collect the recipe cards into a small class cookbook or display them beside the pretend kitchen.
Investigate the Science of Food
Food is full of opportunities for observation and discovery.
For National Nachos Day, keep the science simple and concrete. Choose one small investigation rather than trying to cover everything at once.
What Happens When Cheese Gets Warm?
If you are preparing nachos with an adult, invite children to observe what happens to shredded cheese when it is warmed.
Before beginning, ask:
What do you think will happen?
Will the cheese stay the same?
What changes can you see?
What happens when the cheese cools?
Children can describe the changes they observe, compare before-and-after pictures, and discuss what they notice.
An adult should handle all hot dishes and appliances, and children should observe from a safe distance.
Which Ingredients Are Different?
Offer photographs or samples of familiar ingredients, where appropriate, and invite children to compare their colors, shapes, and textures.
How is a tortilla chip different from a tomato? Which ingredients are hard, soft, smooth, or bumpy?
If you use real food, check for allergies and dietary restrictions, supervise closely, and adapt materials to the children's ages and needs.
The emphasis is on noticing, comparing, asking questions, and sharing ideas.
Make Tortilla Chips with Play Dough
Sometimes the simplest materials offer the richest possibilities.
Provide yellow or light-brown play dough, small rolling pins, and child-safe tools. Invite children to roll the dough flat and create their own tortilla chips.
They might make triangles, circles, or completely original shapes.
Add small pieces of red, green, and orange play dough for pretend toppings. Wooden bowls and small plates can turn the invitation into a complete pretend cooking experience.
As children work, you can explore questions such as:
How can you make your chip thinner?
Can you make a triangle with three sides?
How many chips have you made?
What happens when you combine different colors?
There is no need for every child to produce the same result. The process of rolling, shaping, arranging, and experimenting is the learning experience.
Bring the Story to the Art Table
After reading Nacho’s Nachos, set out paper, colored pencils, scissors, and collage materials.
Invite children to design their own imaginary nacho creation.
They might draw a plate filled with colorful toppings, create a menu illustration, or invent a completely new snack.
For a simple collage, provide paper triangles in different shades of yellow and orange. Children can arrange them on a plate-shaped piece of paper and add their favorite toppings using colored paper or crayons.
You could also invite them to design a restaurant sign or create a logo for their imaginary nacho business.
These activities encourage children to make choices, explore composition, and communicate their ideas visually.
The finished pieces can become part of a small Nacho Café display alongside the children's recipe cards and menus.
Practice Sharing and Social-Emotional Learning
Food often brings people together, making it a natural starting point for conversations about friendship, generosity, and consideration for others.
During pretend restaurant play, invite children to prepare a plate for someone else.
Who would they like to serve? What might that person enjoy? How could they make the experience special?
Children can practice taking turns, listening to one another's ideas, negotiating roles, and making decisions together.
You might also talk about how different people enjoy different foods. Some people love spicy flavors, while others prefer mild ones. Some families prepare nachos in one way, while other families use different ingredients.
The aim is not to decide which version is best. It is to help children understand that preferences and food traditions can differ, and that sharing a meal can be an opportunity to learn about one another.
Make Real Nachos Together
If it suits your setting, finish the celebration with a simple food-preparation experience.
An adult can prepare tortilla chips and offer a small selection of suitable toppings, such as grated cheese, diced tomatoes, or cooked beans. Children can help choose and arrange ingredients, depending on their age and abilities.
Before preparing or serving food, check for allergies, dietary requirements, choking hazards, and any relevant food-safety considerations.
Keep the experience relaxed. Children can help arrange the ingredients, describe what they notice, and talk about the choices they make.
You might invite them to sequence the process:
First, we put the chips on the plate.
Next, we choose our toppings.
Then, we arrange the ingredients.
Finally, we share our creation.
For children who do not eat the ingredients being offered, a pretend version of the activity can be just as engaging.
The focus is on participation, communication, and the pleasure of doing something together.
Create a Little Nacho Learning Basket
If you prefer to keep the celebration simple, gather a few materials into a basket that children can revisit throughout the day.
Include:
Nacho’s Nachos by Sandra Nickel
Paper or felt tortilla chips
Small bowls and wooden spoons
Colored counters or felt toppings
Play dough and a small rolling pin
Paper, pencils, and a simple menu template
A small plate or tray for pretend serving
Place the basket near a book nook, play kitchen, or invitation-to-play table.
Children can explore it independently, return to the story, or develop their own ideas as the day unfolds.
You don't need to introduce every activity or use every material. A thoughtfully prepared environment gives children the freedom to choose, repeat, and extend their play.
A Few More Read-Alouds to Explore
If you'd like to extend the theme beyond nachos, these picture books offer additional ways to explore food, cooking, creativity, and cultural traditions.
Gazpacho for Nacho by Tracey C. Kyle, illustrated by Carolina Farías
Nacho wants to eat gazpacho for every meal and resists trying other foods. His experiences at the market introduce him to a wider variety of vegetables.
After reading: Invite children to create a pretend market with toy or felt vegetables. They can sort produce by color, make shopping lists, and talk about the ingredients they recognize. Keep the conversation positive and avoid pressuring children to taste unfamiliar foods.
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
This humorous story follows dragons who love tacos but get into trouble when they encounter spicy salsa. Its playful premise makes it an engaging choice for imaginative storytelling.
After reading: Invite children to design a meal for an imaginary dragon. What might the dragon like to eat? What ingredients would they include? Children can draw a menu, build a pretend feast, or invent a new food for their dragon.
The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred by Samantha R. Vamos, illustrated by Rafael López
This rhythmic, cumulative story follows a group of farm animals and other helpers as they work together to make arroz con leche. The text offers opportunities to explore sequencing, repetition, food vocabulary, and collaboration.
After reading: Invite children to retell the story using picture cards or toy animals. They can put the events in order and discuss how each character contributes to the recipe.
These books are not all about nachos, but each offers a meaningful way to extend a food-themed celebration through literature and play.
Keep the Celebration Simple
National Nachos Day does not need an elaborate setup or a long list of activities.
One good book, a small invitation to play, and a few thoughtful questions can be enough to spark a morning of meaningful exploration.
You might read Nacho’s Nachos, set out a pretend nacho bar, and let the children decide where the play goes next. If they become interested in recipes, follow that idea. If they prefer counting chips or inventing a restaurant, give them room to explore.
The most valuable moments often happen when children are given time to experiment, talk, make decisions, and return to an idea in their own way.
This November 6, celebrate National Nachos Day with a story, a little imagination, and an invitation to create something of their own.
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