Gather, Remember, Play: Día de los Muertos with DigiLotería
On November 1 and 2, families across Mexico, the United States and beyond celebrate Día de los Muertos. Communities fill with ofrendas: altars covered in bright orange cempasúchil (marigolds), papel picado, candles, pan de muerto, and photos of the people we love and miss. It’s a time to remember, tell stories and be together.
In many of those communities, there’s also a Lotería game on the table. Lotería is a traditional Mexican game of chance, similar to bingo but played with illustrated cards instead of numbered balls. Someone calls out “¡El corazón!” and kids, parents and abuelos race to cover their boards with frijoles. It’s one of the games that brings every generation to the same table.
This year, we’re inviting you to bring a new deck to your communities.
Meet DigiLotería
DigiLotería is digitalLIFT’s free, bilingual take on the classic game. Instead of el gallo and la sirena, players listen for el Wi-Fi, la contraseña segura and el phishing. Every card is called in Spanish and English. After each call, the caller shares one quick tip, like “check that the web address is spelled exactly right before you type a card number.”
The first player to fill a line shouts “¡Lotería!” and wins by explaining two of their words. Often a grandchild explains one and a grandparent explains the other.
Because it’s built on pictures and a game people already love, DigiLotería works especially well for older adults and for learners who are still building their reading skills. It’s a low-pressure way to get comfortable with tech words, and for many people, it’s the first step toward joining a digital skills class. We’ve played a version of DigiLotería with partners in San Antonio, and community members have loved it.
The free kit includes:
- 54 color-coded call cards (the same number as a traditional Lotería deck), ready to print and cut
- 35 numbered game boards
- Facilitator instructions with an 85-minute workshop plan
- A two-page participant handout
No phones or computers are needed to play.
Host a DigiLotería family night
- Print and cut the cards and boards. Dried beans make perfect markers.
- Pair generations. Put a younger player and an older player on the same board so they teach each other.
- Start small. Play a round with just the orange “getting connected” cards: Wi-Fi, router, hotspot.
- Share a story. When a card comes up, ask who has a story about it, such as the first video call with family far away.
- End with one action. If someone has their phone handy, help them turn on two-step verification for their email before they leave.
Sharing memories safely online
Día de los Muertos is also a time when many of us share photos of loved ones online, build digital ofrendas, or video call family in other countries. A few habits keep those memories, and your accounts, safe:
- Think before you post details. Birthdates, hometowns and maiden names are common security questions. Share the memory, not the personal data.
- Check who can see it. Set family albums and posts to friends or family only.
- Watch for holiday scams. Be careful with messages asking for money for an “altar fund” or a family emergency. Call the person directly to check.
- Back up old photos. Scan printed photos and save copies in two places, like a cloud account and a USB drive.
- Use strong passwords. A passphrase of three random words plus a number is easy to remember and hard to guess.
Get the free kit
Whether you’re planning a library program, a class, or a family night around the ofrenda, DigiLotería is ready to print and play. Just fill out a short form to download it.
Download the free DigiLotería kit
If you play it with your community, we’d love to see it. Tag us or send a photo to lift@digitalLIFT.org.
¡Que gane la mejor tabla!
Comments are closed.