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Instantly access Aztec plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

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Interesting facts about aztec people's daily life

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Instantly access Aztec Warriors plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

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See how this powerful group ruled central Mexico 500 years ago.

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Mayas, Incas, and Aztecs kids' book from the leading digital reading platform with a collection of 40,000+ books from 250+ of the world's best publishers. Read now on Epic.

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The capital city of the Aztec was Tenochtitlán. It was built on islands in Lake Texcoco. The lake was later drained, and today the land is part of Mexico City. Tenochtitlán reflected the power and wealth of the empire. It had gleaming white palaces and temples on top of pyramids. City officials lived in houses made from stone and adobe, or sun-dried clay. Farmers lived in huts made of woven rods and twigs covered with clay.

Most Aztec were farmers. They grew corn, beans, peppers, squash, tomatoes, tobacco, and cotton. Other Aztec were traders and craftsmen.

The Aztec spoke a language called Nahua. Many Aztec words were later incorporated into the Spanish language. Some of these words, such as chocolate, tomato, ocelot, coyote, and avocado, have also become part of the English language. The Aztec had no alphabet of their own, but they used picture writing to record their history.

Religion was very important to the Aztec. They worshipped several gods who represented the forces of nature. Among the most important Aztec gods were Huitzilopochtli, a sun god and the god of war; Tonatiuh, another god of the sun; and Tlaloc, the god of rain. Quetzalcóatl was the god of learning and a symbol of death and rebirth.

The Aztec performed elaborate rituals and ceremonies to obtain help from the gods. Human sacrifice, or the killing of people for religious reasons, played an important part in the rites. The Aztec believed that because life was humankind's most precious possession, it was the most acceptable gift for the gods. They sacrificed thousands of prisoners captured in war.

The Aztec had learned from the Maya how to determine the solar year accurately. With this knowledge their priests kept an exact solar calendar. An almanac gave dates for festivals and listed the various deities who held sway over each day and hour.

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In the 1400s and early 1500s the Aztec people controlled a large empire in the area that is now central and southern Mexico. At its most powerful, the Aztec Empire spread...

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Kids learn about the Daily Life of people during the Aztec Empire including food, clothing, housing, and education.

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For Kids

The Aztec wandered around Mexico for about 200 years before they settled down in the Valley of Mexico. Other tribes were living in the area. Rather than start a war for a place to live, the Aztecs settled down peacefully (at first) in the swampy land around Lake Texcoco.

They were clever people. They adapted to their environment. They built canoes to fish and hunt. They filled the marshes with a combination of reeds and stones and dirt to create more farmland. They built dams and dikes to free even more land. Their engineers successfully built a bustling city, with wide plazas and many shops, on a swamp.

After they had settled in, the Aztec Indians began conquering neighboring tribes. Soon, the entire Valley of Mexico was under their control. Other tribes had to pay tribute to them in the form of food, clothing, goods, and captives to feed the hungry Aztec gods. The Aztec believed in human sacrifice. That was one of the many reasons the other tribes hated and feared the Aztec. But the Aztec seemed unstoppable.

It was not until the 1500s, when the Spanish arrived, that the Aztec were conquered. The Spanish brought guns, dogs, horses, and disease. It was disease that conquered the Aztec. The Aztec Empire collapsed. The Spanish took over the entire region.

Today, in Mexico, there are about one million descendants of the ancient Aztec, living and working. Human sacrifice is no longer part of their festivals (thank goodness!), but beautiful Aztec art and clever Aztec games are still enjoyed today.
Geography, Human-Environment Interaction Myth: Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus Story: Journey of a Princess Correct Behavior Aztec Gods & Religion Aztec Afterlife Government Floating Gardens The Flying Birds (an event) Tenochtitlan, capital city Specialized Professions Aztec Myths, Legends, and Stories for Kids Cortez & Spanish Arrival Achievements & Inventions Free Online Aztec Games Take the Quiz, Interactive (with answers)
Investigate Real Life Artifacts

For Teachers
The Aztecs for Teachers - Free Use Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities Free Presentations about the Aztecs Free Use Video Clips Free Use Clipart
Mr. Donn and Maxie's Ancient History PowerPoints Series
Written by Lin & Don Donn,
illustrated by Phillip Martin, Published by Good Year Books

Mr. Donn and Maxie's Always Something You Can Use Series
Written by Lin & Don Donn, Published by Good Year Books

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The Awesome Aztecs for Kids and Teachers - Aztecs for Kids

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The Aztec wandered around Mexico for about 200 years before they settled down in the Valley of Mexico. Other tribes were living in the area. Rather than start a war for a place to live, the Aztecs settled down peacefully (at first) in the swampy land around Lake Texcoco.