Diwali, India's biggest and most important holiday of the year, is on the 31st of October. The following provides Diwali Templates and FREE Printables that will help you celebrate Diwali at your service and can also be included in the curriculum for children.
About
The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects them from spiritual darkness. This festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas holiday is to Christians.
- In northern India, they celebrate the story of King Rama's return to Ayodhya after he defeated Ravana by lighting rows of clay lamps.
- Southern India celebrates it as the day that Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura.
- In western India, the festival marks the day that Lord Vishnu, the Preserver (one of the main gods of the Hindu trinity) sent the demon King Bali to rule the nether world.
Printables
To celebrate Diwali we have 8 Diwali colouring pages to use. They can be used as part of a craft experience, or children can paint, decorate or cut them out.
Diya counting is a counting activity from 1 to 10 for children to match the correct number of diyas to the corresponding number. This activity is great for number recognition, for children learning their numbers, for one-to-one correspondence and more.
Rangoli Colouring Pages enable children to choose a rangoli design to colour in and decorate. Rangoli is a traditional Indian decoration of simple patterns and geometric shapes made with ground rice, particularly during festivals including Diwali.
Fireworks Counting enables children to recognise the number on the night background and add the correct number of fireworks. This activity is great for number recognition, for children learning their numbers and for one-to-one correspondence.
Diwali Information Posters are a great way to start a discussion with children on one of India's biggest festivals of the year. These posters can be used as a cultural display.
Saree Colour Match enables children to match the same colour saree onto the correct colour background. This is great for children learning colours and for colour recognition. This activity can also be included during Diwali which is a festival that takes place in India.
Mehendi Tracing enables children to trace over the mehndi design. Mehendi is a form of body and temporary skin decoration drawn on the hands and legs in India. It represents positive spirits and good luck and is usually worn during celebrations such as weddings, festivals, Diwali etc.
These Diwali Posters show images of how Diwali is celebrated in India. These are great to show children and to start conversations on different celebrations around the world.
Activities
Make your own sparkly fireworks for festivals and celebrations!
Use forks to create these simple fireworks.
Celebrate Diwali by exploring liquid density by creating a firework effect in a jar with this simple activity.
Let's celebrate with these spectacular colourful shaving cream fireworks! Easy to make and it's messy and fun!
Templates
The Happy Diwali template is free. It can be added to a child's portfolio template as a keepsake to remember the ways that Diwali was celebrated at the service. This is great for services to show how they are embedding the diverse cultures of Australia.
Diwali Fireworks
The Diwali Fireworks Portfolio template enables educators to share the Diwali celebrations that take place within their setting. This template then can be added to the child's portfolio.
Reference:
National Geographic Kids
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