Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is just around the corner! On 1st November, millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world will celebrate the festival to mark new beginnings and come together with friends and family.
Here are some fun and educational Diwali ideas for schools to help students celebrate the festival while understanding its history and traditions.
Teach The History of Diwali
Before any crafts or activities begin, the best way to introduce students to Diwali is to teach them the history behind the festival and its cultural significance. There are many stories regarding the origins of Diwali, however the most common is the story of Lord Rama. Following his return to Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana, people lit diyas to celebrate his homecoming. This marks the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil, one of the central themes of the festival.
Lesson plans can include encouraging students to research how Diwali celebrations differ across different regions and cultures around the world. For instance, in North India people light diyas around their home, similar to the story of Lord Rama. In West India however people seek the blessings of Lakshimi, the goddess of wealth by creating intricate rangoli designs on their doorsteps and leaving offerings.
Create Your Own Rangoli Patterns
For students to further learn about the traditions of Diwali, they can try their hand at designing their own rangoli patterns. Rangoli is a traditional Indian art form where bright, bold and stunning patterns are created on the ground using coloured sand, rice or flowers.
Creating rangoli art in schools is a great way to foster creativity and get students creating fun and bright art that can be used in the classroom. To make this activity traditional, use rangoli art kits that include coloured sand or marble dust. Using easy-squeeze bottles, students can draw mandala patterns directly on tables, the floor or paper to better understand this Diwali tradition and the significance behind it.
For those who don’t want to risk using coloured sand or marble dust indoors, rangoli art can also be created using tissue paper, stickers or simply colouring in downloadable rangoli patterns!
Make Diwali Paper Lanterns
As we mentioned before, Diwali is also known as the festival of lights and therefore lights, lamps and lanterns are heavily associated with the celebrations. Another great craft idea for students to explore and further their learning about Diwali is making paper lanterns. During Diwali lanterns, also known as kandeels, are often hung outside of homes and throughout the streets as part of the festival.
In the classroom, provide students with a sheet of plain or coloured paper. Ask them to cut off one end of the paper and set aside to be used later as a handle. Then using coloured pens or paint let them decorate their sheet however they want before folding and cutting patterns into the paper. Once finished, students can stick their sheet together to form a cylinder and attach the handle to have their very own Diwali lantern!
Bake Diwali Recipes
Food plays a big role in Diwali celebrations, with families and friends coming together to share feasts and treats during the festival. If your school has a kitchen, students can have fun learning how to make traditional Diwali snacks and sweets such as ladoos, burfi and samosas!
Here at Ministry of Colours, we’ve been getting in the Diwali spirit with our own rangoli collection! We’ve been getting creative in the office designing our own rangoli patterns and enjoying the mindful experience the activity brings. Our rangoli art colour kit is perfect for easily creating fun and vibrant patterns making it ideal for use in schools. Each kit comes with 7 vibrant colours made from authentic marble dust in easy-squeeze bottles so unique designs can be made with ease.
If you’re looking to celebrate Diwali with your students and are in need of craft ideas, then look no further than our rangoli art kits. We also offer refill kits so you don’t have to worry about your class running out! To find out more about our rangoli kits and use them in your classroom, then please don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of our team.
