Early years activity: Diwali celebrations

Stories are a wonderful way to explore and connect with the traditions and the cultural significance of festivals and celebrations. This week’s activity aims to develop children’s understanding of Diwali through the power of storytelling. The activities can be used as part of your wider programme of Diwali celebrations.

Diwali celebrations learning aims

• Learn about Diwali and how it is celebrated
• Share their own experiences of celebrations and family traditions
• Develop vocabulary through retelling a story.

Resources you will need for this activity

• A quiet space to read or watch the story
• Tablet, computer or laptop to watch the BBC story of Rama and Sita or a storybook to read
• A string of fairy lights.

Diwali celebrations activity outline

Diwali is an annual festival, lasting for five days. For many Hindus, it marks the start of the Hindu New Year and is known as a festival of lights. The festival is usually celebrated during October or November but the exact date changes each year as the date is decided by the position of the moon. The best way to find out about the festival is to talk to your children’s families or local community leaders who can share authentic traditions and experiences.

• Introduce children to the Diwali festival using information you have sourced from families or local leaders. Ensure your language and information is appropriate for the children you are working with. Link the festival of light to other celebrations such as fireworks lighting up the sky, lights at Christmas time or Hanukkah, which is also known as a festival of lights. Encourage children to share their own experiences
• Introduce the story ‘Rama and Sita’. You can find video links, such as on the BBC website, choose a book from your local library or ask a parent to come in and tell the story
• Use fairy lights that you can switch on at the end of the story to reflect the lights leading the way home for Rama and Sita and describe Diwali as the ‘festival of lights’
• Encourage children to act out the story by choosing roles they wish to play, for example, Rama, Sita, Ravana, the monkey king, monkeys, a deer or someone to switch on the lights at the end.

Ideas to extend this activity

• Explore other Diwali traditions such as creating rangoli patterns from coloured rice or loose parts.

NDNA products to help you with this activity

Embedding anti-racist practice - Online course

Disclaimer: Activities with children must always be risk assessed, including for allergies or choking. Children must always have adequate supervision. Resources and materials must always be appropriate for children’s age and stage of development.