Diwali is a Hindu and Sikh festival usually in October every year. It is called the “Festival of Light”. It marks the start of the Hindu New Year. In 2025, Diwali is on Monday 20th October.
Nowadays, Diwali is celebrated with fireworks, house cleaning and family gatherings.
Why should I teach my toddler about Diwali?
Learning about other cultures and religions opens their eyes to the world. Your young child may come across people with a different background to your family and so teaching them about differences in our world and learning to acknowledge them and respect them can only be a good thing.
What activities can I do for Diwali with my toddler?
- Rangoli Patterns – Hindus traditionally decorate the floors of their houses during Diwali. They use coloured rice flour, flower petals and small lamps to create intricate patterns. Many are based around the symbol of the lotus flower. These patterns are to welcome guests and deities into their house for the celebrations.
Make some coloured rice and work with your toddler to create patterns on your floor. Use a large play tray, if you’d prefer to corral the potential mess.
2. Rangoli Pattern colouring – This can be done with paints, crayons, chalks. Take a look at my sheets available for download here.
3. Diwali Storytelling – read some stories together to learn about this celebration and what happens in Hindu households.
4. Firework Painting – provide some straws, colourful paint and some black paper and invite your child to blow through the straw to create fireworks.
You could also cut up the end of the straw and splay it out to create a star kind of shape for them to dip in paint and splodge onto a sheet.
5. Dressing Up – Find some brightly coloured fabrics and bangles and dress up for Diwali.
6. Potato Printing – Cut potatoes in half, score a pattern into them and then dip them in paint to make colourful pictures.
7. Sensory Bottles – Take a transparent plastic bottle, fill it with water, vegetable oil, some food colouring in a bright colour, some glitter and sequins and seal the bottle tightly. Watch as your little one turns the bottle around in their hands to see the sparkly display – just like fireworks!
8. Sensory Bin – Using a large play tray, put out coloured rice or sand for your little one with scoops, tubs and pots and let them loose to scoop and play as they wish.
For more autumn-themed activities for toddlers and young children go here:
Autumn Adventures: Fun and Educational Activities for Toddlers and Young Children – Fun Family Home
Best Autumn Books for Toddlers and Young Children – Fun Family Home
Autumn Colours Fine Motor Skills Sheets
An instant download of 5 A4 sheets:
Spirals, straight lines, wiggly lines, shapes and zig zags.
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