Deepavali or Diwali is soon approaching. It’s such a bright and colourful festival with a fascinating story behind it. Let your child learn about each festival in fun and creative ways, and it’s a great way to occupy their time as well.
Here are some easy ways to explain Deepavali in a nutshell to children, and some fun ideas to get them creative in doing arts and crafts related to the festival.
What is Deepavali or Diwali About?
The name Deepavali originates from the ancient Indian Sanskrit language and means ‘row of lights’. ‘Dipa’ means ‘Light’ and ‘avali’ is the word for ‘row’.
Thus, Diwali means rows of lighted lamps, also popularly known as the Festival of Lights. It is a festival celebrated by Hindus, usually over a five-day period. It signifies the New Year and symbolises the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness and new beginnings.
What do People do during Deepavali?
Houses, shops and streets are brightly and colourfully lit up. Typically, people light up their houses using small clay pots that contain a wick and some oil, called Divas. They also make rangoli decorations outside their front doors.
These are done to welcome the goddess of fortune and wealth known as Lakshmi into their home. Hindus worship Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi.
During the celebration, people wear new clothes and visit each other’s homes bearing gifts and Deepavali sweets for each other.
Experiencing Deepavali in Singapore
Let your little one soak in the Festival of Lights by heading to Little India. Thousands of dazzling and colourful lights will be breath-taking especially if it’s the first of such a sight for your child.
Walk along and visit the stalls by the streets and let all our senses absorb the festivities going on. You can also drop by the coffee shops to have a bite to eat and rest your feet after all that walk.
Get Creative With Fun Things To Do
1. Make Sweet Treats Together
There’s nothing more satisfying than making our own treats. Make simple and delicious traditional Deepavali sweets of your choice. There are so many variations, you’ll be spoiled for choice.
2. Colouring Sheets
There are many printouts depicting Deepavali art that kids can use to colour or doodle on from Pinterest.
3. Art And Craft Ideas
- Use dough to create diva or clay pots by shaping and painting them
- Make Deepavali greeting cards
- Make Deepavali decoration pieces or origami
4. Make Rangoli Patterns
Start off on easy designs and make mini rangoli patterns on paper plates for younger children. For children who can handle larger and more complicated designs, they can make a larger one in a corner of the home.
5. Deepavali Puzzles
After learning about Deepavali, kids can enjoy some fun puzzles in the form of word searches and crossword puzzles from printouts.
6. Story Time
Take time to read children’s books on Deepavali to your little one, or read it together. This is a good way to spend time together and inculcate the habit of reading at the same time.
7. Show And Tell
For older children, you can encourage them to research and learn about Deepavali by themselves and then tell you the story of what they have learned. They can use Kiddle as a safe source for future learning use too.
Encourage Children To Learn About Different Cultures
It’s a good thing to expose children to all the different cultures and festivities as a way to cultivate openness to people of all races and nationalities. Teach them to respect everyone in the same way regardless of religion and race.
Start them on this learning journey from a young age and do so in fun and enjoyable ways. It’s even more meaningful and memorable for parents to be involved in this learning journey.
What better way to spend quality time with our children that incorporates much fun, creativity, learning and experiences together.