Diwali is the Festival of Lights celebrated in India. I have lots of interesting posts and activities about the story of Diwali including an introduction to “What is Diwali,” books, kids rangoli art, easy Indian sweets, decorating thali plates, diya craft, and all about rangoli. Teachers often include Diwali in “Christmas Around the World” (though it has nothing to do with Christmas!) or “Holidays Around the World” units because teaching multicultural celebrations can give us a glimpse into a new culture. As teachers, we can use this “Story of Diwali” lesson to open our kids’ eyes to global holidays and also instill pride in children as we feature their heritage.
Use the following activities and crafts to teach your children about the story of Diwali, a holiday celebrated by millions of Indian people around the world. Diwali in 2018 will start on Wednesday November 7th; in 2019, Diwali will begin on October 27, 2019.
The “Story of Diwali” Packet Includes:
1) Make a mini-book about Diwali and learn about how, where, and why it is celebrated
2) Practice adding 0-9 ( +0, +1, +2) with Diwali candles (diyas) as their number line
3) Practice subtracting 0-9 (where the difference is 0, 1, or 2) and use their answers to color in a rangoli design
4) Practice correcting “capital letter” errors in sentences featuring Diwali cultural information
5) Read a story (filled with high frequency vocabulary!) about children celebrating Diwali with their family, and answer comprehension questions.
The reading comprehension selection and comprehension questions can be read aloud and answered as a class, or given to work on individually. The reading passage and the capital letter activity introduce students to bits of the unique cultural aspects of the story of Diwali.
6) Color in beautifully illustrated and unique rangoli designs
7) Practice handwriting skills while they write culturally-relevant phrases about Diwali; then the kids will draw a picture that relates the holiday to their own celebrations and experiences.
I love these sheets because it helps the kids make connections between Diwali, and whichever holidays they celebrate. Instead of only focusing on the differences, it unites kids around the world. We all have special celebrations where we get dressed up, and have to help get ready for the party, and then celebrate with our friends and family.
In addition to the beginning cultural guide for Diwali, teachers also get 2 bonus coloring sheets, and instructions to make 3 additional Diwali crafts in class! For those teachers who need to align lessons with US national standards, the lessons include specific Common Core Standards, plus an instructional guide for the teacher with background information on Diwali and additional links. Even if you have little knowledge of the story of Diwali and its traditions, this packet includes everything you need to expose your students to this prominent Indian festival.
Let’s Celebrate Diwali Printables: Learn about the Story of Diwali!
We have designed a range of beautiful, fun, Common Core aligned Diwali activities that can be found at the Kid World Citizen Teachers Pay Teachers Store! This packet contains everything you need to introduce and celebrate Diwali a classroom or home setting.
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Deepavali is perhaps the most important festival celebrated by Hindus all around the world.