Teaching kids about Diwali can be a challenge. You want them to experience all the wonders of the occasion—delicious food, songs and dance, sparklers, and vibrant decorations. But you also want to balance these joys with the true meaning behind the festival, which is rich in important morals and values. How do you strike the right balance to teach them what the festival of lights is all about?
Outside of getting one of our personalized books to read to them (shameless plug here), you can teach your kids about Diwali in the following ways:
1. Break stories down into easy to digest pieces
Stories of Hindu gods are rich with meaning and teachings, but they can often be quite lengthy. Explaining the full Ramayana or the battle between Narakasura and Krishna can get complex, leaving kids lost among all the information and characters. To communicate the morals of these stories effectively, consider the following:
- Who are the main characters in this story?
- What is the beginning, complication/challenge, and solution?
- How can you end the story on a positive note with key takeaways?
There are a number of great Youtube videos that can help visually explain the festival to children also.
2. Connect the material joys to important stories
As you light a lamp, create rangoli patterns, enjoy delicious food, or dance with sparklers, use these moments to connect the joy back to an important lesson. For example, lighting oil lamps symbolizes that light will always triumph over darkness, just as the people of Ayodhya did when Lord Rama returned from his 14 years of exile in the forest.
3. Create fun games with facts and prizes to help your kids learn
Who doesn't love a fun game with prizes to be won?! A great way to teach your kids about the true meaning behind Diwali is by creating a guessing game. Questions could include:
- Q: What is Diwali also known as?
- A: The Festival of Lights
- Q: What does lighting lamps or sparklers represent?
- A: That light will always triumph over darkness
- Q: How long was Rama banished to the forest?
- A: 14 years
- Q: Who did Lord Krishna and Satyabama defeat?
- A: The demon Narakasura
We found some ready to go templates that can be purchased from Etsy to make it even easier for you.
Teaching your kids about Diwali doesn't need to be difficult or boring. By making the content easy to understand, connecting it back to real life situations and even setting up some fun games, the educational aspect can be just as enjoyable as eating all the delicious food!