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Easy Diwali Art and craft ideas for kids

Give wings to your child’s creative side and make vibrant Diwali decor DIYs with these easy Diwali art and craft ideas for kids. Engaging activities for kids including toddlers, pre-schoolers who love creating masterpieces.

Diwali or Deepawali means rows of lighted diyas (or lamps). It is one of India’s most popular and biggest festival of lights which is celebrated over 5 consecutive days. It is the time of the year, every Indian lights up their houses and workplace and worship Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi for wealth and wisdom. So, while most of us are busy cleaning our houses aka #DiwaliKiSafai and prepare to decorate and light up their house. Let me share some easy diy art and craft activities for Diwali.

 

ACTIVITY 1. Start with Reading Books on Diwali

There is so much to explore for kids when we talk about Indian Mythology. So, why not tell them about the traditions and story behind the festival first. The easiest way to start getting your child’s interest in the festival would be by reading a book on Diwali together.
There are some amazing child-friendly books available on Mythology which are free from all the evil saga and talk purely about the festivities in a fun celebratory way.

Read the story of Ramayana for kids.

You can check out some unique Ramayana storybook recommendations too in this post. 

Story of Ramayana for kids: Best age wise Ramayana books for kids


We have a couple of kids’ books on Diwali and some of our favourites are “Amma tell me about, Diwali” by Bhakti Mathur and “Festivals of India” by Sonia Mehta. Both books are available online. You may find the Amazon* here.

Along with these, there are many other kids books on Diwali. Some of our other favourites are below, you can pick them from Amazon*


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ACTIVITY 2. Printables and Colouring Books on Diwali

One of the easiest ways to engage kids while soaking them in the spirit of the Diwali celebrations would be colouring and painting. You may find a lot of colouring books or printables on Diwali online. There are many which have Indian God, Goddesses, Rangoli, Diya and kandils to trace, cut, draw or colour.




ACTIVITY 3. Painting and Colouring Diwali Diyas

This Diwali, avoid buying some fancy diyas from malls and store. Instead, buy some plain earthen diyas or lamps from a local vendor and add colour to them with your child.

What do you need?
1. Earther lamps/ diyas
2. Colours
3. Brushes, earbuds
4. Glitters, beads, stars etc

Use brushes, cotton swaps to colour, make patterns, design and decorate them with stars and glitters. Let your child’s creativity add magic and spruce up your Diwali festive home decor.  Get creative and check thousands of inspirations and easy Diya painting ideas online.

Diya painting Easy Diwali Art and craft ideas for kids
                Painting and colouring Diwali Diyas and lamps

ACTIVITY 4. Make paper Diya and Diya garland for Diwali decor

Another easy craft idea to engage kids this Diwali would be making paper diyas. Use colourful craft papers or draw, cut and paint some beautiful diyas.

What do you need?
1. Some coloured paper
2. Glue stick
3. Glitter paper, sticker, glitters, beads to decorate

DIY Paper Diya easy art and craft for Diwali

You may make one big diya or make a couple of them and hang them using a thread to make a beautiful paper diya garland. Isn’t it an easy DIY art and craft activities for Diwali? This also adds to beautiful home decor for Diwali.

paper diya garland Easy Diwali Art and craft ideas for kids
If you are feeling more creative, there are lots of beautiful DIY Diwali Diya ideas available, I personally loved this one.



ACTIVITY 5. DIY bangle Diya holders for Diwali


This is one such craft which is very simple yet looks very fancy. We all light Diya and a fancy Diya holder will elevate the entire look. Glasses and mirrors always work like magic with light by reflecting coloured light. Try upcycling some old glass bangles for this easy craft idea to engage kids this Diwali,

What do you need?
1. Some old glass bangles
2. Glue stick
3. Glitter, sticker, beads etc to decorate


Just line up some glass bangles, put glue and stack them one over another. We have tried with some of my old wedding bangles collection. Intentionally I have chosen all the glittery ones to add more magic to our DIY Diya holders. If you have plain glass bangles, with some glue paste some glitters, stars or beads, the more the better.



ACTIVITY 6. DIY Paper lantern craft for Diwali

This is one such craft which is very simple yet looks very fancy. A lantern is very typical in Diwali house décor in every house. You may try making a simple paper lantern or Kandils. It is one such easy Diwali art and craft ideas for kids which is will surely catch their fancy. From simple to craft, there are various ideas available online.

DIY paper lantern, There are various ideas available online
Make your own Lantern with paper or plastic bottles


What do you need?
4. Some coloured (or glitter paper)
5. Glue stick or cello tape
6. Glitter paper, sticker, glitters, beads to decorate

How to do?

  1. Take a rectangle paper, fold it horizontally and cut some strips from the folder side, leaving a margin at the other side.
  2. once done, open and roll it vertically and paste the two ends.
  3. decorate it with frills or colour paper flowers and its ready.
  4. Hang it with a thread or put it on a diya

 

ACTIVITY 7. DIY Paper cup lantern craft for Diwali

If you feel, cutting, pasting is too much, try this simpler version. Take some paper cups, paint them, add a little hole at the base and insert a fairy light.

paper cup light Easy Diwali Art and craft ideas for kids
                          Easiest Diwali craft – paper cup Lanterns

Voila a super decorative and easy DIY for Diwali home decor is ready.

paper cup diwali light Easy Diwali Art and craft ideas for kids
                                               Paper cup decoration for Diwali


ACTIVITY 8. Rangoli making – Easy Diwali Art and craft ideas for kids

How would the Diwali decoration be complete, without a beautiful rangoli at the main door? If you are someone like me, who is not well practised to handle the rangoli colours with hand, try stencils instead. There are various types of stencils available nowadays, in different shapes and sizes, which can make it so easy like a child’ activity.


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You may also use kids’ toys, like blocks, Magna tiles or even playdough clay to make some Rangoli patterns.

DIY Rangoli Easy Diwali Art and craft ideas for kids
Make Rangoli with kid-friendly toys-Magna tiles or play dough

ACTIVITY 9: playdough Fire Crackers- easy Diwali art craft ideas

What are the festive celebrations without Crackers? 🎇✴🎉🌠
Make one for yourself, decorate them, squeeze them, mash them and redo them.. What fun! 🤩🤩

 

ACTIVITY 10: Involve them in preparing sweets for Diwali

All kids love to dab, squeeze, mix and make a mess. Give them simple task like washing rice for kheer, mixing flours and sugar for ladoos, chopping or crushing cashews and almonds. You may also involve then in cutting Diwali sweets with a cookie cutter, who won’t love star-shaped sweets 😊
In fact, there are various types of kids friendly moulds and cookie-cutter available today. Check this one from amazon.

  Check a Healthy Cookie recipe here. – Cookies with a Healthy Twist

 

ACTIVITY 11: Teach some shlokas or Lakshmi aarti

During all the fun, teach your child some shlokas and Ganesha or Lakshmi aarti. Involve them while you pray and let them sing and chant along
Lakshmi Aarti
While you teach them some shloka and Aarti, do explain the meaning to them too.

 

ACTIVITY 12: D- Day preparations and celebrations

Diwali festival is not just praying, eating sweets and lighting lamps or bursting firecrackers. It would be great for kids to understand the full cycle of the celebrations. From getting the house ready to puja pandal decorated, engage kids in each and everything.

You may ask them to help decorate the flower garlands, or together put the DIY crafts you made together. Put up a playful Rangoli, older kids may help to light a Diya or an incense stick too.

 

Looking for more easy Diwali art and craft ideas for kids, Check these craft and activity ideas by Kinshoo from MomlearningWithBaby

Diwali Crafts & Activities for Kids – FREE Printables

 

Hope you like these easy Diwali art and craft ideas for kids, do try and tag me in your stories or post (Instagram – @tuggu.n.mommy, Facebook @ tuggunmommy, Twitter @ gungrg)

Wish you all a happy and safe Diwali!




30 thoughts on “Easy Diwali Art and craft ideas for kids

  • Dr. Surbhi Prapanna

    Wow such great diwali activities ideas dear. I have tried many of these my with girls. your post has remind me the days, when my girls were little and we used to do lots of DIy and crafting together.

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  • Coloring diyas is the much awaited feature of Diwali at our home and with so many ideas in the post , I am going to add few this year like bandhanvars and lamp making.

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  • It is important that we pass on our values to our children and the activities you have mentioned will help us in doing in the most convenient way.

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  • Diwali is such a happy festival and every year we go to great lengtha to make it special. We’ve done some of these activities and would love to try the remaining ones this year!

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  • For me Diwali means teaching my kids values and traditions we follow and there could not be a better way than you shared to keep them engage and learn their tradition.

    Reply
  • Pingback: Story of Ramayana for kids: Best age wise Ramayana books for kids - Story of a Mom, Motherhood & Beyond!

  • Wow! These are some great ideas for kids to involve them and to make them understand the Diwali traditions. Painted diyas and lanterns are really cool ideas.

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  • Neha Sharma

    Your art and craft DIY ideas are always amazing. We have already done some of these crafts, this time we made paper lanterns. I also like the idea of using magna tiles or blocks for making a Rangoli, that’s quite creative.

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  • That paper diya is a fabulous idea. It’s simple and can be easily done by kids. I also liked the printables for Diwali you shared.

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  • What beautiful ideas Gunjan and I absolutely adore yours and tuggu’s journey on instagram, you are giving him such a creative grooming.

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  • Lovely ideas. Diya painting, lanterns , and making Rangoli holds a permanent place in my list. Inker me kiddos make small Rangolis and I make the big one in the center. We have also made Rangoli with colored paper.

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  • I remember how these activities were a part of my childhood. would make paper lanterns and rangolis myself . I really loved the idea of introducing our children to these crafts and teaching them shlokas.

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  • Wow.. These are some awesome ideas.. My favorite is Diya painting, it’s like a ritual and I love doing this with my gals. Thanks Gunjan I loved them all and will share with my niece.

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  • Wow, all these ideas are superb. This time we had also done paper lantern at home and paper diyas .

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  • bytetrails

    There are so many DIY activities where one one involve kids during Diwali. My girls like to make Rangoli.

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  • Diwali is the best time to revive Indian Mythology and stories. Kids also enjoy crafts and the craft mentioned by you are beautiful

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  • I am staggered by the amount of activities and the variety in each. I admire your patience. The Happy Diwali with the paper cups looks perfect.

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  • Neha Sharma

    These are such lovely craft ideas for Diwali. We will be doing Diwali crafts this whole week and Nemit is quite excited about it. I am going to take some ideas from your post now. Thanks for sharing!

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  • Some really good Diwali craft ideas here! The diya garland can be such a good replacement for readymade decoration. I’ve been planning to make lanterns with my kids too. Will use this for reference.

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  • This was interesting. I always get plain diyas and make my kids paint all of them. Also we try doing the rangoli which I’m nt very good at but my daughter loves it so we try nevertheless.

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  • Diwali surely brings the whole house together and kids when involved with all the preparations they get to learn the rituals and do many crafts together. Liked the ideas mentioned in the post.

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  • Loved the activities that you have shared. We also paint diyas and make lanterns but I loved the inverted cup lanterns.

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  • What an array of activities..i absolutely loved each one of them.I was just talking to my grandsons and they have started their Christmas activities. So far apart but the essence is the same, isn tit?

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  • Diwali is my favorite festival, and the enthusiasm of celebrating it always at par, I love your DIY ideas and I am going to try both lantern idea the paper one and the cup one both.

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  • These are all wonderful ideas, especially the paper diyas! Will definitely try them out!

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  • Dr. Surbhi Prapanna

    Loved all the ideas Gunjan. I usually do most of these with my girls. Diya painting is favorite of them and we always had great time together as a family while doing this.

    Reply
  • Keeping kids busy creatively during festivals is the best way to also get them involved in projects to beautify and take interest in the religious activities that follow. Loved all the DIY crafts

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  • Even though we don’t really celebrate Diwali, my kids love to create rangoli designs on the floor of our home. It’s fun and I like the other activities as well. Will list them out.

    Reply
  • Alpana Deo

    I loved them all. Diwali or festivals in general are a perfect time to involve kids. Now when kids are home most of the time, such craft projects keep their enthusiasm high.

    Reply

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