Festival Activities

5 Navratri activities to do at home

1. Mini garba circle. Put on Ghoomo Ghoomo Garba, hold hands and spin slowly, then faster with the song. Seat soft toys in a circle so they can "dance" too.
2. Newspaper dandiya. Roll newspaper tightly into two sticks, tape them, and let your child wrap coloured tape or paint stripes. Soft sticks are safe for little hands.
3. Colour of the day. Navratri has a colour for each day. Pick one together each morning and find three things at home in that colour.
4. Flower-petal rangoli. Draw a simple circle with chalk at the door and let your child fill it with flower petals, rice or lentils.
5. Clap and count. Clap "ek, do, teen" with the song's chorus. Then try four, five... a fun way to practise Hindi numbers.

Dussehra: good wins over bad

1. Story time. Tell a short, gentle version of the Ramayana: Ram was kind and brave, and goodness won. Keep it simple and not scary for little ones.
2. Paper crown. Cut a crown from card, let your child decorate it with stickers or colours, and crown them "kind king" or "kind queen" for the day.
3. Kindness jar. Every time someone does something kind, add a button or a bead to a jar. Celebrate when it fills up.

Diwali: lights, colours and sweets

1. Paint a diya. Plain clay diyas cost very little. Let your child paint dots and lines; an adult lights them later.
2. Chalk rangoli. Draw a big flower outline with chalk and let your child colour it in. It's easy to wash off.
3. Paper lantern. Fold a sheet of coloured paper in half, cut slits along the fold, open and roll it into a lantern.
4. Help make a sweet. Rolling laddoos or arranging dry fruits on a plate makes little helpers feel proud.

Safety first: keep lit diyas and candles out of reach, and keep little ones indoors and away from crackers. Loud bangs can scare toddlers and hurt small ears.

Children's Day: their day, their choice

1. "You choose" day. Let your child pick the breakfast, the game and the bedtime story.
2. Memory box. Put a drawing, a photo and a small toy from this year into a box, and write the date on it.
3. Family dance party. Play their favourite songs and dance together for ten minutes.