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For children, Diwali is mostly about the build-up: the cleaning, the shopping, the sweets appearing in the kitchen and the lights going up. Giving them real jobs and a few projects of their own keeps them busy in the weeks before, and makes the festival feel like theirs too.
Here are activities for children of different ages, from helping with the safai to telling the stories behind the festival.
Helping get the house ready
Children like being trusted with real work. Give each child one or two jobs that suit their age, and let them finish without being corrected every minute.
- Ages 3 to 5: sorting toys into keep and give-away boxes, wiping low shelves with a damp cloth, matching socks from the laundry.
- Ages 6 to 9: dusting books, clearing their own cupboard, sorting old clothes for donation, folding napkins.
- Ages 10 and up: cleaning windows from the inside, organising the shoe rack, testing which fairy lights still work (unplugged until checked by an adult).
Decluttering their own things is a good chance to talk about giving. Our list of things to throw away before Diwali covers where donated toys and clothes can go, and our Diwali cleaning checklist has the rest of the plan.
Crafts
Paint diyas
Plain clay diyas and acrylic paint keep children of most ages busy for an afternoon. Paint only the outside, so the diya can still be lit safely. Our guide to diya decoration ideas has the step-by-step method and design ideas.
Make paper lanterns
Fold a sheet of coloured paper in half lengthways, cut slits from the fold towards the open edge, stopping short of the end, then open it and glue the short ends together to make a cylinder. Add a strip across the top as a handle. Hang them from curtain rods or a string across a window. Use them with LED lights only, never a flame.
Make greeting cards
Handmade cards for grandparents, neighbours and teachers are easy and personal. Use thick paper, a diya or rangoli pattern on the front, and a message written by the child. Pressed marigold petals glued on make a nice touch.
Help with rangoli
Children can fill in sections of a design drawn by an adult, or make their own small rangoli near their room. Making the colours from turmeric, rice flour and beetroot is an activity in itself. Our guide to natural rangoli colours at home shows how.
Make a toran
Thread marigolds and mango leaves onto a string with a blunt needle for older children, or cut paper leaves and flowers and glue them onto a ribbon for younger ones.
In the kitchen
Diwali cooking involves hot oil and sugar syrup, which are not for small hands. There are still plenty of safe jobs:
- Rolling ladoos once the mixture has cooled enough to handle
- Pressing dry fruit onto barfi
- Packing sweets into dabbas for neighbours and relatives
- Writing labels for gift boxes
- Setting the table for guests
Keep children away from the stove while frying, and keep a clear path between the kitchen and the rest of the house.
Stories behind Diwali
Telling the stories is one of the best things to do with children in the run-up. Diwali means different things in different parts of India and to different communities (The Federal):
- Rama’s return to Ayodhya: after fourteen years of exile and the defeat of Ravana, the people of Ayodhya lit lamps to welcome Rama, Sita and Lakshmana home.
- Krishna and Narakasura: in parts of India, the festival celebrates Krishna and Satyabhama defeating Narakasura.
- Lakshmi: many families welcome Lakshmi into a clean, lit home on Diwali night.
- Kali Puja: in West Bengal and Assam, the night is observed as Kali Puja.
- Bandi Chhor Divas: Sikhs mark the release of Guru Hargobind from imprisonment and his return to Amritsar.
- Mahavira’s nirvana: Jains mark the day Lord Mahavira attained nirvana.
Tell the version your family follows first, then the others. Older children often enjoy acting out a story with simple props, or drawing it as a comic strip.
Taking part in the puja
Give children a small role in Lakshmi Puja: arranging flowers on the thali, placing diyas in a row for an adult to light, ringing the bell during the aarti or handing out prasad. Our Lakshmi Puja samagri list and vidhi can help you plan which steps they can help with.
Giving
Diwali is a good time to show children that the festival is also about others:
- Make sweet boxes or cards for building staff, house help and neighbours, and let the children hand them over.
- Choose a few toys and clothes in good condition to donate.
- Make simple handmade gifts for grandparents. Our list of natural Diwali gift ideas has DIY ideas children can help with.
Crackers and safety
If your family bursts crackers, an adult should be in charge every time.
- Supervise children closely around fireworks at all times, keep a bucket of water nearby and stand well back from anything lit (North Carolina Department of Insurance).
- Sparklers look harmless but burn at 1,200°F (about 650°C) or more (North Carolina Department of Insurance). Young children should hold glow sticks instead. Drop used sparklers into the bucket of water.
- Dress children in cotton clothes, not loose synthetic fabrics, when they are near crackers or diyas, and tie back long hair and dupattas.
- Never let children go back to a cracker that did not go off.
If the noise frightens younger children or pets, keep them in a quiet room with the windows closed.
Quiet activities for smoky nights
Air quality is often poor in the evenings around Diwali. On those nights, keep children indoors with the windows closed and plan indoor fun: card games, a family movie, colouring, a story session by LED lantern light. Our guide to keeping indoor air clean during Diwali explains when to open windows again.
Activities by age at a glance
| Age | Activities |
|---|---|
| 3 to 5 | Sorting toys, sticking paper leaves on a toran, filling a simple rangoli, ringing the bell at aarti |
| 6 to 9 | Painting diyas, making cards and lanterns, packing sweet boxes, hearing and drawing the stories |
| 10 and up | Making natural rangoli colours, organising a shelf, rolling ladoos, acting out a story, helping set up the puja |
For the full family plan from three weeks out to Bhai Dooj, see our Diwali preparation checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What Diwali activities can kids do at home?
Painting diyas, making paper lanterns and cards, helping with rangoli, threading a toran, packing sweet boxes and hearing the stories behind the festival.
How do I explain Diwali to children?
Start with the story your family follows, such as Rama’s return to Ayodhya or welcoming Lakshmi, then mention that other communities celebrate the same night for other reasons.
Are sparklers safe for young children?
Sparklers burn very hot. Young children are safer with glow sticks, and older children should hold sparklers only with an adult beside them and a bucket of water nearby.
What can kids do on Diwali night if the air is smoky?
Keep them indoors with windows closed, and plan quiet activities such as games, colouring, stories and a family movie.
Sources
- The Federal, Diwali: the many myths and legends behind the festival of lights
- North Carolina Department of Insurance, Firework safety advice
