Diwali please explain whY?

**Tammy** · 25-10-2008, 10:38 PM

OK so I've got a Diwali card

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/pdf..._to_colour.pdf

which I thought I could print out and get my one mindee (aged 2) to colour in. Fine but should i be explaining to him why he's doing it or is it just something I should get him to do because it's something I should be showing Ofsted I'm aware of? He's not Indian and neither are we.

I'm confused about why I should do something about Diwali with a child so young and what he'd actually understand from it.

I'm also getting another child in Jan aged 7mths how could I possibly do anything Diwali with her next year.

Am I missing a point?

I realise that for Mothers/Fathers day etc it's nice to get the children to do cards but then that's nice for their parents to recieve.

??????????? put me out of my misery and help me out here please.

Sam

**Blaze** · 25-10-2008, 10:47 PM

Divalli is the festival of lights....the reason you cover it even for age groups that don't fully understand is because they are sponges, so absorb even though they don't get religion it's still KUW...IYSWIM...Personally for this age group I turn the lights out & we play with touches..shadows etc...put coloured tissue paper over the torches so the lights change colour...read the story of Divalli at story time...for a baby you could do a sensory session inclusive of a "light show" basically as above with the different colors shadow animals etc, but with you holding the torch in their vision...& then expand into other sensory activities...I still may give the 2 year olds the cards to colour in so included...but would be more an after school activity for my older ones, so they also get involved with the celebrations ...hope I've made sense!

**Blaze** · 25-10-2008, 10:49 PM

PS...I like to link Hannukuh & Divalli as they are both festivals of light, but celebrated by different religions.

**Tammy** · 25-10-2008, 10:55 PM

I can see where you are coming from but when I mind this little boy it's never dark and curtains probably wouldn't make it dark enough.

Maybe I should try and get a little pot and let him decorate it and then put a tea-light in it. Just need to find one I can afford LOL

thanks

**Blaze** · 25-10-2008, 10:57 PM

...so shine the torches onto black paper or make an indoor tent to make it dark or take him outside & play with his shadow in the sunshine...where there's a will...

**sarah707** · 26-10-2008, 07:13 AM

A 2 year old isn't going to get the concept of Diwali... yes like Blaze says you can go with dark and light or...

For next week concentrate on Halloween and leave Diwali until he's 3 or 4.

Halloween is a Pagan Festival and he'll see children dressed up, things in the shops, pumpkins, skeletons etc.

So you're linking to his interests as well

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 26-10-2008, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by SamD

I can see where you are coming from but when I mind this little boy it's never dark and curtains probably wouldn't make it dark enough.

Maybe I should try and get a little pot and let him decorate it and then put a tea-light in it. Just need to find one I can afford LOL

thanks

Use a glass jar you have finished with. I have kept the Domino Salsa jars and washed them out and also purchased votive holders from Ikea at .29p each

**Nicki L** · 26-10-2008, 03:51 PM

sorry if i sound a bit thick!!! what is the best thing to decorate the jars with??

**OrlandoBelle** · 27-10-2008, 08:25 PM

Tissue paper is a good idea. Last year I made pumpkin jam jars by cutting a scary face into an orange piece of tissue paper and taping it to a jam jar with a tea light inside. Looks good when theres lots of them together on a windowsil.

x