what's everyone doing for Diwali?

[VeggieSausage]

I am just off to buy some Indian sweets.....am going to make curry, dhal etc for children to eat this week....

Thought we may make patterns using different things....anyone else doing anything?

[sarah707]

We researched Diwali with the older children here - Diwali for Kids - Crafts, Colourings and Fun!.

There is a lovely 'dancing with children' video at the bottom of the webpage which they really enjoyed watching and copying.

The children want to make some rangoli patterns and they will be involved in cooking and trying some curry.

[Mummits]

We will be making little clay lamps, and having some asian food.

[lesley]

BBC - CBeebies - Watch: Video clips for kids

prepare and celebrate Diwali on watch and learn.
Food tasting

Lesley

[VeggieSausage]

We researched Diwali with the older children here - Diwali for Kids - Crafts, Colourings and Fun!.

There is a lovely 'dancing with children' video at the bottom of the webpage which they really enjoyed watching and copying.

The children want to make some rangoli patterns and they will be involved in cooking and trying some curry.

Great thanks.....

[VeggieSausage]

BBC - CBeebies - Watch: Video clips for kids

prepare and celebrate Diwali on watch and learn.
Food tasting

Lesley

brilliant thanks

[jackie 7]

I made saltdough and they made sort of candle holders which they sort of painted. They are all 2 and under so it was a fun challenge. great recipie on channel 4 web site.

[loocyloo]

this year i am not doing anything!

my LO are all 2 or just 3, and a 1 yr old. it isn't anything that they will come into contact with at home or in the community. i have explored diwalli with the children in past years, and even did it with the current children last year, but it doesn't mean anything to them, so we've been concentrating on bonfire night & remembrance day and will do a bit for children in need next week.
these are things that they will experience this year ( i am liking the revised EYFS focus on understanding the world around the children, not necessarily the greater world! ) i may well 'do' diwalli next year.

[vals]

I've made the salt dough candle holders - not used salt dough before so wanted to do a test run - didn't realise how easy it was. Going to do another batch for the children to decorate themselves. Due to the age of the children I won't be doing the making bit with them, but going to use the idea for christmas with the older ones - have seen some star shapes cut out using the same principle and they looked really good.
I also have a pack of cut outs and other bits - got it in the sale (baker ross I think ) earlier in the year.
I don't always do the big theme- its hard when the children are very young. I see some minders with amazing displays up, but the children haven't done much of it themselves.

[sharonmanc]

can anyone point me to a good salt dough recipe as i want to make some diyyas. Never done salt dough before, so not sure what I am doing

[vals]

can anyone point me to a good salt dough recipe as i want to make some diyyas. Never done salt dough before, so not sure what I am doing

Simple Diwali Crafts ideas from around the web

[sharonmanc]

Simple Diwali Crafts ideas from around the web

vals , thank you so much

[ChocolateChip]

Keeping it fairly simple this year as most of mine are 2 or under, or very part time! We are doing divali patterns to colour, or older ones can make their own, mendhi hand patterns on cut out hands (getting the lo's to practise drawing round their own hands), making the little clay lamps and have a couple of stories to go with it, and am going to try making some diwali sweets.

[Lilylulu]

we had our Diwali Feast today - a day early as we are celebrating a birthday tomorrow too, we had lentil dahl and chick pea curry and rice. One of our Hindu families brought some home made Barfi sweets for us to taste We had a go at the Bollywood dance routine from the link above (the children loved this and we are about to have another go to burn of our feast we will make our clay lamps and decorate with jewels and sequins tomorrow. We have a very diverse setting, with several families from Pakistan and India so we celebrate Diwali, and Eid aswell as Easter and Christmas. I don't think its necessary to cover all the festivals if you only have teeny tots that have no experience of these cultures but it is a good way to introduce other cultures when they are ready and understand a little more.

[JulieA]

Mine are all little as well so I had planned to take the large chalks outside for them to make rangoli patterns on the drive - ok being realistic it'll just be a colourful mess, but it is the experience and not the end result that is important. Unfortunately it has been chucking it down all day, so shelving til later in the week.