Exploring the Hindu festival of...
Divali
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Areas of Learning: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Creative Development and Knowledge and Understanding of the World.
Context: The children have been exploring the traditions and celebrations associated with the Hindu festival of Divali.
Learning Intentions: To talk about and recogise the ways that Hindus celebrate Divali the festival of light (PSED).
To select colours and tools in a simple paint program (KUW).
To choose colours and tools for a purpose (CD).

Success Criteria:
I know/can use different tools and colours to create rangoli patterns.
Key Vocabulary: festival, celebrate, Divali, pattern, colour, tool, mouse, click, palette, paintbrush, size, undo, print.

Whole Class
(teacher directed)
Small Group
(teacher directed)
Planned Play
(teacher initiated)

Share the story of Rama and Sita and discuss how Hindus celebrate Divali the festival of light.

Explore the symmetry tool to create rangoli patterns to wlecom Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and fortune on the screen.

Use printed rangoli patterns to make Divali cards.

You will need: hand templates (right click on the links to save on your computer).
hand 1
hand 2
hand 3
hand 4


Create mendhi patterns on the hand template using a simple paint program.

Activity one:
You will need:
chalks.

Encourage the children to create rangoli patterns using chalk in the playground.


Activity two:
You will need:
clay, paint, paint brushes, glue, glitter, sequins.

Make clay lamps or divias to hold a night light. Decorate with paint, glitter and sequins.

Activity three:
You will need: colour mixer.

Explore mixing colours and filling the mendhi patterns on the hand template.

colour mixer

Thinking Questions: Which button do you click on for the symmetry tool?
Which tools did you use?
How did you choose or make the colour that you wanted?
What would you change or keep the same?
How did you print your work?

Plenary/Recall: Discuss the different ways in which Hindus prepare their homes for the festival of Divali. Create a Hindu home in your role play area and encourage children to create rangoli patterns in child initiated time. up