Diwali activities – Classroom ideas for EYFS, KS1 & KS2

Bring the Festival of Lights alive in your classroom with these engaging, age-appropriate Diwali activities that help pupils explore its meaning, traditions and stories...

What is Diwali?

Diwali is one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and others around the world. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word dipavali, meaning “row of lights.”

Diwali is a festival of light overcoming darkness, good triumphing over evil and knowledge dispelling ignorance.

The exact meaning and legends associated with Diwali vary by region and tradition. Common threads include:

• Lighting oil lamps (diyas) and candles
• Decorating homes with rangoli designs
• Sharing sweets and gifts
• Fireworks and lanterns
• Prayers to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity
• The story of Rama and Sita (in many traditions)

When is Diwali?

Diwali usually falls between October and November (based on the Hindu lunar calendar). It is often celebrated over several days. In 2025, Diwali (Deepavali) is on Tuesday 21st October.

Key themes and symbols to explore

When teaching Diwali, some of the themes and symbols you might introduce include:

• Light and darkness – how we use light to symbolise purity, hope, knowledge
• Good vs evil – lessons from mythological stories
• Welcoming prosperity – making homes beautiful, preparing for new beginnings
• Community and sharing – the importance of gathering, giving sweets, caring
• Art & pattern – rangoli, lanterns, decorative motifs

Using hands-on, visual, narrative and reflective Diwali activities will help students internalise the festival’s relevance beyond the surface.

Diwali classroom activities

Here are suggested activities you can use across EYFS, KS1, LKS2 and UKS2, plus resources you can draw on (see links below).

EYFS (Early Years) Diwali activity ideas

• Make Diya lanterns: Provide templates or card shapes. Children can cut, colour, decorate and assemble simple paper lanterns or “diyas.” Explain the cultural significance of diyas in an age-appropriate way.
• Light vs dark sorting: Provide images or cards of things that are light/dark, day/night, etc., to help children talk about light as a symbol.
• Rangoli patterns tracing: Use basic rangoli pattern worksheets or stencils for children to trace, colour or copy.

Download our free EYFS Diwali activities pack which contains Diwali image cards, rangoli pattern outlines and teacher notes.

Teachwire has a free Diwali colouring book featuring themed images that you can print out and hand round.

KS1 Diwali activity ideas

• Rangoli on the playground: Use chalks to design simple symmetrical rangoli patterns outdoors. Pupils can work in pairs or groups. Explore the cultural significance of rangoli.
• Festival sounds: Listen to short clips of music associated with Diwali and talk about how the sounds make them feel.
• Diwali acrostic poem: Children write a poem where each line begins with the letters D-I-W-A-L-I, describing lights, colours, family and celebrations.

Our KS1 Diwali resources help build understanding of Diwali’s meaning. There's a PowerPoint, image and vocabulary cards, writing sheets and instructions for creating rangoli patterns and diya lamps.

This free Diwali lesson plan from Teachwire will help you explore Diwali and the ways people celebrate it locally and globally.

Lower Key Stage 2 ideas

• Storytelling: Rama & Sita: Read or present the story of Rama, Sita and their return to Ayodhya. Ask comprehension and discussion questions.
• Sequencing cards: Ask students to create a set of illustrations for parts of the Diwali story, then arrange in order and narrate.
• Design a rangoli: On squared or dot grid paper, pupils design their own rangoli, considering symmetry and repeating patterns.
• Descriptive writing: Prompt students to write about what Diwali looks, sounds and smells like (lights, sweets, fireworks).
• Puppet or role-play: Use simple puppets or scripts to act out parts of the Diwali story or family celebrations.

Use our Story of Rama and Sita resource pack, which contains the story text, image cards, a storyboard planning sheet, themed writing paper and teaching notes.

Upper Key Stage 2 ideas

• Comprehension & inference: Use a more detailed text about Diwali traditions, regional variations or historical development. Ask inference, vocabulary and discussion questions.
• Symbolism analysis: Explore what the elements of Diwali (light, colour, firecrackers, rangoli, sweets) symbolise, and ask students to present short talks or posters.
• Cross-curricular links: In art, design lanterns. In maths, explore rangoli patterns and symmetry. In science, explore light, shadows and materials.

Our UKS2 Diwali comprehension worksheets explain what Diwali is and why people celebrate it. There are follow-up comprehension questions to answer afterwards.

Tips for running a Diwali-themed week

• Invite local stories or visitors: Ask if any families or community members celebrate Diwali and are willing to share stories, food or cultural elements.
• Show a virtual gallery: Project pictures or short video clips of rangoli, Diwali celebrations around the world, fireworks, etc.
• Hold a mini Diwali festival day: Combine art, storytelling, music, a parade of lights and sharing sweets
• Reflective journaling/circle time: Invite students to reflect: “What brings light in my life?” or “How can I brighten someone else’s day?”