Diwali! Festival of Lights

Diwali, also spelled Divali, is a major holiday and five-day long festival celebrated by Hindus and many non-Hindus alike, in India, where it originated, and beyond. This year, Diwali is celebrated beginning October 31st. Here are some resources to share in your learning spaces to encourage students to learn more and celebrate this holiday.

• Find titles to use and share on this list:
  • Diwali: The Festival of Lights

• Count along and learn about traditional elements of Diwali with this author book talk for Garland of Lights: A Diwali Story.

• Learn about how author Chitra Soundar celebrated Diwali with her family and how she was inspired to write Shubh Diwali! in this video interview.

• Explore this activity kit for Archie Celebrates Diwali to prompt discussion about holidays your students may celebrate, play some games, and even try a recipe! Find additional questions to enrich conversation about the book in this discussion guide.

• Watch this Video Book Trailer for Binny’s Diwali about Binny sharing the holiday with her classmates and inviting them to learn and celebrate together. Ask your students, what is one thing about a holiday they celebrate that they would like to share with others?

• Make Diwali streamers together with this craft activity for Binny’s Diwali.

• Share this drawing activity for Binny's Diwali with students, so they can use their creativity to imagine what they would put in gift baskets for their family and friends as they reflect on the importance of community during this holiday.

• Enjoy this complete video reading of It’s Diwali!

• Use the template in this lesson plan for Diwali in My New Home to have students write and draw about celebrations in their family and/or culture.