With the arrival of Diwali, an atmosphere of exhilaration permeates the surroundings. Children are especially captivated by the enthusiasm around house cleaning, gift purchasing, sweet swapping, donning new attire, and burning fireworks. This is the season for gatherings and widespread celebrations.
Amidst all the fun and frolic, it is crucial to remind children that this festival signifies the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. It is good to remind children how the day marked Lord Ram’s return from exile after 14 long years and how the entire city of Ayodhya was decorated for his welcome. Festivals such as Diwali can offer great coachable moments for you to have a good conversation about moral values with children without sounding too preachy.
In fact, these values shared in these moments of joy will become an intrinsic part of the child. Besides telling the children stories from the Ramayana, educating the child through art will also be a good idea. Not only will it help the child learn about the culture and traditions, but it will also offer them a great outlet for self-expression. Let us look at some beautiful Diwali drawings that you could encourage the children to partake in:
Table of Contents
1. Diyas
What is Diwali without the glitter of lights, particularly diyas? Those twinkling Diyas instill so much positivity and hope besides beautifying the home. The fact that the entire family is filling those diyas with oil and lighting them is such a beautiful expression of oneness. Why just the family? To see the entire neighborhood enveloped in similar lights creates a great sense of bonding which is otherwise being lost in today’s world. The light of the diyas is a true reminder that no matter how dark a period is, it is always followed by light and brightness.
All we need to do is to stay on the path of truth and righteousness. Encourage the child to capture the hope and positivity in a beautiful Diwali drawing with Diyas. It will be good to see their creativity taking rein as they draw the diyas lighting, not just in their house but also in other houses. You could also encourage them to decorate their diyas. It will be good to see them put on their creative hats and make the best out of waste.
Do remember to encourage them for their efforts. The drawing of the diyas will also encourage you to have several conversations- around putting in effort, around keeping the diya of hope alive and more. It could also trigger a discussion on skills like empathy for people whose houses may not be enveloped in light this year.
2. Rangoli
Diwali is the time to beautify our houses. One of the ways that we use is to draw colorful Rangolis. These rangolis made of flowers or dry colours can instantly uplift any place and mood. Having the child involved in these decorations will be a good idea. Encourage them to think of a Rangoli design and draw it on paper. Let them use their imagination to come up with beautiful designs. Should they need some prodding, here are some handy design ideas:
- Flowers and diyas that represent the spirit of Diwali
- Colourful peacocks
- Geometric designs that use different shapes
- Lord Ganesha
- Butterflies
- Fishes
- Kites
- Children can even draw their favourite cartoons
Once the design is ready on paper, you can help them to create the Rangoli. Use colours, glitters, flowers…whatever catches their fancy. The sense of achievement they will have to see their creation decorating the house on diwali, will be unparalleled. Pro tip- Do not expect the rangoli to be flawless. Instead, go ahead and celebrate imperfections. It will be the most significant gift you will offer them. They will know that life does not always need to be perfect and that there is joy even in imperfections!
3. Firecrackers
Children will also love to draw a beautiful diwali scene drawing where the sky’s ablaze with firecrackers. While we need to teach our children that we must keep our environment pollution-free and that firecrackers need to be restricted, nothing stops them from creating that joy on paper. Let their imagination run wild and let them draw those lovely phuljhadis, stars, rockets, and more that light up the sky without causing any pollution, in this case.
4. Laxmi and Ganesh Puja
A great way to teach children the spiritual significance of Diwali is to get them to draw a scene where Laxmi and Ganesh Puja are on. This will be a good opportunity to tell them how Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, is worshiped to invite prosperity and abundance into our homes, while Lord Ganesh is invoked to remove obstacles, ensure success, and bring wisdom.
A story from Hindu mythology says that Lakshmi adopted Ganesh from his mother, Parvati. She loved Ganesh so much that she declared that all her luxury, prosperity, and accomplishments were Ganesh’s. She also said that in all three worlds, anyone who doesn’t worship Ganesh with her will never see prosperity in his life.
Storytelling and art could be the beginning of their love for Lord Ganesh and Goddess Laxmi. You could also take the opportunity to teach them the Laxmi-Ganesh aarti performed on Diwali.
To Sum Up
Diwali is a good time for us to renew several vows- that of love, brotherhood, walking on the path of good, spreading joy in everyone’s life, and much more. It is an excellent reminder also of the fact that even if evil seems to be having a moment- it is precisely that- a moment- for good will prevail. Using these easy Diwali drawings and storytelling you can drive this lesson home to your child like little else. These messages will subliminally settle with the child and resurface when they face obstacles in their adult lives.
Stay tuned to this space for more informational content. At Pragyanam, one of the top CBSE schools in Gurgaon, our mission is the holistic development of children. Among other things, we follow a life skills-based curriculum that teaches important life skills such as critical thinking, decision-making, empathy, and more that enable children to navigate the twists and turns of life without a sense of overwhelm.
Here’s wishing you a very happy diwali! Here’s to keeping the faith that good triumphs over evil always! May we instill the lesson of walking on the righteous path to our children, and may they never stray from the path.
