Free Access
Rama & Sita Story Sequence — Free Colouring Cards
Colour and discuss large illustrated cards from the Rama and Sita story, then revisit the sequence together.
Diwali Activities & Resources
Theme collection · Diwali / Deepavali
Stories, light &
shared celebrations
Explore Diwali through stories, family experiences, rangoli patterns, lamps and imaginative play.
Find creative invitations, maths games, storytelling resources and planning support. Pair them with books, photographs and experiences that families choose to share, helping children make connections with the meaning of the festival.
Diwali 2026: Sunday 8 November.
Celebrations and observances can span several days, with traditions varying between families and communities.
Find your starting point
Search this Diwali collection
Try a resource, activity or age. Choose a result to see its cover on this page, then open the resource when you are ready. The search also includes the optional Fireworks resources below.
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01 / Explore the theme
Start with something free
Four Diwali resources to explore with Free Access: colouring, story cards, a welcome banner and border paper. Each resource appears once here, with links from the other sections where useful.
Free Access
Happy Diwali! Banner & Borders — Free
A Happy Diwali banner and matching borders for a welcoming themed display.
Free Access
Diwali Horizontal Border Sheets — Free
Landscape border paper with blank and two lined formats, each in colour and black-and-white versions for drawing and writing.
Free Access
Diwali Colouring Sheets Pack — Free
Colouring sheets feature diva lamps, lanterns, rangoli patterns, sweets, fireworks and mehndi designs.
02 / Explore the theme
Stories, characters & puppets
Share the story, talk about the pictures and revisit events through puppets and sequencing. Children can listen, point, move a character or tell you what they remember.
These resources explore Rama and Sita, one Hindu story associated with Diwali. Families and communities observe the festival in different ways. You can also use the free story-sequence colouring cards.
All Access
Rama & Sita Cut & Sequence Activity
Cut and arrange pictures to retell the Rama and Sita story after sharing the large sequence cards together.
All Access
Diwali Lollipop Puppets
Cut-out puppets for attaching to lolly sticks, with two background pictures to support shared storytelling and imaginative retelling.
03 / Explore the theme
Rangoli, lamps & creative play
Explore pattern, colour and design with playdough, collage, drawing and greeting cards. Share the cultural context through pictures and conversation, then leave room for children’s own ideas.
The lamp resources use the published name diva lamp; you may also see diya. The mehndi resource provides paper hand outlines for designing patterns. These are creative invitations using everyday materials.
All Access
Rangoli Pattern Playdough Mats
Shape and arrange playdough on rangoli pattern mats, exploring colour, repeated shapes and hand control.
All Access
Diwali Greeting Cards Activity
Choose a design for someone special, then colour, paint or collage the outline to create an individual Diwali card.
All Access
Create Mehndi Designs
An example poster and left- and right-hand outlines offer space to design patterns on paper using drawing or creative materials.
All Access
Design Your Own Diva Lamp
Use an example poster and two blank templates to plan decorative lamp designs with drawing, playdough, loose parts or collage.
04 / Explore the theme
Maths, patterns & games
Match pictures, compare quantities and notice how patterns are alike or different. Select a few pieces or a smaller number range where useful, and allow time to explain and try again.
All Access
Diva Lamp Counting Puzzles (1–10)
Match numerals with quantities of diva lamps. Choose suitable numbers from 1–10, then explore ordering or a missing-number game.
All Access
Diwali 2-Piece Puzzles
Match two halves of ten Diwali pattern puzzles, looking closely at colours, patterns, similarities and differences.
All Access
Diwali Memory Cards Game
Turn over and match pairs of rangoli patterns and lanterns in a memory game, with optional folded backing tabs for the cards.
All Access
Diwali Pattern Match
Match patterned cards by looking closely at shapes and colours. Different connecting edges help children check their choices.
All Access
Diwali Picture Snap
Use illustrated Diwali cards for snap, matching and memory play, or as picture prompts for shared discussion.
All Access
Rangoli Counting Puzzles (1–10)
Match numerals with quantities of rangoli patterns. Select appropriate numbers, then try ordering or spotting a missing numeral.
05 / Explore the theme
Words, role play & celebrations
Use pictures and words to support conversation, a pretend sweet shop, greetings and purposeful marks. Include children’s own experiences without expecting everyone to have celebrated Diwali.
For welcoming displays and children’s messages, see the free Happy Diwali banner and borders and free horizontal border paper. The portrait paper and bunting are below.
All Access
Diwali Senses Prompts & Display
Mini-banners and small note sheets invite children to talk, draw, make marks or write about their own Diwali experiences.
All Access
My Diwali Senses Booklet
A booklet cover and five optional senses pages support shared talk, drawing and writing about Diwali experiences.
All Access
My Diwali Celebrations — Draw & Write
Differentiated sheets provide space for pictures, marks and writing as children record their own experiences of celebrating Diwali.
All Access
Happy Diwali! Bunting
Bunting letters spell Happy Diwali! for a celebration display or shared space.
All Access
Diwali Sweet Shop Role Play Pack
Set up a pretend sweet shop with a banner, menus, sweets pictures, order forms and signs, supporting conversation and purposeful mark making.
All Access
Diwali Word Mat
An illustrated vocabulary mat includes Rama, Sita, Hanuman, Ravana, rangoli, diva lamps, lanterns, fireworks and sweets.
All Access
Diwali Word Cards
Themed word cards support shared vocabulary and displays, with blank cards for adding words that matter to your children.
All Access
Brighten Someone’s Day
Three drawing and writing formats invite children to consider kind actions that could make someone happy and brighten their day.
06 / Explore the theme
Planning for younger children
Broader adult-facing projects about light and celebrations can support thoughtful choices for toddlers and preschool children. These are flexible planning resources, not Diwali-specific schemes.
All Access · Open preview
Light, Dark & Celebrations — Toddler Project Planner
A sensory project for 18–36 months, supporting language, confidence and early scientific thinking through light, dark and celebrations.
All Access · Open preview
Celebrations Around the World — Preschool Mini Theme
A flexible two-week theme for 3–4-year-olds, exploring belonging, traditions and why people celebrate through meaningful play.
07 / Choose a starting point
Choose by age & setting
These are suggested uses, guided by children’s interests and current experience. Links take you to the resource covers on this page.
Toddlers / 18–36 months
Choose simple shared experiences with marks, colour and suitable materials, supported by a familiar adult. Printed tasks and story sequencing are not expectations for this age.
Preschool / nursery
Explore making, matching and pretend play. Adults can model useful words and help children share their ideas.
Reception
Revisit a shared story, notice patterns and give drawing or writing a meaningful purpose.
Childminders, mixed ages & selected KS1 uses
Offer different ways to take part in a shared idea. Older children might explain a pattern, retell an event or write a thoughtful message.
08 / An optional connection
Fireworks resources
Choose these only when fireworks connect with children’s experiences. Diwali can be explored through stories, lamps, patterns and family celebrations without fireworks activities.
Explore the full Fireworks theme page →
Creative play & movement (5)
All Access
Firework Playdough Mats
Roll, shape and arrange dough on firework outline mats, using the pictures as starting points for patterns and hand movements.
All Access
A4 Firework Outlines — Collage & Loose Parts
Large blank firework shapes provide a starting point for collage and arranging loose parts, with room for children’s own colour and pattern choices.
All Access
Fireworks Activity Challenge
Six movement cards invite children to move like fireworks. Explore actions, descriptive language and taking turns, indoors or outside.
All Access
Fireworks Fine Motor Pencil Control Sheets
Follow dotted firework lines to practise controlled pencil movements. Offer these alongside broader drawing and mark-making opportunities.
All Access
Fireworks Colouring Pack
A collection of firework colouring sheets for exploring colour choices and adding individual detail.
Colours, counting & maths games (11)
All Access
Fireworks Counting Puzzles (1–10)
Match each numeral to the correct quantity of fireworks. Use the pieces for counting and subitising, or leave them uncut for number ordering.
All Access
Fireworks Dice Game
Roll a 1–6 die and find the matching piece to build a firework picture. Choose dots or numerals for individual play or a turn-taking game.
All Access
Firework Colour Sorting
Match firework cards to six coloured splats. Select fewer colours when useful and build colour vocabulary through a simple sorting game.
Free Access
Firework Colour Checklists — Free Sample
Try a colour-spotting checklist with pictures, a recording or a prepared colour hunt. Tick the colours together and talk about what you notice.
All Access
Firework Explosion 2-Piece Puzzles
Match two halves of a firework burst. These 11 simple puzzles encourage close looking at colours, patterns, similarities and differences.
Free Access
Firework Size Ordering Cards — Free Sample
Try arranging firework pictures by size and talk about big, small, bigger and smaller.
All Access
Firework Number Slice Puzzles (1–5 & 1–10)
Order the numbered strips to rebuild a firework picture. Choose the 1–5 or 1–10 puzzles to suit the numbers children are exploring.
All Access
Firework Numbers 0–20
Firework numerals for a number line, ordering and missing-number games, or matching a chosen number to a collection of objects.
All Access
Firework Colour Match Game
Match each firework burst to the rocket of the same colour. Play together to practise colour recognition and taking turns.
All Access
Rocket Countdown Game
Build rockets in a memory game that brings together turn taking, shape recognition and number ordering. Add a firework sound when a rocket is complete.
All Access
Rocket / Explosion Match Sheets
Match rockets and bursts by colour, then explore one-to-one counting and finding one more using the progressively varied sheets.
Sounds, talk & early writing (7)
All Access
My Fireworks Senses Poem
Use the senses prompts to talk, draw, make marks or write descriptive words and sentences about fireworks. Adults can scribe children’s ideas.
All Access
Fireworks Draw & Write
Drawing and writing sheets offer different amounts of space for children to record a firework experience through pictures, marks or words.
All Access
My Fireworks Senses Booklet
Invite children to draw, make marks or write about their senses. Use the prompt pages separately or combine them into a small booklet.
All Access
Firework Alphabet
Lower-case letters on firework bursts for displays and letter activities. Choose letters and sounds that children already know for matching games.
All Access
Firework Sounds / Phase 1 Words
Explore words that sound like fireworks. Use the posters for playful speech sounds and introduce onomatopoeia when children are ready.
All Access
Firework Rhythms
Use sound cards of different lengths as visual cues for short and long sounds. Combine them to make and repeat simple firework rhythms.
All Access
Fireworks CVC Word Builder Game
Build and blend simple CVC words in a firework-themed game. Select letter–sound correspondences children have been taught and discuss real and nonsense words.
Safety conversations (2)
Use safety cards for adult-supported discussion. Check current fire-service guidance when planning a real event; sparklers should not be given to children under five. Read London Fire Brigade’s advice.
All Access
Firework Safety Cards
Four illustrated cards for adult-led conversations about firework safety or a display to revisit together.
All Access
Firework Safety Poster
An A4 poster to support adult-led conversations about firework safety and provide a visual reminder in your setting.
09 / Keep exploring
Related collections & wider ideas
Follow an interest in light, stories or autumn, or explore another event. These are optional routes to other parts of the site.
You may also like Autumn and Continuous Provision & Play.
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Browse collection
Fireworks Resources
Explore the Fireworks collection for colour, sound, movement, creative activities and games.
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Explore the hibernation theme overview for EYFS and KS1 planning, provision and resource links.
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Light & Dark
Explore the Light and Dark theme overview for EYFS and KS1 planning, provision and resource links.
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Explore the nocturnal animals theme overview for EYFS and KS1 planning, provision and resource links.
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Explore EYFS and KS1 activity ideas for playful language and tongue twisters.
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Read EYFS and KS1 ideas for taking play and learning outdoors.
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Remembrance Day
Browse the Remembrance collection for themed resources.
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Road Safety Week
Find EYFS and KS1 activity ideas for talking about road safety.
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St Andrew’s Day
Explore the St Andrew’s Day theme collection.
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Sugar Awareness Week
Read EYFS and KS1 activity ideas linked to food and sugar awareness.
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Thanksgiving
Browse the Thanksgiving theme collection.
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World Kindness Day
Find EYFS and KS1 activity ideas for kindness and caring for others.
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World Nursery Rhyme Week
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Read EYFS and KS1 activity ideas for exploring, investigating and discovering.
More collections & setting support (8)
Read online
EYFS Framework
Visit the EYFS Framework page for framework information and support.
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Special Dates Calendar
Browse the calendar of EYFS and KS1 events, festivals and celebrations.
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Festivals & Celebrations
Find collections for festivals and celebrations across the year.
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Themes
Browse the wider collection of themes and topics.
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Role Play
Find resources to support imaginative role play in your setting.
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Get Organised
Browse organisational resources and practical tools for your setting.
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Areas of Learning
Browse resources through the EYFS areas of learning.
Browse collection
Dual Language
Explore dual-language resources to support communication and inclusion.
10 / Context & ideas
Introducing Diwali to young children
Begin with something meaningful: a short story, a photograph, a book or an experience a family wishes to share. Offer related play alongside simple explanations, and return to children’s questions.
What is Diwali?
Diwali, also called Deepavali, is a major Hindu festival associated with light and the triumph of good over evil. Stories and customs vary between families and communities. The return of Rama and Sita is one Hindu story connected with the festival.
Jains observe Diwali to remember Mahavira’s final liberation. Sikhs mark Bandi Chhor Divas at this time, remembering Guru Hargobind’s release from imprisonment; it has its own distinct significance.
Background for adults: Hindu American Foundation, Jainpedia and Sikh Coalition.
Does everyone celebrate in the same way?
No. Religious observances, stories and family traditions vary. Use phrases such as “some families”, and welcome contributions without expecting a child or family to speak for a whole community. Children who do not celebrate can learn about others’ experiences without pretending these are their own.
When is Diwali in 2026?
Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November 2026. Celebrations and observances can span several days. Check local community plans if you are arranging a visit or inviting a contribution.
How can we explore lamps and patterns?
Share a photograph or book showing how lamps and rangoli are used, then offer drawing, collage, dough or suitable loose parts. Children can explore shapes and patterns without reproducing a fixed finished example. The lamp templates and paper activities do not require a flame.
Are these resources suitable for babies and toddlers?
For babies, prioritise familiar relationships, shared looking and responsive interaction. This page does not present printable tasks as baby activities. For toddlers, choose simple shared experiences with colour, marks and suitable materials. The toddler planner provides an age-specific starting point; story sequencing and written tasks are not expectations for this age.
Do we need to change all our provision for Diwali?
No. Choose a few relevant additions when they connect with children’s experiences or questions. A story, a design invitation or a greeting card can sit alongside familiar provision. Fireworks activities are optional, and children can take part through quiet looking, making or conversation.
Which resources are free, and are they editable?
The four resources in Start with something free are available with Free Access. The Diwali topic listings offer editable Word and PDF versions; check each resource for its available formats. All Access membership includes every resource on the site.
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