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How to host a Neighborhood Holi Party

Holi, the festival of colors, will be celebrated on March 8th this year.  Families and friends will be celebrating over the next two weeks.  If you are looking for ideas on how to host a neighborhood friendly event please keep reading. 1: Send Invitations 2: Create a Holi Song Playlist 3: Create a street food menu 4: Make a pitcher of virgin thandai 5: Convey dress code – White 6: Gather gulal, water and pichkari’s Read more…

How to share Holi with your child’s classroom

Holi, known as the festival of color, is quickly approaching.  This festival represents the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil.  This year Holi is celebrated on March 8th. As a parent, I know I am searching to find non- toxic colors, that can be safe for my children’s sensitive skin.  In India dry colors are called gulal, and wet colors are called rang.  Pichkaris or water soakers are used to mix Read more…

Celebrate National Puzzle Day with family

Today is National Puzzle Day.  Every year it is celebrated on January 29th.  Puzzles can be fun and therapeutic at the same time.  They allow you to exercise your brain, which is just one of the many benefits of puzzles.  Puzzles come in many different forms, whether it’s a crossword, jigsaw, trivia, word searches, brain teasers or sudoku, puzzles can put our minds to work. Working on jigsaw puzzles can use both sides of the Read more…

Celebrate India Republic Day with Playdoh Rangoli

India Republic Day is a day to celebrate India’s transition to a sovereign republic.  It’s the day the constitution came into effect on January 26, 1950.  India Republic Day is one of only three national holidays in India.  This day is celebrated with flag hoisting ceremonies and parades by armed forces and school children are held in different parts of the country. To commemorate the 74th Republic Day we made a playdoh rangoli. Materials Needed: Read more…

Lunar New Year – How Celebrations differ across cultures following Lunar calendar

Throughout Asia and it’s neighboring countries, the Lunar New Year, commonly known as Chinese New Year is the most widely celebrated, and one of the most important holiday’s in East Asia.  It marks the start of the new year based on the lunar calendar.  The lunar calendar is a dating system based on the monthly cycle of the moon’s phases. This year, Lunar New Year is celebrated on January 22, 2023. There are countries that Read more…

Sundial Repurposed into a Kite

Happy Uttarayan!  As we celebrate the festival of many names there are many ways to celebrate it. Our last craft was a STEM activity making a sundial.  Let’s take that sundial and repurpose it into a kite. Material Needs: Sundial Scissors Popsicle Sticks Yarn Paint Paint brushes Hole puncher Water cup/Water Tape (optional) Ribbon (optional) Step 1: Cut the middle part of your plate out, leaving enough room to paint and punch holes Step 2: Read more…

Sundial Craft for Makar Sankranti

Several Harvest festivals are celebrated across India between January 13th – January 16th. Lohri, Magh Bihu, Sankranth, Sankranti, Makar Sankranti, Uttrayan, Pongal, are some of the celebrations observed during this time. All these festivals honor the Sun and the harvesting of the crops. This time marks the transition of the Sun from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere on this day. This festival is celebrated with dances, kite flying, bonfires, and feasts. The beginning Read more…

Introduce Lohri with a Bonfire Craft

Lohri is a popular winter Punjabi folk festival celebrated primarily in Northern India.  It is believed by many that the festival marks the passing of the winter solstice.  Lohri marks the end of winter, and is a traditional welcome of longer days. It celebrates the harvest and the abundance that this time of year brings with the crops. It is observed the night before Maghi, also known as Makar Sankranti.  This year Lohri will be Read more…

5 tips on Hosting a Diwali Party

Diwali is a time to celebrate with family and friends. On Diwali day, families wear their finest new clothes, illuminate their homes with lights, eat elaborate meals, and perform religious rituals. This year, Diwali is on October 24, 2022. This is the first year where we are re-emerging from the pandemic and planning celebrations. If you are looking to host a Diwali party this year, here are 5 tips: Keep decorations simple and add a statement – Read more…

Diwali Classroom activity ideas

Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights is on Monday, October 24th.  After the last few years, our school is back to normal making it the perfect time to visit my children’s classroom.  Since most classes or periods are 40 minutes to 1 hour long we have created a lesson plan to make the planning easier. Lesson Plan: Read a book Listen to the Diwali Audio Story Album Color a Rangoli printout Make a Read more…