Navratri and Dussehra are more than festivals — they are a celebration of courage, devotion, culture, and the victory of good over evil. And as parents, teachers, or caregivers, we have a beautiful opportunity to help children experience these festivals in meaningful, joyful ways.
I still remember when my daughter once asked, “Is Navratri only about school holidays?” That innocent curiosity inspired me to introduce festival traditions through fun arts, crafts, stories, and activities. The result? She not only learned about Goddess Durga and Lord Rama but eagerly waited each day to create something new for the celebrations.
This article brings you 21 engaging Navratri and Dussehra crafts and activities for kids — from DIY dandiya sticks to Ramayana puppets — perfect for classrooms and homes. These ideas help children understand festival values, Indian culture, and mythology while boosting their creativity and confidence.
✅ Why Celebrate Navratri & Dussehra With Kids?
Celebrating festivals with kids helps them:
- Build cultural understanding
- Stay connected to values and traditions
- Develop creativity and fine-motor skills
- Learn stories of bravery, devotion, and truth
- Experience the joy of celebration with family
Navratri lasts for nine days, celebrating Goddess Durga’s nine forms, and ends with Dussehra, which marks Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana. The festival symbolizes that light always wins over darkness.
📅 Navratri & Dussehra 2025 Dates
- Navratri 2025: 22 September – 1 October 2025
- Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2025: 2 October 2025
🎨 21 Navratri & Dussehra Activities & Crafts for Kids
1. DIY Ramayana Story Puppets
Make puppets for Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Ravana, and Hanuman using popsicle sticks, paper, or felt.
Perfect for storytelling time!
2. Create a Ramayana Mini Theatre
Use a cardboard box to make a stage and re-enact scenes like the forest exile or Rama-Ravana battle.
3. Dandiya Stick Decoration
Wrap sticks with shiny tapes, beads, ribbons, and bells.
Kids love dancing with their self-decorated dandiyas!
4. Garba Dance for Children
Teach simple Garba and Dandiya steps.
Add fun: play traditional music and organize a small family dance night.
5. Goddess Durga Paper Mask Craft
Kids can make a bright Durga mask with gold paper, sequins, and crayons.
6. Durga Crown (Mukut) Craft
Create a decorative crown symbolizing Shakti (strength) and devotion.
7. Rangoli With Flowers or Stencils
Let kids make mini rangolis with colored rice, paper dots, or flower petals.
8. Navratri Themed Coloring Pages
Use printable sheets of Durga, Ravana, bow & arrow, lotus, peacock, etc.
9. Clay Modelling — Ramayana Characters
Make little diyas, Ravana faces, and Hanuman with air-dry clay.
10. Ravana Face Craft Using Paper Plate
Kids create Ravana using googly eyes, moustache, and crowns.
11. “Bow & Arrow” Pretend-Play Craft
Use cardboard, sticks, and thread to make a safe bow and arrow toy.
12. Ramayana Story Reading
Introduce age-appropriate illustrated books to teach kindness, patience, and bravery.
13. Ramayana Role-Play Day
Kids enjoy dressing up as Lord Rama, Sita, Hanuman, and Vibhishana.
14. Create a “Victory of Good Over Evil” Poster
A simple art activity with values like honesty, courage, and kindness.
15. DIY Durga Idol Using Clay
A small idol kids can decorate with paper jewellery and fabric scraps.
16. Garba Paper Dolls Craft
Make colorful dancing dolls — a cute festive room decoration.
17. Navratri Flower Garland Making
Use real or paper flowers to make small torans and hair garlands.
18. Dussehra Greeting Cards
Kids love creating cards with bows, diyas, Ravana faces, and blessings.
19. Story Time: Hanuman Ji’s Devotion
Share stories that inspire faith, humility, and strength.
20. DIY “10-Headed Ravana” Countdown Chart
Every day kids remove one Ravana head — super fun and engaging.
21. Mini Bonfire & Paper Ravana Burning
Use paper figures (supervised) to symbolize destroying negativity like anger, selfishness, and lies.
🎨 Navratri Colour Theme for Kids (2025)
Add learning fun by dressing kids or doing crafts in the daily colours like yellow, green, orange, red and more based on the festival calendar.
🧘 Teach Navratri Values in a Kid-Friendly Way
| Festival Value | Activity |
| Courage & Strength | Durga craft, brave stories |
| Good wins over evil | Ravana puppet burning |
| Devotion | Bhajans & prayer corner |
| Family bonding | Garba night, crafts |
| Creativity | Rangoli, masks, theatre |
💡 Safety Tips
- Use age-safe craft supplies
- Supervise scissors, hot glue, incense, and diyas
- Encourage creativity over perfection
Expert Tip (Parenting + Cultural Learning)
Tell kids not just what we do, but why we do it.
For example, while making a Ravana puppet, explain:
“Ravana was intelligent and strong, but his ego caused his downfall. We learn to be intelligent and humble.”
Such conversations build cultural awareness + character values.
🧾 Focus Keyword:
Navratri and Dussehra activities for kids
🔖 Suggested Tags
- Navratri crafts for kids
- Dussehra activities for children
- Ramayana DIY projects
- Indian festival activities for preschool
- Garba and Dandiya kids crafts
- Durga Puja kids activities
✨ Final Thoughts
Festivals are memories in the making. When children learn stories of courage, devotion, and goodness through play, they don’t just celebrate — they grow.
So put on some dandiya music, bring out colors and craft supplies, and let this Navratri & Dussehra be full of joy, learning, and cultural pride for your little ones.