5 fun activities to do on Krishna Janmashtami

Akanksha Gupta. Updated: 8/25/2016 12:50:32 PM Art and Culture

Explaining the significance of Indian festivals to my 5 year niece was quite a challenge for me and then I started relying on creative ways to keep her happily engaged and at the same time make sure that she learns something about the festival in the process. So, while she enjoyed making a cute wall hanging of moon and stars out of coloured paper this Eid, she was equally enthusiastic about recycling some old stuff at home to make a ‘rakhi’ for her friend and ended up familiar with at least some aspects of the festival.

If you are in the same boat as me, take a pick from the following edutainment activities to make today’s festival of Krishna Janmashtami a hit with the little ‘Kanha’ in your home! It is important that they should know that these festival are about lot more than just going to temple and flying kites.

1. Dress up like Radha or Krishna on Krishna Janmashtami

Dress up your little ones as Krishna, Radha, Balrama, Sudama or other characters of that period. You can also organise a small competition in your localiry and give away a prize to the best dressed child. Or you could pick up any anecdote from Krishna’s life and make children do a short play.

2. Make some Krishna Related Crafts on Krishna Janmashtami

You can persuade your child into doing some art and craft activities based on Krishna Janmashtami theme. One idea could be to make a crown of Krishna using cardboard, coloured paper and spray paint and accessorising it with feather, beads etc. Your child can also decorate a flute or garbaras dandiyas with colourful strips of different cloth materials and other embellishments. They can even make a Krishna’s idol out of sand or clay and dress it up with clothes and ornaments. You can also make them draw a Rangoli & make tiny Krishna footsteps leading to your house. Its considered auspicious to have krishna’s footsteps leading to your house and is said to bring lots of happiness.

3. Recreate Krishna’s birth scene

Have you ever come across the Christmas Nativity scene recreated in many Christian homes and churches to depict the birth of Jesus Christ? You can use the same idea in your home to reflect Krishna’s birth. Ask your child to recreate Krishna’s birth scene using his or her imagination and taking inspiration from Krishna’s birth. Make it simple or grand, traditional or modern, indoor or outdoor - it is entirely up to you but this activity will definitely set your kids in motion. A rangoli decoration or contest could also be a part of welcoming Krishna into this world.

4. Tell a story

Tell your child how Lord Krishna was born on a stormy rainy night, why he is called makhanchor, what made him lift Mountain Govardhana on his single finger or the way he fought bravely with Kalia the snake. Children are likely to identify with the childhood stories of Krishna very easily and have fun listening to them. You can also take help of colourfully illustrated story books like ‘Krishna the Adorable God’, ‘365 Tales of Indian Mythology’ or ‘Amar Chitra Kathas’ which you can easily purchase online or from your neighbourhood bookstores.

5. Make Sweets with your kids

If you have got a junior master chef at home, nothing will stimulate him or her better than indulging in cooking some yummy delicious Janmashtami special recipes like besan ke ladoo, shrikhand, pedhas etc. And why not bring a contemporary twist in your celebrations by baking up an eggless cake and sing a birthday song to Krishna?


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