Free printable rangoli templates, diya colouring pages, lanterns, cards and Diwali activities for home, EYFS and KS1.
🪔?sleeps until Diwali
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November, and the festival of lights is the perfect excuse to get the paints out. We have checked dozens of pages of free Diwali crafts for kids: printable rangoli templates and rangoli patterns to colour or fill with rice and petals, diya templates and diya colouring pages, a Diwali lantern craft or two, Diwali card ideas for kids, Diwali colouring pages and Diwali decorations to make at home. Everything works as a Diwali activity for children at home, in EYFS or in KS1. Pick a tile to start, draw your own rangoli below, and read our grown-up safety tips before the sparklers come out.
Diwali activities for kids: what shall we make?
Tap a tile to see templates, tutorials and ideas for that kind of craft. Every link opens the real website in a new tab.
The craft table
🪔 Everything
Draw your own rangoli pattern
Tap or drag on the circle. Every dot you make is mirrored sixteen times into a perfect pattern. Print it to colour in, or copy it with chalk on the doorstep.
Colour pick one
Brush pick one
Real rangoli often start from a grid of dots. Try a ring of dots first, then join them with lines, then fill the gaps with petals. Traditional colours are saffron, magenta, turmeric yellow, leaf green and white.
Light the diyas
Tap each lamp to light it. Light them all for a surprise.
0 of 7 lamps lit
What is Diwali? The story for kids
Diwali (also written Deepavali, which means "a row of lamps") is the festival of lights. Hindu families remember the story of Prince Rama and Princess Sita, who returned home after fourteen years away and defeating the demon king Ravana. The people lit rows of little lamps so they could find their way back in the dark. Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas on the same day, when Guru Hargobind was freed from prison, and Jains remember Lord Mahavira. For everyone it means light beating darkness, good beating evil, and a fresh start, which is why homes are cleaned, decorated and filled with lamps, rangoli, sweets and family.
Day 1
Dhanteras
Clean and decorate the house, and buy something new and shiny, often a metal pot or a lamp.
Day 2
Choti Diwali
"Little Diwali". Make rangoli at the door and get the diyas ready. Some families tell the story of Krishna defeating Narakasura.
Day 3
Diwali, Lakshmi Puja
The big night. Light the diyas, pray to Lakshmi the goddess of good fortune, share sweets, wear new clothes and watch fireworks.
Day 4
Govardhan Puja
A day for giving thanks for food and nature. In some places it is also New Year's Day, with lots of feasting.
Day 5
Bhai Dooj
Brothers and sisters celebrate each other with a tikka blessing, gifts and, of course, more sweets.
Grown-up rules
Lamps, sparklers and hot glue are all part of the fun. These tips come from UK safety charities and fire services.
My Diwali plan
Tap the ★ on any template to save it here. Your plan stays on this device.
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Diwali craft questions
What is Diwali, explained for kids?
Diwali is the festival of lights, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. Families clean and decorate their homes, light small clay lamps called diyas, make rangoli patterns at the door, share sweets and gifts, and enjoy fireworks. It celebrates light winning over darkness and good winning over evil, and many families remember the story of Rama and Sita returning home.
What easy Diwali crafts can children make?
Painted clay or salt-dough diyas, paper lanterns, rangoli made from coloured rice, chalk or petals, paper marigold garlands, Diwali greeting cards and colouring pages of lamps, fireworks and Lakshmi or Ganesh. The tiles above link to free templates for all of them.
Are there free printable rangoli templates?
Yes. The Rangoli tile lists free printable rangoli designs and dot-grid templates to colour or fill with rice and petals, and the rangoli maker above mirrors your own dots into a symmetrical pattern you can print.
When is Diwali in 2026?
The main day, Lakshmi Puja, is Sunday 8 November 2026, with the five-day festival running from 6 to 10 November. In 2027 Diwali falls on 29 October.
Are sparklers safe for children at Diwali?
Safety groups advise that sparklers are not for children under five. Older children should wear gloves, hold the sparkler at arm's length away from others, and drop the used sparkler into a bucket of water. Light diyas and candles on a heatproof surface away from curtains and never leave them burning unattended. Battery-powered diyas are a good choice for children's rooms.
What Diwali activities work for EYFS and KS1?
For nursery and reception, try rangoli patterns to colour, lentil or coloured-rice rangoli on a paper plate, chalk rangoli outdoors, diya colouring pages and salt-dough diyas. For Key Stage 1, add paper lanterns, Diwali cards, paper marigold garlands and retelling the Rama and Sita story with colour-in puppets.
How do I make a Diwali card with children?
Fold a sheet of card, then glue on a cut-out paper diya with a tissue-paper flame, a rangoli circle made from paper shapes, or painted paper-straw firecrackers. Write Happy Diwali or Shubh Deepavali inside. The Cards tile above links to free printable card templates.
What are easy rangoli patterns for kids to colour?
Start with a circle divided into petals, a lotus flower, or a simple dot grid joined into diamonds. The Rangoli tile links to free printable rangoli templates for colouring, and the rangoli maker above turns any dots a child taps into a symmetrical pattern they can print and colour.
My Festoonie rangoli
Colour it in, or copy the pattern with chalk, rice or petals.