Learning more about other cultures and religions is always fun in Reception. This week, we have been discovering how and why Diwali is celebrated by some Hindu and Sikh families. We discovered that Diwali is the festival of lights and we enjoyed acting out the story of Princess Sita and Warrior Prince Rama. The children all volunteered for a role in our performance and then we used the photos to create a story map. Princess Sita (Gurjot) chose Jack to be her Warrior Prince Rama. Can the children tell you what role they played and where they appear in the story?

We bashed and moulded clay to create our own diva lamps like those used to light the path home for Rama and Sita.

We have practised careful colouring of rangoli patterns.

A Diwali dance increased our heart rates as we learnt some very funky moves.

Thank you to Gurjot’s sister, Manpreet, who shared with us how their family celebrate Diwali. We really enjoyed hearing the story of Guru Hargobind, who adapted his cloak so that all 52 princes could escape.

We are always keen to share in celebrating moments that are culturally important to you at home so please do send in photos that you are happy to share.