Celebrations and Holiday Themed Arts & Crafts

Yearly celebrations and festivals are a great excuse to get artistic and bond with your little learners. It is also a great way to give a more personal touch to themed gifts, cards, decorations or games to help you get together and mark that special occasion, whatever it may be!

There are some really fantastic ideas out there and with a quick search online you will be able to find many tailored to your specific celebration, or the materials you already have at home. But here are a few of our favourites, and we think these are worth a trip to the craft shop or supermarket!

NAIDOC Week Crafts

National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee Week is held from the first Sunday in July until the following Sunday. During this week families, schools and communities celebrate and remember the history, culture and achievements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Here are some super NAIDOC themed arts and crafts to try with your little one:

Fishy Pebbles idea from Cleverpatch

Rainsticks idea from Cuttingandsticking

Dot Painting idea from Montessori Nature

Eid is a holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide and is ‘the festival of breaking the fast’. Eid falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal, so the exact date differs from year to year. Celebrations usually go on for two or three days and there are plenty of fun Eid related arts and crafts to try.

Cardboard Tube Stamps idea from hello holy days!

Lollipop Holders idea from Ramadhan Planner Family

Paper Bag Mosques idea from hello holy days!

Hanukkah is a Jewish Festival that starts on the 25th day of the Hebrew calendar. The exact date varies every year, but usually falls between late November and December. Hanukkah lasts eight days and celebrates the triumphs of Jewish heroes throughout history. With festive foods, blessings, games and gifts there are plenty of Hanukkah arts and crafts to have a go at.

Handprint Menorah idea from Crayola

Popsicle Sticks idea from Parents

Star of David Painting idea from Melissa & Doug

Diwali is a festival to mark the Hindu New Year, it originated in India, and now is celebrated all over the world. Diwali falls on a different day every year (usually in October or November) and the fun and festivities can last for up to five days! So ‘Shubh Deepavali’ and try out some of these super fun Diwali arts and crafts.

The Chinese New Year Festival is celebrated by no less than 1/5 of the world’s population. It always falls between January 21st and February 20th, depending on the Chinese lunar calendar for that year. People make amends, reconcile with old friends, give gifts, and even clean the whole house! Needless to say, there is a huge array of Chinese New Year crafts to choose from.

Chinese Paper Lanterns idea from My Kid Craft

Chinese Dragon Puppet idea from Activity Village

Chinese Lion idea from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

There are so many wonderful celebrations in our rich and diverse culture. Teaching our children to acknowledge and embrace them all can be fun and educational. If your holiday or festival isn’t featured here, try to search on some of the sites linked in this blog, there are many themes on offer, and hands-on activities like these are an essential part of early childhood development.

State-of-the-art childcare centres such as the Cherry Bridge Station centres in NSW, use arts, crafts and activity-based learning as an important part of their early educational curriculum. No one ever said learning needed to be boring!