Navratri With Toddlers: 9 Simple Screen-Free Ideas For 9 Nights
Nine easy, screen-free Navratri activities for toddlers and preschoolers, one for each night, that bring the festival and its stories to life at home.
Navratri brings nine nights of colour, music and celebration. For small children, the trick is to keep each night short and simple. Here is one idea per night, each taking about ten minutes.
Night 1: Colour Of The Day
Each Navratri day has a colour. Let your child pick one toy or cloth of that colour and place it near the diya.
Night 2: Diya Decorating
Give your child a clay diya and a few colours. Small hands, big pride.
Night 3: Garba For Little Feet
Put on festive music and hold hands in a circle. Clapping along counts as dancing.
Night 4: The Story Begins
Tell the first part of the Ramayana: a kind prince named Ram who left home on a long journey.
Night 5: Rangoli With Rice
Use coloured rice or flower petals to make a simple pattern at the door.
Night 6: Hanuman's Leap
Tell how Hanuman leapt across the ocean, then let your child jump across a "river" of cushions.
Night 7: Build A Bridge
Like the monkey army that built a bridge to Lanka, build one with blocks or books.
Night 8: Kanya Pujan Kindness
Talk about kindness and sharing. Let your child share a sweet with a family member.
Night 9: The Night Before Victory
Retell the whole story briefly, ready for Dussehra tomorrow, when good wins over bad.
Keep The Story Going
The Legend Of Ram interactive sound book has 10 scenes and 10 activities, which makes it easy to explore one scene each night of the festival. With 100+ sounds and English and Hindi narration, it is suitable from 0+ months.
Frequently Asked Questions
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When is Navratri in 2026? From Sunday, 11 October to Monday, 19 October, with Dussehra on 20 October.
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How can I explain Navratri to a toddler? As nine nights of celebrating goodness, with colours, music and stories.
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Are these activities screen-free? Yes, every idea here uses simple household items or books.