Celebrating Diwali in the Classroom: A Guide for Science Teachers

With the winter term soon approaching, Diwali is a fantastic opportunity to bring culture, light and hands-on science into your classroom. Known as the ‘Festival of Lights’, Diwali is celebrated by millions of people around the world, and it offers rich educational content to explore with pupils of all ages. From learning about light and shadows to understanding cultural traditions, you can use Diwali to engage your pupils and link their learning back to some key areas of the EYFS, KS1, KS2 and KS3 science curricula.

1. Exploring light and shadows with Diwali lamps 

Diwali is known for its vibrant displays of lights, and this offers a perfect way to explore light and shadows with your pupils. In KS1 and KS2 science, pupils learn how light travels, how shadows are formed, and how materials can be opaque, transparent or translucent. Start by having pupils make their own Diwali lamps using safe materials, such as paper or clay. Once their lamps are complete, place a small LED light inside and let your class observe the shadow patterns.

Through this activity, your pupils can experiment with shadow formation by placing objects at various distances and angles. Developing Experts provides lesson plans to help guide you through these concepts (found in Year 3 Light and Year 6 Light), making it easy to explain how shadows change with the light’s position and how different materials impact light transmission. For younger classes, you could celebrate the light of Diwali and retell stories using shadow puppets. With step-by-step activities, handouts and videos, our platform helps you make science come to life.

2. Investigating patterns in nature with Rangoli art

Rangoli patterns are an important part of Diwali celebrations. Traditionally created using coloured powders or flower petals, Rangoli patterns are designed to welcome positive energy into homes. In the classroom, creating Rangoli designs can be a fantastic way to explore symmetry and patterning, linking to science topics that involve observing and describing the natural world. With an EYFS class, you could use Rangoli art to introduce simple shapes, while KS1 and KS2 pupils could explore more complex patterns, symmetry and geometry.

3. The science of fireworks and colours 

Fireworks are another part of Diwali celebrations that can be used to spark pupils’ interest in chemistry and the science of colour. At KS2 and KS3, students explore the science behind chemical reactions, and learning about the science behind fireworks – especially the vibrant colours – can be particularly exciting.

Although a practical demonstration might not be possible, videos or safe experiments using chemicals found in nature (like vinegar and baking soda reactions) can mimic the fun of explosive colours. On our platform, we offer a huge range of multimedia resources that help explain chemical reactions and introduce early chemistry concepts in a way that's foolproof to teach and easy to understand.

4. Diwali and the National Curriculum 

Diwali provides a rich context for addressing some key areas of the EYFS to KS3 science curriculum, such as lights, shapes and chemical reactions. From interactive experiments to cultural explorations, Developing Experts gives you the tools you need to bring Diwali and the science curriculum together in a way that’s both meaningful and memorable.