Activities to Explain Gandhi Jayanti to Young Kids

If you’re an Indian, you’ve grown up knowing the three national holidays of the country – Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti. For a young republic like ours, these three days normally signify the emergence of patriotism and an acknowledgement of the Freedom Struggle that our grandparents & their parents have seen first-hand. But how does one explain these to young kids meaningfully?

 

Gandhi Jayanti, on 2nd October, marks the celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a.k.a Gandhiji, a.k.a Mahatma Gandhi is considered to be the Father of the Nation. He’s been criticised for many of his ideologies in recent years, but the vision with which he pursued the British Raj out of the country, the hope which he placed on self-governance and inclusion, and the confidence which he bestowed upon the “right path” at all costs, are all quite commendable.

Children learn the best when they are working with their hands, but their minds should absorb the “why” and “how” as well. Rather than blindly spewing out facts on Gandhi Jayanti, we can use this day to convey important messages to kids – of non-violence, cleanliness, inclusion & peace of course, but also of having the courage of conviction in your beliefs. For the age group of 2 to 7-year-olds, this will mean giving examples they can relate to, and including some fun activities to keep them engaged!

Here’s how you can explain why we honour this gentleman to young preschoolers and kindergarteners:

 

Step One: Read

Just like we use Google and Wikipedia to check facts, it’s always a good idea to give a reliable factual account of what happened to young kids. Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography, ‘My Experiments with Truth’, unfortunately, makes for a very heavy bed-time read-aloud! Good thing that the folks at Frances Lincoln Children’s Books have put together a series called Little People, BIG DREAMS. Author Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara writes easy to understand biographies with beautiful illustrations, told as a story with a facts and photos section at the back.

The Little People, BIG DREAMS Mahatma Gandhi biography is a non-fictional, unembellished recounting of the life events that led him to take up the cause of freedom and independence. It’s a great way to introduce your young reader (or listener) to the person behind the name.

 

Step Two: Do

A quick google search will lead to many art and craft activities surrounding Gandhi Jayanti. For me, the activity should have some meaning associated with it and so I’m listing down 3 simple activity ideas that can help to explain the meaning of Gandhi Jayanti to your young child.

1. Simple Gandhi Puppet: The indigenous fabric which Gandhiji wore as his staple attire signified simplicity and the colour white is the universal symbol for peace. While making these cute craft puppets, be sure to have a conversation around how we can resolve even the biggest conflicts – like ousting an entire generation of colonial rulers – peacefully, without war and weapons. This can translate to real-life examples for children too, like conflicts in the park or sharing toys with their siblings, and so on.

Use felt paper, fabric and glue, or (as they did in #NotSoLittleH’s daycare) use a Jenga block for the body, tissue and other material for the embellishments.

Playdoh is also a good idea to get their creative juices flowing. Let them create their own version of Gandhi.

Images’ Source: Left, Center, Right

 

2. Easy DIY Popsicle Charkha: One of the most known ways in which Gandhiji built up momentum in the freedom struggle was to focus on self-reliance. The spinning wheel with which Indian karigars would weave cloth from cotton yarn was chosen as the symbol for this effort. Make a charkha with popsicle sticks and talk to your kids about inclusion. Villagers rely on this as a source of livelihood, and the ability to create something useful is an important lifeskill. You can also talk about eco-friendly practices and sustainability which is the need of the hour for our environment.

For young kids (and busy moms!): Check out this simple DIY Art & Craft Activity of Gandhi Charkha for your preschooler to do –

 

For slightly older kids (and craftier moms!):

 

3. Salt Experiments: We’ve all studied about the Dandi March, where Gandhiji led his followers on a walk spanning 24 days to protest against the unfair British salt tax. Of course, they’ll learn the historical significance of this march as they grow older, but why not make a fun science experiment of the key message. Salt is a basic ingredient that is so essential for our food, and quite amenable to fun activities. My go-to resource for simple and fun science activities is Sergei from The Dad Lab since he always thinks of fun ways to pique kids’ interest in all things science. Check out these two experiments that you can do with your kids:

How salt melts Ice:

Saltwater and egg experiment:

 

Step Three: Practice

Gandhi Jayanti is a good day to remind children of some basic good habits that can be inculcated in our daily lives.

1. Most children associate monkeys with naughtiness and love activities that involve these creatures. The three monkeys of Gandhiji can therefore be used to have a meaningful conversation on what to do when wrong things are happening.
See no evil – doesn’t mean you close your eyes and walk away. Make sure to speak to an adult if you see something bad happening to your friends or to someone you know.
Hear no evil – what you say says a lot about who you are, so listen carefully to how people talk.
And do no evil – your own actions should be carefully thought through and both children and adults need to do the right thing at the right time.

2. You can make a cleanliness pact for the entire family. Use your day off to do a thorough spring cleaning of your home, with the kids of course. Involve the child by sorting through their rooms and cupboards and using the opportunity to declutter used items that can perhaps bring more joy to someone else. Check for local organisations in your area like Goonj to collect clothes, or try Rentoys.in where they run an interesting toy donation program (**they may currently not be collecting donations on account of Covid-19).

3. Another message can be of truthfulness. Play a round of truth & dare around the dinner table, with a focus on Truth of course! Share some age-appropriate truths, like when you ate a piece of chocolate without telling your child. Keep it light and encourage your child to share truths without fear of punishment or a reprimand. It’s a great habit to inculcate in the long run too!

 

Gandhiji led India’s Freedom struggle and was instrumental in achieving what no one had ever thought possible – a non-violent end to colonialism. He also had an impact on the world’s socio-economic order by inspiring others like Nelson Mandela in South Africa, Martin Luther King Jr in the United States. The celebration of Gandhi Jayanti is a celebration of all that he stood for, and the best message we can convey to our children is to lead better lives, and not be afraid to walk the unchartered path when following your dreams. Even as young preschoolers and kindergarteners, they can be inspired to do the right thing in their own ways, whether small or large, by sharing the right messages.

 

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