5 Tips to celebrate Eco Friendly Diwali with Kids

Yay, its again the festive time of the year, and I’m all the more excited to gear up things with my son. The festival of light, celebrations, sweets, shopping with some really lovely people in our lives, Diwali is just few days away (Diwali Date for 2018 – 7th November). But this immense excitement also gives rise to the fear which we faced last year, precisely all the years. But last year was the worst, when the AQI (Air Quality Index)  was at its worst and me and my son had severe Bronchitis for close to one long month. Credit, Pollution due to Crackers.

Though, I am not a fire cracker person from close to 20years(when a tragedy got me to move away from crackers forever), but I usually do not stop kids from bursting them. But looking at the air we breathed last year, I made a resolution to try my best to curtail the pollution from the crackers. And, this post goes in line as one of the actions, I have taken towards it.

Who says Diwali cannot be fun without Crackers? Its simple, search that happiness and fun in the things quoted below and I bet, you’ll be more happy than bursting mere crackers.

Do you know what does 5 days of Diwali Signify? Read more to introduce our children to the amazing world of Mythological stories? 

Get ready to beautify our festival and celebrate an Eco Friendly Diwali in a much rejoicing mood :

1.Replace Lights with traditional Diya’s (Earthen Lamps) :

Diwali is a festival of light, in the dark starry night. It signifies the strength of positiveness and celebrates the victory of light over darkness, love over hatred, Hope – optimism over Pessimism. Originally there were just Earthen Lamps, so let’s replace electric lights with those earthen lamps and candles at our homes. The beauty of candles and Diya’s can never be compared to the artificial electric lights. This will help :

• Reduce the electricity consumed
• Make our homes look more pretty in the night
• Create an earning potential for the potters and low income group who sell Diya’s and earn their bread.
• Try making some Diya’s with your kid using their Pottery sets, and whole family will be pleased to see their work shining in the dark sky:).

From last few year, I’m lightning candles and diya’s at my house and on complete terrace and they just look awesome when I sit in the night pondering at the sky. [Ask your kids to stay away from the flames of candles and diya’s]

2. Rangoli :

Designing our floors, with beautiful colours mark the beginning of festive mood for me. Let’s replace these synthetic colours (harmful for kids as well) with some organic colours or why not opt for the floral rangoli. Well, that’s my favourite, Floral Rangoli. Easy to design, my kid loves getting engaged with me and the fragrance of flowers signifies the beauty from within. Mama’s , do engage you kids in helping you make the rangoli. They can segregate the petals of the flowers, arrange them in a beautiful design and immerse in the spirit of this glittering festival.

You can also opt for some natural colours made out of food/spices as :

1. Yellow : Turmeric or grounded pulses
2. White : Rice powder / Semolina
3. Green : Fennel or Cardamom
4. Red : Vermillion
5. Brown : Grounded Cinnamon/cloves
6. Reddish – Purple : Beet Root

Motivated to get started off with Organic/Floral Rangoli? Cheers, Glad you opted for something to help us stay greener!

3. House Decor :

With every passing year, I find that plastic items are regularly gaining their market share in house decor items specifically for Diwali. Why not engage with our kids and opt for some organic decoration. I love the door hangings (Bandarwar) made out of yellow, white, red flowers, they look so pretty. We get flowers, some from the market/some from our garden and just sew them up with the tick thread to make a bandarwar. You can also opt for Floral paper door hangings. Try it out, its easy and kids love to be a part. It is motivating and engaging activity which kids will love running all across the house. Read 10 best activities for Kids this Diwali, Here .

Also, I love making paper Lanterns with my son, for him its a perfect creativity and for me a house decor gets readied up. Further you can use available stolls, shawls, sarees to give a beautiful look to your house.

4. Arrange family and friends Dinner :

Ask me, that is so much enjoyment with no pollution. And what can be more better than getting together with our loved ones on this festival. All you need to do is, get a music set, balloons, cook some 2-3 delicious dishes and that’s done. Let kids burst balloons all around which will never give you the missing feel of crackers. Dance with every burst, sing some songs, cherish the “old is gold” and some new stories. Eat kheer sitting in the open starry beautiful night. Bet on me, that will be awesome after doing Diwali Pooja. Atleast try doing it and get the feeler.

5. Share the happiness with Under privileged people :

Sharing gives immense happiness and why not donate some good clothes, books, stationary, distribute sweets to NGO’s which work for under privileged children or Orphans or Differently abled kids/people. Take out some time to be with them, play with them, get to understand these beautiful souls , I bet that will make the best Diwali you ever had in the past years.

There are many NGO’s which offer products as diya’s, candles and some home decor items which are made in an eco friendly manner by these differently abled people. If you can’t try making them at home, why not get few from them? In Delhi, there are NGO’s as Muskaan NGO (differently abled people), Blind School who usually deal with making of such items related to the festival. Go, visit them, get things made by them, share some laugh and sweets and your day will be awesome. You will get that inner happiness without missing crackers.

Other Thoughts This Diwali,

• I’ll not ask you to stop your shopping, but don’t shop lavishly just for the status symbol. Get the requisites for sure, but here minimalism approach would help reducing pressure on the natural resources.
• Though try making this Diwali with less of Crackers, still if kids cannot do that, go for crackers made of Recycled paper with less noise and air pollution. Let’s all try to make small contributions for the big impact.
• Try to get the Bio degradable Idols/Clay Idols, you can paint them at home with your kids as well (use Organic colours)
• Why not make sweets at home and avoid the adulterated milk/mava at this time of the year. At this time, demand is much higher than the organic supply of milk derivatives. “Coconut Barfi, Laddoo’s, Kheer (Rice + Milk), Gajar halwa (Carrot Halwa), vermicelli, can be great home sweets for Diwali. Gift cookies, cakes baked by you this season.

Celebrate this festival of Joy and lights with all its authentic traditional spirit with kids. Do ponder over my thoughts and try to have an Eco-Friendly Diwali with a blast. It will remain forever in your heart and minds. Society needs something really from you. Do you have other options for celebrating Eco-Friendly Diwali? Share them in the comment section!

Have a Glorious Diwali, the festival of lights, love, joy and euphoria! Diwali wishes from Mommyinme!